Peru, Nebraska - Dr. Jake Bartlett is appointed Central States District vice president of the Barbershop Harmony Society.

Bartlett serves on the Central States District Board of Directors and House of Delegates. The Central States District is one of 16 United States districts in the Barbershop Harmony Society. It includes Missouri, Iowa and parts of South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas.

Bartlett is the chapter delegate for the Antelope Valley Chapter out of Lincoln. He also represents the 12 chapters and choruses in Nebraska as the state delegate at all national and regional events.

Additionally, Bartlett was selected for the international faculty of Harmony University, although the event is canceled this year. This would have been Bartlett’s second year in this competitive position.

At Harmony University, Bartlett teaches voice lessons, Vocal Techniques Class, Rhythm Reading for Beginners, Music Theory 1, Music Theory 2, and Simply Speaking Simply – a course designed to train the voice to sing by speaking.

The organization holds competitions in which Bartlett has also been a participant. He has competed with several collegiate and district-level quartets. In 2017, his quartet “Just Maybe” won the Novice Quartet Championship.

Competitions are also canceled this year. This year would have been the first competition including women at the international level with the organization’s strategic vision launched in 2017 to become more inclusive and diverse.

Bartlett said, “Now, you can easily find top-level, high-quality women’s, men’s and mixed quartets in the same venue.”

The Barbershop Harmony Society is also inclusive of other styles.

Bartlet said, “Most of the singers likely sing predominantly 4-part non-barbershop music. The barbershop style is mostly used in the contest setting, and for those new to the style who need to learn the style traits.”

Bartlett will continue to be an active coach for choruses and quartets throughout the district. He is the founder and has been the director of the Nebraska Vocal Initiative since 2017. He has directed the Lincoln Continentals in the past (2009-2011).

Bartlet said, “I enjoy interacting with singers who are there because of their lifelong passion for singing and fraternity. People from all walks of life, all income levels, all ages, all genders are included, and it is a wonderful feeling to be able to reach beyond the normal demographic.”

He added, “I also enjoy engaging with youth and how younger singers (especially high school) respond when they nail that perfect chord!”

Bartlett’s involvement with the Barbershop Harmony Society began in 2003 in St. Joseph, Missouri with the American BarberBoys. Bartlet completed a dissertation on barbershop— “Healthy Performance Practice for Male Barbershop Musicians.” Bartlett has also integrated the barbershop style to the Peru State College Prestige group, which he took on tour to Chicago in 2018 to perform with a past international champion, The New Tradition Chorus.