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Welcome to Youth In Harmony

It's all about singing and having fun.  The Far Western District is dedicated to encourage young men and women to discover the thrill of singing your best, and sharing that experience with friends.  The YIH web pages contain information on a variety of opportunities to develop your singing skills, information for music educators on how we can help you enhance your programs, and opportunities for our members to provide resources in their local communities.

  • YIH 05

    No Personal Boundaries
    2011 Far Western District High School Quartet Contest

  • YIH 03

    JAG 
    2011 Far Western District High School Quartet Contest

  • YIH 11

    4 Men 4 Octaves
    2014 Far Western District High School Quartet Contest Champions

  • YIH 07

    Westminster Chorus
    Performing at Denver's 2007 International Convention

  • YIH 12

    Flightline 
    2017 YBQC Champion

  • YIH 01

    Four Score & Seven Measures Ago 
    2011 Far Western District High School Quartet Contest

  • YIH 08

    Surround Sound
    2011 Far Western District High School Quartet Contest

  • YIH 10

    The Newfangled Four
    2013 International Collegiate Champions

  • YIH 06

    Sharply Flat
    2011 Far Western District High School Quartet Contest

  • YIH 02

    Westminster Chorus 
    Performing at the 2004 International Convention in Louisville, Kentucky

  • YIH 04

    OC Times
    2008 International Quartet Champions

  • YIH 09

    The Rolling Tones
    2011 Far Western District High School Quartet Contest

Harmony Camp 2022 will be Friday, Oct. 21 to Sunday, Oct. 23
at the Sly Park Educational Center, 5600 Sly Park Road, Pollock Pines, CA

Dean Gabe CarettoDean Gabe Caretto

2022 Harmony Camp will feature Midtown along with Dean Gabe Caretto. We’re really looking forward to welcoming one-hundred plus young men this year at Harmony Camp 2022 in Pollock Pines.

Covid has been a serious problem for everyone, worldwide, but we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel rushing up to meet us. It is so refreshing!

Nevertheless, Sly Park informs us that we will be following all COVID protocols in place at the time. However, we will not ask for confirmation of vaccination.

Midtown is the real deal top level quartet that burst onto the barbershop scene in 2019 with a top five finish at International. They will be truly exciting to rub elbows with for an entire weekend. With Midtown, our clinicians, and a hundred young men mixed together for a weekend of barbershop harmony, magic truly happens during the weekend. At Harmony Camp, we focus on fundamentals: the fundamentals of vocal singing, proper breathing, and basic posture. Over the weekend the boys experience the wonderful world of barbershop harmony through the learning of three or four songs, singing tags, and participation in the totally positive culture that is barbershop.

An increased emphasis in the Society on musical excellence is fine. We all enjoy and appreciate the fantastic performances of Westminster, Vocal Majority, Masters of Harmony and Ambassadors of Harmony. However, at Harmony Camp, we believe other things are important as well. There are ways of teaching, ways of performing, and ways of approaching barbershop (and all of the arts) that are not based on just that “gold medal” or “first place”. The philosophical underpinnings of Harmony Camp are exhibit #1 for this kind of approach.

“Dean” Gabe Caretto having fun with a “selfie” of him and the boys chorus. “Dean” Gabe Caretto having fun with a “selfie” of him and the boys chorus.

At Harmony Camp we do not emphasize the Sunday morning show. Let me repeat that: we do not put a lot of our energies into preparation for the Sunday morning show. We do present a one-hour show on Sunday morning for “friends and family” that’ll knock your socks off. The boys simply sing and have fun showing their parents and friends what they have experienced and learned during this intensive weekend immersion into barbershop harmony and barbershop culture. We liken it to being “hot dipped” in barbershop!

What we have found after some nineteen years of running this camp is that most of these boys will become singers for life.

Practicing one of the group moves for the show on Sunday. One of the rare “choreo” moves incorporated for the show.Practicing one of the group moves for the show on Sunday. One of the rare “choreo” moves incorporated for the show.

We also feel that it is very important to expose the boys to the very best talent in the world of barbershop. So our quartet alumni include gold medal champions: Realtime (twice – they asked to come back), OC Times (twice), Vocal Spectrum, Storm Front, Forefront, and Instant Classic.

We also feature top clinicians in order to show the boys many different approaches to teaching, directing, and motivating singers on the risers to give their best in singing the songs that they have just learned for the weekend.

It truly is a magical weekend. Why not join us!

Richard Lund
FWD Harmony Camp Director

 

Information and forms for Harmony Camp

Registration Forms

These forms can be saved and filled out on your computer with Adobe Reader, then printed, signed and mailed as listed on the form.

Please email the completed forms to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Camp Information

Additional Information