Four girls who have been singing together for two years, the Sunshine Sisters, will compete at the Rising Star Competition in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The barbershop class held a send-off and fundraiser concert May 14. Donations helped the Sunshine Sisters, juniors Brooklyn Jones and Kyndall Jones, as well as seniors Emma Neuschafer and Giselle Mestas pay for travel and entry fees.
“It was the idea of having just kind of like a fundraiser show for the kids, the ones who are gonna be competing, ” choir teacher Nick Franssen said. “We’ve done a lot of music all year long, we could probably do a whole concert basically by ourselves. I’ve been trying to think of unique performance opportunities for kids.”
Senior Emma Neuschafer loves being in choir.
“I’m super excited. I love barbershop music, and so having a concert where we can solely do barbershop is great,” Neuschafer said.
The barbershop send-off concert was to show other students what barbershop class was like.
“I am really excited about that. I love competing in barbershop,” senior Giselle Mestas said. “I think it shows people that a choir isn’t just standing and singing. It’s also having fun and having a friendship and a group.”
The Sunshine Sisters will travel to Tulsa July 25 – 27. The Rising Star Competition is only for girls.
“The Rising Star competition is part of the Sweet Adelines organization competition for basically high school to collegiate level singers, basically anybody. It’s in different places. This year, it’s in Tulsa, Oklahoma,” Franssen said.
Junior Brooklyn Jones is more serious without the boy barbershop groups with her.
“It will definitely keep us more serious. I feel like when the guys are there, it’s a lot of joking around and stuff like that,” junior Brooklyn Jones said. “That’s fine, except for when we’re at the competition, they need to focus and stuff like that. It’s a big deal and there’s money, and prizes.”
Franssen said the Sunshine Sisters could go to competition tomorrow if they had to, but during the summer they will have guests come in and help them.
“We’re gonna plan on having coaching sessions with some of the other barbershop coaches,” Franssen said. “We’ve already had a couple. There is actually a guest at alumni named Melanie Williams. I can’t remember when she won, but she was an international champion with a sweet Adelaide Competition with a quartet called Zing. She’s going to work with them a little bit more.”
Franssen wants to see the girls go out and have fun with their performance.
“I think if you’re only going for the winning score, if you don’t get that winning score, it kind of negates all of that work, at least emotionally that you put into it. Franssen said. “I personally want to see them go and, and do their best, you know, I don’t necessarily care if they win, you know, be great if they did.”
Neuschafer cannot wait for the competition this summer.
“I’m really excited for the competition,” Neuschafer said. “This is way different than anything we’ve ever done since we’re competing with quartets from around the nation along with collegiate-level quartets.”
