Meet Our Management Team
They say it takes a village, and at Northwest Harmony Chorus it takes a whole team of dedicated members working behind the scenes to help make our chorus be everything it can be! Say Hello to our Management Team!
Karen joined Northwest Harmony 11 years ago after not singing since university days. In addition to barbershop, she enjoys gardening, international travel, bridge, knitting, crocheting and cross-stitching. She volunteers with the library, Master Gardeners and Partners of the Americas. She is blessed with a supportive husband, 3 children and 2 granddaughters.
I was born and raised in Southern California; moved to Washington 9 years ago. I had various jobs while going to college for Business and Equine Science/Liberal Studies. I was a full time stay-at-home mom for 13 years. I went back to work as an accounting clerk over 6 years ago and have been at my current job since then.
I have been married to my husband, Ron; a product manager and artist, for 24 years. We have two sons; Lance, who creates, edits, and produces short films/videos and Cooper is a senior in high school and looking into the data science field.
I love singing (obviously), gardening, video and board gaming, reading, mountain biking and going for motorcycle rides with my husband.I have been a Sweet Adeline for 13 years. I joined Golden Sands chorus in California in 2010. When I moved here to Washington, I searched for a new chorus and found NW Harmony through Nancy Kurth, while attending a rehearsal at Pride of Portland. She recruited me right away.
I have always been a baritone and love singing harmony. I have performed in multiple quartets, (competed once, sang for multiple functions, including my nana’s 90th birthday, and performed in China on a televised pop competition.)
Since being a member of NW Harmony, I have participated in many positions. I have been in charge of rehearsal attendance for over seven years, assistant nut fundraiser coordinator for almost 4 years, financial assistant for a little over a year, and I was baritone section leader assistant for one year. I’m fortunate to be a part of such a fabulous group of sisters and love learning and singing with you all.
Debby has loved singing and the arts ever since she was a
small child. The first song she remember singing is a beer jingle while in her
stroller. She was involved in theater and choirs through school and always has
a song in her head.
When not singing or working, she would most likely be found
doing something creative and crafty or traveling. She has been singing
barbershop for over 30 years and belonged to two choruses and is now in her
sixth Quartet, Up to Something.
She is on her second term on the management team, holding
the position of communications coordinator and provides us with our weekly
newsletter.
My name is Evelyn and I love to sing. I have been a Sweet
Adeline for 39 years. I started singing when my son was 9 months old. I worked
part time as an x-ray tech and spent a lot of time at home with him.
I needed a break from being a mom. I have a degree in
Elementary Education but I never worked in the field. That certainly helped as
my son had special needs and needed an advocate. My daughter was born 3 years
later. My husband is great and took over parenting so I could enjoy my hobbies,
playing the piano and singing. Singing makes me feel good, it is fun and I love
my sisters that I sing with. Now, I am a grandma and I still enjoy this life
-long endeavor.
Judy Larsen is the Finance Coordinator for Northwest Harmony Chorus. She is also currently employed as an Accountant for Prestige Care, a privately-owned west coast company that provides assisted living and skilled nursing services. She is responsible for all chorus financial activities including membership dues, contest receipts/payments, all fundraising activities, payments to third parties, chorus budget and annual tax filings.
Judy is the only remaining active charter member of the chorus from 1997. She started as a Lead then switched to the BEST harmony part Baritone! She has been in 5 quartets and loves singing harmony.
Judy is from Alaska and has been married to Jim from Wyoming for 46 years this August. They have 2 rescued Siberian Huskies named Kira and Koda. Judy and Jim are scuba divers and one of their favorite dive locations is Palau (in Micronesia). Other than numbers and singing, Judy loves to read and walk the dogs.
Kellie has always loved singing, first exploring barbershop with the Parkrosettes at age 12. She sang throughout high school and with church choirs, but took a break while her four kids were young. Now that her boys are a bit older, she’s been able to take time for herself and joined Northwest Harmony.
Her love of community and spreadsheets made her a great fit
for Events Coordinator. If you’d like to have Northwest Harmony join your event
just let Kellie know!
Dani discovered NW Harmony about a year ago. She instantly felt like I had found family! Although she had no experience with barbershop singing before, it took no time at for her to fall completely in love with the beautiful harmonies, and she was hooked!
Dani works professionally as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator, mostly designing products for the crafting industry.
Dani has lived in the Pacific Northwest her entire life and together with her husband they two kids. When Dani is not working or singing she loves to do anything creative or crafty! There is always some project she is working on whether it’s painting, stitching or making home decor. Dani also loves cooking and trying new foods, watching movies with her husband, and cuddling up with a good book!
Dani is excited to bring her professional skills to NW Harmony and get their name and brand represented in the community!
Gail grew up in a BIG barbershop-singing family in Central Washington and has been a member of Sweet Adelines Int’l since June 1971–one week after graduating from college and after securing her first teaching job in the Yakima Valley. She and her husband Jeff have two sons, two granddaughters and two great-granddaughters, who all live within an hours’ drive away. She and Jeff love to travel and have visited six of the seven continents throughout their 55 years of marriage.
