Gaslight Chorus Leadership
Board Member at Large - Bob Dobson, Wes Reed, Mark Stokes |
Communications VP - Mark Stokes My professional background is in health care, I’m a chiropractor and I specialize in the treatment of herniated and ruptured discs without drugs or surgery. I’ve been in private practice for over 30 years in the Long Beach area. My wife Susan and I have been married since 1970. We have four children and five grandchildren. I am an avid sports fan and play golf on a regular basis. A friend of mine told me he sang in a men’s chorus and for several years, invited me to one of their shows. Truthfully, I wasn’t interested in going to hear what I assumed was a men’s choir. I can hear choir music every Sunday, why should I go to a show? Several years went by until another friend of mine told me he had two tickets to one of Norm’s shows and his wife couldn’t go. He invited me and I found out a couple of very interesting things. First, Norm sang in a barbershop chorus, not a church choir, and second it was great! If he had told me it was barbershop, I probably would have come several years earlier. I’ve been involved in barbershop since 2002. I have always loved the sound of music with good harmony, so barbershop was a perfect fit. I also found out I really had no idea what barbershop singing was all about. Like most people, I thought it was just old-time songs like you see in “The Music Man.” Well, I found out it’s a lot more than that. It’s a style of singing and the music can be old fashioned or brand new, ballads or up tunes, slow and easy or fast and exciting. I encourage you to come and see for yourself. You’ll be pleasantly surprised and glad you did. |
Director - Phil Ordaz I began my music career at USC, playing in its famous marching band, concert band and jazz band. Then I went to school with Mort Burt’s son who invited me to a Whittier show in spring of 1982. It was a great show and I was wowed by what I heard. In September of that year, I joined the Whittier Chapter and the Society with my then future father-in-law. As a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society for more than 25 years, I have performed in and coached many quartets, and have earned a gold medal in chorus competition. I have also worked as a show producer, chorus director, arranger and certified music judge for the Society. After leaving the Whittier Chapter, I suggested the idea of a chapter in Brea to Nick Papageorge, and the rest, as they say, is history. I work for Vons (yes, I’m a retail grunt) and I teach high school biology for Biola University’s STAR program. I also run Youth Worship Arts at my church. Other than barbershop, I play saxophone or clarinet when I can. I played in marching and jazz bands in college and I have done some theater. Hey, I once directed the LA Philharmonic! Of course, there’s the occasional musical theater thing, and my son and I have shot off some model rockets. I also like watching and playing a little baseball. |
Immediate Past President - John Gaston My first exposure to barbershop was at La Serna High School in Whittier during a production of “The Music Man.” Back in 1989, I was walking around Uptown Whittier during the summer Uptown Festival and heard this great sound coming from one of the booths. The guys at the booth were selling hot dogs and drinks to raise funds for the Whittier Barbershop Chapter. They also had an authentic old-fashioned barber chair that someone could sit in while a quartet sang a few songs. I got to talking to one of the men and he passed me an invitation card and a map. I was at the very next rehearsal and have been involved with the Society ever since. I am one of the six founding fathers of the Brea Chapter. The founding group of us started the chapter in 2002, at least that is when we conceived the idea of actually starting a new chapter and got our charter from the Society. When I’m not singing barbershop, I work for a construction management/engineering firm named Arcadis. I have functioned as a project manager, construction claims analyst, project controls manager, and cost and schedule analyst. Before I started singing barbershop, I sang in the choir during my high school years. I have also been involved in the choir at my church. When I’m not singing or working, I enjoy exercise and weight lifting, photography, motorcycle riding, going on wine-tasting tours, and reading (mostly non-fiction). |
Membership VP - John Phipps I have been singing bass for more than twenty-five years. I began singing at church, and continue to sing at Community Presbyterian Church of La Mirada. It was there that I heard Gaslight’s own “Four Fifteen” quartet, with Frank Gilb singing bass. I remembered hearing the “Dapper Dans” as a child, but was surprised that barbershop was sung outside of Disneyland. When Four Fifteen invited me to sing the M-O-U-S-E tag after that worship service, I was hooked all over again by the cool a cappella harmony. I am in awe of barbershoppers who can sing all four parts, but I believe singing doesn’t get good until you are near the bottom of the bass clef. |
Music & Performance VP - John Gassman I have been singing barbershop for 36 years, originally with the Whittier Chorus and for the last couple of years here at Brea. My high school choir teacher introduced Larry and I to the barbershoppers in the Whittier area. I was attracted by that big sound! I've sung in several quartets throughout the years and most recently finished in tenth place with “Four Fifteen” at last year's Far Western District Contest. When I'm not barbershopping, I work for Disney and book the three hotels at the Disneyland Resort, and train new blind cast members with the reservation system and special screen reading software. Barbershop harmony is a major part of my life and I am very happy to be able to play a small part in the success of the Brea Chorus. |
