Tom knew he wanted to perform in front of audiences from the age of 5 when he memorized the entire "Night before Christmas" and recited it from a chair at the Crystal Falls, Michigan, Rotary Christmas Party! Unfortunately the ovation he received that evening has never been equaled!
His barbershop career began when his wife, Kathleen, suggested that he
attend a local chapter meeting of the Barbershop Harmony Society. He went and hasn't missed one since!
His
quartet singing got an early start when he and his 3 younger brothers
sang "Seventy Six Trombones" and "Rigoletto" (the
barbershop arrangement, not the operetta) during his senior year in high
school. Singing, however, was
never the same. Drinking songs in college and occasional hymns in
church didn't satisfy the creative craving that was spawned at that
Rotary Christmas. After
singing in multiple barbershop shows and a few quartets, he invited a few SPEBSQSA
friends to form a new quartet and was surprised when all seven accepted,
hence the unusual number of singers in Sound Judgment! Having a few individuals who know different parts has been a
true joy, as there are always four willing singers available for
performances ... and the bruises inflicted during the debate about the
actual performance quartet's make-up rarely show through the judge's
robes used in the quartet's introductory number! When not singing Tom practices Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine as a member of the Permanente Medical Group in San Francisco. His wife Kathleen remains a devoted fan although she has had to
find something else to occupy her time on most Tuesdays and Thursdays!
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