Meet ClassRing From Rising Star Winners to International Champion Quartet and 2019 Joni Bescos Trophy Honorees
Michaela Slamka-Johnston (tenor), Spirit of the Gulf Chorus, #9 Heather Havens (lead), Chapter-at-Large #19 Mary Duncan (baritone), Kansas City Chorus, #5 Hailey Parks (bass), Chapter-at-Large #4 SCORE: 2769 SEMIFINALS SONGS: A Wonderful Day Like Today/ Nothing Can Stop Me Now medley (C. Hine); Blame It On My Youth (B. Graham) FINALS SONGS: Seize The Day (A. Bock); Sweet Adeline (J. Giallombardo); Shamey, Shamey, Shame (M. Parks); You’ll Never Walk Alone (A. Bock)
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ince the day ClassRing began as an idea on a Hawaiian beach during the 2013 SA convention, the young quartet has been on the rise. After forming a foursome via barbershop connections, friendships and a social media search, they met for a handful of rehearsals before winning the 2014 Rising Star quartet contest. Since then, they have performed on the international stage every year since a 2015 wildcard invitation, always placing as a Top 10 finalist. Their barbershop-to-the-core talent is not surprising, considering their musical roots and family ties to some of the world’s best female and male barbershop singers. For example: Michaela is a fourth generation barbershopper on her father’s side. (See Fun Facts) She also shares her love of the genre with her husband, Nathan, and friends Ravi and Blair, singing in the twotime world mixed champion quartet, Double Date. Mary, a third-generation barbershopper by way of both parents, followed her mother and grandmother to the Kansas City Chorus. Her love of quartetting was a lock, especially after seeing her mother, Michelle Hunget, become a queen with 2010 international champion quartet, Zing! Heather’s three-generation connection led her to join her first chorus at age 10. Her father is also a BHS champion with Old School. Fittingly, Heather married a barbershop singer and she and her husband can’t wait to share their hobby with their young daughter. From a young age, Hailey sang with her family but not in the barbershop style. That changed in high school, when an enthusiatic Sweet Adeline and long-time YWIH advocate named Jen Cooke came to school weekly to teach girls about a cappella barbershop harmony. Hailey also married a barbershopper, so it’s possible she may start yet another generational barbershop legacy. After Rising Star, ClassRing planned to disband, thinking
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January 2019 | TH EP I TC H P I P E
they’d reached the pinnacle of their success. However, the love and support of the Sweet Adelines family inspired them to stick together and set higher goals. As it turned out, the decision was the easy part – the reality involved late Friday night flights after a week of school, weekends jam-packed with rehearsals and coaching, late Sunday night flights – and the occasional break for Mexican food. “We had to make every minute count,” bass Hailey Parks remembered. “Sharing a common goal and our friendships made it easier. For any of you out there looking into a long-distance quartet, it’s achievable!”
