Pasadena Singers Shine With The Harbor City Music Company Show Chorus

Published in the Pasadena Voice on Oct. 16th.

Harbor City Music Company Show Chorus (HCMCSC) will make an exciting costume reveal on Saturday, October 23, at 7:30pm with a free Friends and Family Night show for members of the Chesapeake Arts Center, as well as for members’ friends and families. Only a few weeks away from an international competition, chorus and quartet members will use this night as a dress rehearsal to be fully prepared to take a hopeful win in Honolulu at the Sweet Adelines International competition.

The vocal group of 67 women will sing four-part a cappella music onstage for Chesapeake Arts audiences and for other quartets and choruses from around the area that were invited to attend.

"HCMCSC will open the show with two songs, an uptune and a ballad," said HCMCSC marketing coordinator Ericka McLeod. "Harbor City will then leave for a costume change, and then quartets will come on."

Lustre Quartet will perform first and sing two songs, then will be followed by another quartet, Escapade, which will also sing two songs. "Lustre comes back on and will sing several compiled songs, called a competition package," McLeod informed.

After the quartets, HCMCSC members will return onstage with the exciting reveal of their costumes and another five songs to dazzle the audience. "They will have a combination of familiar songs and some Broadway songs," said McLeod.

Pasadena resident and chorus member Tina Brady will be a front line dancer and will sing the lead, which is the melody of the songs. An 18-year veteran with the chorus, Brady is grateful her mother tricked her into auditioning as a newlywed. She made the cut and has been singing with the group ever since, except for a small break to care for her newborn.

"I got hooked," admitted Brady. “[HCMCSC] is like a second family. I do it for the friendships, my love of singing and the traveling."

Pasadena native Mandy Kohli will also perform with the chorus for her eighth year with her mother, Susan Kohli, also a member of the chorus. "I will be singing at the top and I will sing the tenor, the highest part and a harmony part," she said. To prepare for her shows, Mandy is often found practicing with Susan, whom she convinced to join.

Mandy took voice lessons with the director when she was 20 years old and joined the chorus shortly after. "I love the people. I love the sisterhood. I love to compete and try to do my best,” she exclaimed. “I think our chorus is a unique and creative group.”

The company’s talent has been regionally, nationally and internationally recognized. Currently holding the title of 2012 Region 19 champions, the chorus always surprises the audience with a show that incorporates "harmony with a twist," which is full of movement and energy.

"The Chesapeake Arts Centers wants to give back to the community, so we hope everyone can come attend this magical evening with HCMCSC," said Nicole Parsons, Chesapeake Arts Center Marketing Coordinator.

Always looking for new members, the HCMCSC invites singers to join the chorus on Wednesday nights at 7:24pm at the Chesapeake Arts Center, where participants can discover their inner performer and no experience is necessary. To learn more about the chorus, how to join and other upcoming events, visit www.harborcitymusiccompany.org.cb

Leroy Justice from NYC

When listening to Leroy Justice, it's not difficult imagining oneself on a porch with sounds of a harmonica drifting through the air. The band’s mixed sounds of funk, Americana and rock n’ roll will take you straight to the south. That’s just what the band’s name relates to as well. Jason Gallagher, lead singer of the band, explains that the band was named after a friend’s father, who was your typical southern man – a role model for the band with a great name – and one who helps to convey the all-American vibes given off by the band’s tunes.

Justice, a poker-playing guitarist, has a lot in common with the five band members -Gallagher, Sloan Marshall, Bradley Wegner, Josh Karis and Justin Mazer. They all seem to have the same hobbies, which allowed them to find one another to form the band. Having met at a poker game in New York City, the once-acquaintance band members clicked and decided to give the band a try.

Since then, shows have mostly been held in venues in hometown New York City, though the band has had the opportunity to play everywhere east from Maine to Alabama. Gallagher jokes, “It's tough having a hometown like NYC. We play a lot there but prefer anywhere with easier parking.”

While currently not on tour, the band hopes to play shows in Colorado in early 2012 and plans to release its third album shortly after. With pressure to create something as substantial as the last album, which received ample recognition, the band plans to change up its sounds and surprise fans in the third album. Soulful song “People’s Revolution” from the band’s second album was voted by Earvolution as being one of 2008’s most memorable. Elmore magazine, Jambase and Hidden Track also recognized the second album as being a “a contender for best this year” in 2009.

Fans can expect leaks of the third album in the next couple months. Be sure to check them out when posted on leroyjustice.com or to check out if the band is playing at a venue near you.