DIRECTOR BRAD CHARLES
Brad has been director of Crosstown Harmony Chorus since the fall of 2004. He has brought with him a wide-ranging knowledge of music, vocal production and the barbershop style. His “connections” in the barbershop world have enhanced and broadened the education of Crosstown Harmony’s singers. Brad is extremely well-organized, spending much time planning and working the details of his responsibilities with the chorus. His delightful, considerate, energetic personality has created an atmosphere of excitement and fun, as well as a championship for Crosstown Harmony in every regional competition since he has been director.
Brad has led Crosstown Harmony to two Region 22 championships, in 2005 and 2007. He has directed us in International competitions in 2004 at Indianapolis and 2006 at Las Vegas. In the fall of 2008, he will be traveling with Crosstown to Sweet Adelines International competition in Honolulu.
Brad has been a member of the Men’s Barbershop Harmony Society for over 26 years! He first joined the Menomonee Falls chapter in college and later became their director as well as the Ozaukee County chapter’s director, concurrently. For a time, he also sang with the Northbrook, IL New Tradition Chorus and later became a charter member of the Midwest Vocal Express in Greendale, WI. From the MVE’s inception, Brad served on the Singing Team which is responsible for what he calls “quality control” of the chorus sound.
Brad’s vocal music experience goes back to high school where he received a 1st Place medal on all 4 of the songs he competed with at State Solo & Ensemble Contest including a barbershop quartet . He is a 6-time Division One Quartet Champion with three quartets (Four Star Event, Center of Attention and Checkmate), a Land O’Lakes District Quartet Champion with Checkmate in 1996 and an International Semi-Finalist in 2000 also with Checkmate.
With MVE, Brad has enjoyed two District Chorus Championships and six top-ten International finishes, collecting two 5th Place International Bronze Medals in 2002 and 2003. Through chorus and quartet experiences he has been able to work with some of the finest coaches in the world. He has also served twice as Performance Team Leader for the MVE and was honored as Barbershopper of the Year for the chapter in 2001.
As an educator, Brad has served on the
faculty of the Land O’Lakes District Mini-HEP School, the Cardinal
District Mini-HEP, the Men’s Society-sponsored Saturday Sing for high
school boys, and the Division One Quartet School which was founded by Checkmate.
He was also honored to have been selected to
participate in the Men’s Society-sponsored Music Mentor Program designed
to provide coaching to choruses in remote areas of the District.
In his other life, Brad is the
Director of Recruiting for MetLife Greater Wisconsin and has been with the
company for 14 years. In his
“spare time” he sings with his wife Nancy (also a member of Crosstown)
in Heart to Heart, an exciting
mixed quartet with best friends Kirk and Barb Hyder.
He is also the choir director of Plymouth Congregational
Church in Racine where Nancy is the soprano soloist.
Brad is the proud father of twin 15-year old daughters, Patty and
Alyssa, and the Charles family resides in the Bayview area.
Crosstown Harmony hopes you enjoy Brad’s enthusiasm and love for vocal music as much as we do.
