San Diego Chorus Welcomes Coach Cy Wood

MARCH 2024 - The San Diego Chorus is thrilled to welcome coach Cy Wood. Cy is a judge in the Performance Category for the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS). Currently, he sings baritone in MixTape, a BHS quartet based in Ohio that is the current champion for the Johnny Appleseed district. He also serves as Executive Director for the Young Professionals Choral Collective (YPCC) as well as a creative artist and coach. He moved to Ohio to teach music and theatre at Butler Tech School of the Arts, which he lovingly did so for 7 wonderful years. Before that, Cy worked in New York City for nearly a decade as a professional actor, producer, special events coordinator, and creative director. Some shows that he has been involved with include current and past Broadway, Off-Broadway, Special Events and National Tours.

Cy is a third-generation barbershopper. He joined the Idaho Gateway Chorus when he was just 15 years old. While studying in college, Cy joined High Flight singing baritone, a competitive collegiate quartet. Though they were together only a few months, they won the Rocky Mountain District collegiate contest, and later went on to place 12th at the 2006 International Competition. 

Wood joined NYC's acclaimed chorus Voices of Gotham in 2012 and quickly became the baritone section leader as well as a board member at large. In 2013, Cy was asked to be VoG's Choreographer and Presentation Leader. He has had his work performed on the international stage as well as many stages in North America including Carnegie Hall. Since moving to Ohio, Cy has performed with a BHS Top Ten Chorus, Southern Gateway Chorus where he also served on the music team and was the Performance Director.

Cy Wood sang Baritone with On Tap, 2014 Champions of the Mid-Atlantic District Northern Division Contest

Cy currently sings with MixTape, a BHS quartet that is the current champion of the Johnny Appleseed District

In addition to his active coaching and chorus lifestyle, Cy was the baritone of On Tap. This quartet won the Mid-Atlantic District Northern Division Contest in 2014 and 7th place at the MAD District competition. On Tap entertained their audiences until their disbandment in 2015 due to two of the members moving away from NYC. 

The San Diego Chorus hosts member-only Coaching Events for Chorus Members multiple times a year, particularly during competition preparation cycles. The chorus is currently ranked 5th Internationally and has accepted a Wild Card invitation from parent organization Sweet Adelines International. The Chorus will take the stage as contestant #1 in the Quartet and Chorus Semi Finals in Kansas City in October of 2024.

The San Diego Chorus will be one of 32 competitors performing in the International Semi Finals, presenting a barbershop ballad and up tune. Contests are adjudicated by four judges, each of whom intensively evaluate one of the four categories that comprise the overall score: Sound, Music, Expression and Visual Communication. Every competing organization has the potential to earn 100 points per category per song. The total possible points available for a performance is 800. 

Choruses that rank within the top 10 earn a chance to present a second entertainment package in the finals for the championship title. The 15 minute finals package blends a barbershop number with contemporary a cappella numbers.

Wood is one of several world-class coaches the San Diego Chorus will work over the next year as they prepare for competition. Master Director Kathleen Hansen notes that the organization is preparing to perform on the Region 21 Golden West Stage for evaluation in April.

"There are so many facets of musicality and performance that we fine-tune concurrently in preparation for competition," Hansen says. "Multi-dimensional coaches like Cy bring valuable insight and guidance to our singers as we refine our contest and entertainment packages for the International stage."

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nicole Knox sings with Nick of Time A Cappella Quartet and is a member of the San Diego Chorus, where she was named the 2023 Sweet Adeline of the Year. A fractional Chief Marketing Officer by trade, she encourages organizations and singers by sharing her time and expertise in support of best-in-class brand, marketing and communications.

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ABOUT THE SAN DIEGO CHORUS
Founded in 1951, the San Diego Chorus of Sweet Adelines International performs award-winning, four-part harmony in the barbershop style. Twice named International Chorus Champion of Women’s Barbershop Harmony, the nonprofit performing arts organization entertains in many musical genres along with its signature vibrant choreography. Led by Master Director and Sweet Adelines International Faculty, Kathleen Hansen, the San Diego Chorus is dedicated to local education, entertainment and competition. The Chorus welcomes women and non-binary treble singers who share a love of music and dedication to personal and musical growth regardless of age, race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender expression. Rehearsals are held weekly on Wednesday evenings in Room 207 of the Casa del Prado building in Balboa Park. Additional information can be found on their website at SanDiegoChorus.org.  ​

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Sweet Adelines International is a musical force in the United States and around the world. The organization is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma where it was founded in 1945. This nonprofit music education organization is one of the world's largest singing organizations for women, encompassing more than 25,000 members, 1,200 registered quartets, and 600 choruses in the United States, Australia, Canada, England, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Scotland, Sweden, The Netherlands, and Wales. More information is available on the International Web site by visiting, http://www.sweetadelineintl.org. ​