From Barbershop.org:
“Flawless harmonies and jazzy interpretation propelled After Hours to the pinnacle of a cappella singing, as it captured the 2018 international quartet championship of the Barbershop Harmony Society on Saturday, July 7 in Orlando. Singing a range of songs from Broadway including “Butter Outta Cream” from Catch Me If You Can, “The Next Ten Minutes” from The Last Five Years, and classics like “Honeysuckle Rose,” the quartet posted the highest winning score in the history of the annual competition, now in its 80th year.
AFTER HOURS Members: Tim Beutel – Tenor, Drew Ochoa – Lead, Dan Wessler – Bass, Bryan Ziegler – Baritone
Tim Beutel (Tenor) Tim started at Bradley University as an engineering major, Tim soon found that his true passions lay in the music world, and he graduated with a degree in Music Education in 2009. He later finished a Masters degree in 2015. Tim now teaches choir and general music for the Morton, IL school district. Tim is from Tremont, and is also the assistant director for Sound of Illinois Chorus.
IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE: The local Sound of Illinois chorus (which our WBNQ engineer Mark Hill is a member of) also sent 48 men to compete in the international chorus competition division in Orlando and placed a very respectable 21st out of a very competitive field of singers from all over the world.
Dan Wessler (bass), a native of Peoria, IL, holds a degree in music education from Bradley University and a master’s degree in choral conducting from Western Illinois University. He currently directs the Freeport High School choral program in Freeport, IL. Dan is also the director of The New Tradition, an award-winning barbershop chorus based in Northbrook, IL.
Drew Ochoa (Lead) Drew has a Bachelor’s in Choral Music Education and finished his Master’s in Voice Performance from Roosevelt University in 2014. He currently lives in Orlando, FL where he works at Disney World as a member of The Voices of Liberty.
Bryan Ziegler (Baritone) He has earned four collegiate quartet medals (2010-13) and three chorus medals (2002-03, 2012), including gold in 2012 with the Ambassadors of Harmony. Bryan graduated from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2012 with a BA in Music, and will graduate with an MA in Music Theory from the University of Minnesota.
CONGRATULATIONS ‘AFTER HOURS’ ON THIS AMAZING AWARD!
Just to give you an idea of how big this competition and the International Barbershop community is, let me leave you with this video that went viral in 2017.
The Barbershop Harmony Society inducted “Dirty Jobs” star Mike Rowe as their newest Honorary Lifetime Member. Yes, Mike has an extensive resume of singing barbershop and opera! Well, Mike Rowe couldn’t just accept his award without singing, so he stepped in to perform with the 2016 International Quartet Champion Forefront. And he was great!