President - Larry Gassman I remember seeing “the Music Man” (the movie in the early 60s); that was my first identification with barbershop. Later in 1972, my choral ensemble was doing a show in high school about the gay 90s, and they needed a barbershop quartet. John and I volunteered with two other guys. I remember first walking up the stairs at Henshaw’s auditorium in Whittier and being drawn to that wonderful barbershop sound. I was immediately hooked and joined in 1973. Over the years, I’ve been a section leader for both the baritones and leads. I was co-baritone section leader in 1975 until 1987, then lead section leader from 1987 to 2005. I was chapter President for two years, and Music Vice-President for at least 10 times that I remember. I was fortunate enough to have coached several quartets and choruses through the years. I emceed Divisional prelims, District contests, and International prelims. I also emceed several chapter shows. I was Weekly E-mail Update Editor from September 2003 until December 2005. Over the years, I won several awards at Whittier, including Freshman Barbershopper Of The Year (co-winner with John) in 1974, Barbershopper of the year in 1984, President's Trophy (co-winner with John) in 1989, Hall Of Fame Award (co-winner with John) in 1993, the Earl Moon Award in 2003 and 2005, and the Far Western District President’s award in 1993. I’ve sung in three quartets over the years. In “Pacific Electric Chord Company,” we had four different tenors (none of them would stay very long), Chuck Burkes, Ron Black, Buddy Yarnell, and Gordon Sladen. Then in 1987 I sang with “A Pitch in Time” and we sang for 14 years. In 2003 we formed “Four Fifteen” and were fortunate to make the top 10 in District in 2007. I joined Brea in 2005 but sang on Christmas shows going back to 2003. I have other interests, Old Time Radio and New Visions (a social organization of other blind people in Southern California), so I am kept busy outside of work. The thing about barbershop that makes it so very special is the people. The music is the bond that draws us all together, but it is the people that really make it all worthwhile. |
Program VP - Vernon Brock
In 1985 I was an unwitting freshman football player at La Serna High School when my coach (and unbeknownst to me, the choir director as well), Wes Reed, recruited me to sing in the school’s choir. Mesmerized by Mr. Reed’s wisdom, I signed up for fourth period choir and it changed my life. I discovered a passion for music and spent the next three years learning to sing. One highlight was being chosen to sing in the barbershop quartet in the school’s production of The Music Man. My quartet, The QT’s, formed a bond that was to last through high school and years afterwards. In that time, we were introduced to SPEBSQSA via the Whittier Choralaires, where we gleaned the charismatic advice from their masterful director, Earl Moon. I continued to study music at Whittier College under the directorship of Steve Gothold, where I honed my singing skills through voice lessons and vocal ensembles. After taking music courses at Fullerton Community College, I moved on to Cal State Fullerton to earn a BA in English in 1996, during which time I took a leave from music. After living in Chicago for a year after graduation, I returned to Whittier anxious to sing again and officially joined the Whittier Choralaires in 1998. I was pleased to find that Wes Reed and John Gaston, my old high school choir pal, were already members. A few years ago I was fortunate enough to attend Harmony College in St. Joseph, Missouri. Barbershop has been a constant part of my life since becoming a society member and I foresee a long future embedded in its harmony. Outside barbershop I have an energetic wife, Stephanie, who keeps me young at heart. I recently earned my Master’s in English from Cal State Fullerton and hope to utilize this in my continuing career as an educator. I have a passion for traveling, especially road trips (I had driven through all 50 states by the time I was 26 years old). I’ve also spent many years doing family history research, collecting old antiquarian books, and studying anything Americana. I love baseball and ballparks, American folk music, and film. |
Secretary - John GastonMy first exposure to barbershop was at La Serna High School in Whittier during a production of “The Music Man.” Back in 1989, I was walking around Uptown Whittier during the summer Uptown Festival and heard this great sound coming from one of the booths. The guys at the booth were selling hot dogs and drinks to raise funds for the Whittier Barbershop Chapter. They also had an authentic old-fashioned barber chair that someone could sit in while a quartet sang a few songs. I got to talking to one of the men and he passed me an invitation card and a map. I was at the very next rehearsal and have been involved with the Society ever since. I am one of the six founding fathers of the Brea Chapter. The founding group of us started the chapter in 2002, at least that is when we conceived the idea of actually starting a new chapter and got our charter from the Society. When I’m not singing barbershop, I work for a construction management/engineering firm named Arcadis. I have functioned as a project manager, construction claims analyst, project controls manager, and cost and schedule analyst. Before I started singing barbershop, I sang in the choir during my high school years. I have also been involved in the choir at my church. When I’m not singing or working, I enjoy exercise and weight lifting, photography, motorcycle riding, going on wine-tasting tours, and reading (mostly non-fiction). |
Treasurer - Bryan Forbes I heard about barbershop harmony from a co-worker. I joined the Society in 1997 via the Whittier Chapter. I was an active member and I participated in the chapter’s operation as a board member. My only other musical experience is playing trumpet in high school, which means my first singing experience was when I joined the Whittier Chapter singing barbershop. I am one of the founders of the Brea Chapter and have been it’s treasurer, show chairman, and general go-to guy since then. I am currently the president for a construction management company called Primus Building Solutions. We specialize in development and construction management and construction claims consulting. When I’m not working or singing, I enjoy golf and art. |
