Here's something most people don't know about barbershop singing. When four voices lock a chord just right, a fifth note appears. Nobody in the room is singing it. You can hear it anyway.
"The first time that happened to me, the hair on my arms literally stood up," says Mickey Wilson-Skarr, who chairs the marketing and PR committee for the Magic of Manatee Chorus. "Because you can hear it, and it's a note you're not singing."
If this sounds exciting to you, the Magic of Manatee Chorus might be your next new hobby. The group is actively looking for new members, and the way in is refreshingly easy: just show up on a Tuesday night.
They rehearse from 7 to 9 p.m. each week at Redeemer Lutheran Church, and visitors are always welcome. Come once and just listen if you want. Or take a spot on the risers, let someone hand you the music, and sing along.
"As long as you can carry a tune, we can teach the rest"
The biggest thing standing between most women and a chorus like this one is a worry that they aren't qualified. They haven't sung since high school. They never learned to read music. They're not sure they're any good.
There’s really no need to worry. Mickey says she’s one of the few members who reads music, and she's been there 11 years.
Everyone else learns by ear, using resources the chorus provides. New members get access to a members-only section of the website with sheet music and recorded learning tracks for their specific part, plus an app that puts the whole library on your phone. Which means you can easily practice in your car or even in the shower.
You’re also not expected to learn the entire repertoire at once. It’s paced, and members help each other. "We're just average, everyday women who love to sing in harmony and have fun,” Mickey explains. And if you happen to be a snowbird? No worries. You only have to live in Florida for six months of the year to be a member
Barbershop is probably not what you think
Say the word barbershop and most people picture straw hats and handlebar mustaches. The art form goes back to the early 1900s in America, and yes, it started with men before women picked it up, but the music has moved a long way since then.
The Magic of Manatee sings Broadway. They sing contemporary pop. At their last annual show, they performed Meghan Trainor's "All About That Bass," and the bass section got to rap.
There's choreography in a good number of the songs, too, because barbershop isn't only about singing. It's about telling a story to an audience.
There are no instruments and no featured soloists, just four parts blending until they sound like one voice. "It's not about standing out," Mickey says. "It's about blending and sounding like one voice in harmony."
If you’re wondering whether you’re too old – or too young – to join the chorus, the answer is probably no. Women of all ages sing here, and if you've been telling yourself barbershop is something you'd get around to someday, or something you've already aged out of, neither one is true.
Two hurricanes, a pandemic, and a whole lot of Zoom
The Magic of Manatee has been performing in the Bradenton and Sarasota area for more than six decades. It’s the only female barbershop chorus in Bradenton, and members come from all over the surrounding communities.
A run that long means the chorus has sung through a lot. When COVID shut everything down, they moved rehearsals to Zoom and kept going. When two hurricanes came through, they checked on each other and pulled together the way people do when they've been showing up in the same room for years.
"It's a place where you can go and kind of forget about everything else," Mickey says. Whatever you brought in with you, it waits outside for two hours.
The chorus is a chapter of the international organization formerly known as Sweet Adelines International, which rebranded this year as SingUnited International. The name is new. The commitment to barbershop harmony, and to supporting and educating women singers, is not.
Come sing on a Tuesday
If you’re interested, the next step is to visit the group any Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 6311 3rd Ave West, Bradenton, FL 34209.
Women of all ages are welcome, and no experience is necessary. To learn more about visiting a rehearsal or becoming a member, visit MagicOfManatee.com, call Katie at (402) 759-5543, or email info@magicofmanatee.com. You can also learn more by checking out their Facebook page.
And when you visit, be sure to tell them you heard about it on Discover Bradenton!
FAQ
1. What is the Magic of Manatee Chorus?
The Magic of Manatee Chorus is Bradenton's only female barbershop chorus, performing in the Bradenton and Sarasota area for more than six decades. The group sings four-part harmony ranging from classic barbershop to Broadway and contemporary pop, with no instruments or featured soloists.
2. Do I need singing experience to join?
No. As long as you can carry a tune, the chorus will teach you the rest. New members learn by ear using sheet music, recorded learning tracks, and a mobile app provided by the chorus — reading music isn't required.
3. When and where does the chorus rehearse?
The Magic of Manatee Chorus rehearses every Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 6311 3rd Ave West, Bradenton, FL 34209. Visitors are welcome to drop in and watch or join in on the spot.
4. Is there an age limit or residency requirement to join?
Women of all ages are welcome, and there's no upper or lower age limit. The only residency requirement is living in Florida for at least six months of the year, which makes the chorus accessible to snowbirds as well as year-round residents.
5. What organization is the Magic of Manatee Chorus affiliated with?
The chorus is a chapter of SingUnited International, the organization formerly known as Sweet Adelines International, which rebranded this year while keeping its focus on barbershop harmony and supporting women singers.