After retiring, Gail did volunteer work as a CASA (advocating for children in Foster Care) for 15 years and now tutors struggling young readers in the Evergreen School District.
Meet Our Music Team
These ladies work hard behind the scenes to select just the right music, train singers, audition new members, and make sure our chorus sound is the best it can be!
I started singing as soon as I realized I could control my voice. My mom started recording me vocalizing at 3 months of age (I have the tape and everything). I was 7 years old when I decided it was very important that I learn good vocal production, and I’ve been picking up every bit of knowledge I can on the subject ever since. In 2008, I auditioned into the vocal performance program at Portland State University, where I received straight A’s on my one and only performance final, a feat I was previously told was impossible. I’ve been singing with Northwest Harmony since 2018, and it seems to be the culmination of everything I’ve been working toward since I was 3 months old. What a journey it’s been!
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My membership and participation in NW Harmony Chorus has been a wonderful and enlightening 20+ years!!! I have assisted 3 very different Directors: Kathy Scheel, Nancy Kurth and, most recently, Melanie McGuire. All 3 have offered me opportunities to learn & grow. They have nurtured and mentored me through the entire 20 years. I continue to serve NW Harmony as the Bass Section Leader.
I’ve been folksinging since I was 12 yrs old doing solo and trio gigs with my two brothers. We had visions of being the next Peter, Paul & Mary! We four Hillyer kids even formed a quartet, but after only 1 summer we realized our musical dreams were not along the same trajectories. I received a Bachelor Degree in Secondary Music Education from Southern Oregon. Soon after graduation, I toured out of NY City for three seasons with the Robert DeCormier Folksingers, performing all around the USA and southern Canada. I taught Elementary and Jr High Music full time for 2 yrs and substitute taught off/on for 10 years.
By the time I came to Sweet Adelines in 2002, I had 30+ years of singing in SATB choirs in Oregon and Germany. I have been in two, notable Acapella quartets: Sound Collage and my current comedy group, Up To Something. The former never hit the top 10, and the latter has won Audience Choice for Most Entertaining 3 out of 5 years.
Other interests include ushering for 2 orchestras in Portland and I have season tickets for the Oregon Symphony and 2 theater companies. I taught CPR & 1st Aid for the American Red Cross for over 20 years. I worked for our government: Fed’s, State of Oregon and City of Portland for almost 30 yrs. I still play and teach contract Bridge and usually have immediate access to a crossword puzzle or a word game. I love to go camping, sleeping in my car, or a friend’s motor-home or a borrowed trailer. I am often found playing the guitar and leading a sing-along around a campfire during the summer months somewhere in Oregon or Washington. I love to travel abroad and throughout this continent: coast to coast, Mexico to Canada, Hawaii & Alaska.
I have had some medical challenges, ultimately resulting in a leg amputation. But I decided at 15 that neither Cancer nor any other obstacle would prevent me from doing the things I love. I decided then, to live hard and fast in order to out-run death. I haven’t slowed down yet! It’s been a wild ride and I’ve “paid my dues!” Now, I look forward to being surrounded by like-minded people with a positive outlook and similar interests for the rest of my life.
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I joined Northwest Harmony Chorus in 2015. I was born and raised here in the Pacific Northwest and music features in most of my earliest memories. I remember having a heated argument with my dad when I was pretty young.
He claimed there was theater that had no music, no singing. I knew with absolute certainty he was wrong. Why would anyone write a play and not include music? He argued, ‘all of Shakespeare has no music!’ I sang the Hamlet soliloquy from Gillian’s Island to him. Singing is the stuff of life.
Judy is the only remaining active charter member of the chorus from 1997. She started as a Lead then switched to the BEST harmony part Baritone! She has been in 5 quartets and loves singing harmony.
Judy is from Alaska and has been married to Jim from Wyoming for 46 years this August. They have 2 rescued Siberian Huskies named Kira and Koda. Judy and Jim are scuba divers and one of their favorite dive locations is Palau (in Micronesia). Other than numbers and singing, Judy loves to read and walk the dogs.
As a section leader, Judy schedule rehearsals outside of chorus to work on music and strive for resonance and unit sound in the Bari section. She keeps the Bari’s updated on music changes and evaluate qualifying recordings submitted by each member. Judy takes the new Bari’s under my wing to assist them and helps the baritone learn how they can improve their sound.
Gail has sung tenor her whole Sweet Adelines life, now 52 years! She has moved around the Northwest with her husband’s career and has belonged to 8 different choruses wherever they have lived–she even went so far as to charter a new chorus in Hood River in 1984 because there wasn’t a chorus in that area yet! She has been the tenor section-leader in 7 of the 8 choruses she has been a part of and is currently proud to be a section-leader in Northwest Harmony Chorus.
