Aaron Haydon is a veritable jack of all trades when it comes to his musical skills.
He learned the flute and piccolo in a month-and-a-half, has performed in musicals and even plays sax in a professional local big band - all while still in high school. For his latest musical foray, the 17-year-old is adding to his resume by expanding his vocal chops, performing in a distinctive style not typically on the radar of those his age.
Haydon recalled when he initially told friends he was going to be singing barbershop, there was a little confusion.
"Sometimes, I'd mention 'barbershop' and they'd think I was singing in, like, a barbershop," he said from Brantford, Ont. "They wouldn't quite get it."
With its roots dating back well over a century, barbershop is a form of unaccompanied vocal music, or a capella, comprising four parts - lead, tenor, bass and baritone - sung in harmony.
For some, the word "barbershop" may conjure visions of a bygone era and a musical style largely the domain of an older generation. But in both Canada and the U.S., those actively involved in barbershopping have made a concerted effort to engage youth to help ensure the distinctive music style lives on.
Part of that ongoing initiative is unfolding at the Barbershop Harmony Society's midwinter convention in Tampa, Fla. On Saturday, Haydon will be among more than 50 young men performing as the Cross Canada Chorus in the International Youth Barbershop Chorus Festival.
The convention will be the largest ever, with about 1,500 people expected, including some 325 taking part in the youth chorus festival. The third annual youth event is focused on showcasing a capella male choruses with an average age of 25 .
This will be the first time Canada will be represented at the festival. The group will be the largest of the 11 participating choruses. Members from British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Ontario, aged 14 to 30, make up Canada's contingent.
The Canadian chorus will perform a pair of Elvis Presley songs - "Good Luck Charm" and "Love Me" - and a homegrown tune, "Fare Thee Well Love" by the Rankin Family.
Dave Pearce organizes and supervises Harmony 2 Go Youth Barbershop Chorus in Regina. The nine-member group is part of the Cross Canada Chorus.
While in Pasadena, Calif., at last year's convention, Pearce and chorus co-ordinators Sharon and Barry Towner were among those who initially hatched the idea of bringing together Canadian youth to take part in the festival.
While the original plan was to find five or six kids to add to Pearce's chorus, they ended up with youngsters from across the country.
"The train of thought among barbershoppers ... and we're talking an older generation now, is that it's hard to reach the boys because they don't like to sing the old songs that we sing," Pearce said. "My experience has been the opposite. These kids just love to hear the harmony."
Shawn Oakes, 30, who teaches instrumental and vocals at Ontario's Brantford Collegiate Institute will also be taking part.
The classical choral singer said he loves the richness in tones of having all-male voices singing in unison.
"The harmonies are very close and detailed and very satisfying to sing," he said. "It doesn't matter which part you're singing, whether you're singing the tenor, the lead, the baritone, the bass -they're all fantastic."
The Cross Canada Chorus won't have the chance to practise together until Friday. But since every pocket of singers usually has at least four different members for the four parts, they've been able to rehearse in a setting conducive to singing barbershop, said chorus director Jordan Travis.
The 29-year-old, who has been directing choruses and choirs for a decade, travelled to Regina earlier this month to work with chorus members there. He also held rehearsals and led a performance with Ontario members.
"All of the youth, they're just workhorses, they're just sponges. Everything we throw at them, they're just jumping on it and loving it," he said. "You can see the discipline there."
Travis said barbershop has evolved to embrace both traditional and contemporary elements.
"When a lot of people think of barbershop, they think of four old guys standing on a corner singing really old songs in boater hats. But barbershop is a different entity to that altogether," he said.
A prime example of that was "The Sing-Off," a recent televised a capella contest where one of the groups was a female quartet, he noted.
"It just goes to show that people are doing different things with it. We're dabbling into now singing other a capella music as well, but also staying true to our roots with barbershop, finding songs that we can arrange in our style as well."
In 2009, more 19-year-olds joined the Barbershop Harmony Society than any other age group, said festival co-ordinator James Estes. That said, the majority of members are beyond the youth age.
Among the 26,000 North American members, around 15 per cent are under 25.
Last year, 7,000 students attended youth harmony workshops and about 1,500 took part in multi-day camps where kids can learn about barbershop style, sing in a chorus and may do some independent voice work, Estes said.
The organization also has a committee charged with keeping in touch with younger members.
Estes said its focus is to preserve and propagate barbershop throughout the world.
"By becoming a member of our organization, you sort of take the understanding that 'Hey, this isn't just for me. I'm trying to make sure I can, to borrow a term from the movie 'Pay it Forward,' and pass barbershop on to the next generation so it doesn't become a dying art form."'
In Canada, Travis said the goal is to try to create some localized youth groups or youth choruses.
"At the very least, we'll try and inspire more growth in Ontario and hopefully that will inspire more growth in Canada as well.
As for Aaron Haydon, who one day aspires to be a music teacher, he's come to love barbershop and enjoys how it brings people together.
"This just seems like what music used to be. Plus the camaraderie between the entire choir is just amazing."
The Barbershop Harmony Society is webcasting the youth chorus festival. Those who want to view the event can visit www.youthchoruswebcast.com to register at a cost of $15 to see the performance.
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On The Net:
Cross Canada Chorus: www.crossCanadachorus.ca
International Youth Barbershop Chorus Festival: www.barbershop.org/youth-zone/youth-chorus-festival.html
