ESCANABA - If you're at work or in a restaurant minding your own business on Feb. 14 and you happen to spot four men in white dinner jackets and wearing a big smile coming in your direction, don't be concerned. You are about to receive a very unique Valentine's Day tribute.
For the nineteenth year, members of The Next Generation Barbershop Quartet will be singing love songs throughout the day to dozens of special someones.
"We'll be singing in offices and homes, banks and bar rooms, businesses and classrooms, factories and hospital rooms from early morning to evening," said Next Generation tenor, Ted Brainard, who, along with Jeff Kobasic, are the two original members of the quartet. "We come into a place and immediately there's a whole lot of whispering... 'Who are they coming to sing to?' We gather all the folks together and announce who we're there to surprise. Then we give them a beautiful fresh rose, sing them a love song and then take a picture."
The Singing Valentines tradition began in 1993 at the suggestion of former quartet member, baratone Pete Stevens-Brown.
"Pete was a the director of a chorus in Lansing when he heard about it and thought it would be a good idea for us," said quartet base, Marc Tall. "When he told us about it, we thought, sure, it sounds like fun."
Their first season was a far cry from where the program now stands.
"That first year we sang to 14 people, including our wives. Ten of them were paying," Tall said.
After Brown moved away to take a job in Lower Michigan, he was replaced by Jim Miller and later Bill Ehrhardt.
"When Pete moved away, it was a rather long commute for him to continue practicing with us," Brainard joked.
But Brown was not left in the dust. Because of a previous committment by Ehrhardt, he will be returning to the area to fill for the day.
"Pete recently returned to the U.P. and is now living in the Marquette area," said Tall. We'll miss Bill this year, but we're very excited to have Pete back with us."
Describing his participation in the Singing Valentines program, Brainard said, "It's really an honor carrying the love message, whether they're a man or a woman. Most often it's a surprise."
And indeed it has been a surpise on at least two occasions - for the quartet. They describe having a woman bail out on them when she saw them coming.
"But we got her another time," Tall said.
On another occasion, they sang to a rather unimpressed man at a local factory only to have him "moon" them on their way out.
"When we sang to him in front of his co-workers, of course there were hoots and hollers," said Tall. "I guess he didn't appreciate all the attention and let it be known."
A number of their serenades are given to the same individual over the years.
"We sing to Dr. Parmet every year," said Brainard. "His wife likes to do this for him and he enjoys our music."
The quartet meets early in the morning on Valentine's Day to lay out their plan of action. But even this arrangement had its drawbacks a number of years ago when one member of the quartet forgot which restaurant he was supposed to be at.
"He knew it started with a 'D' so he went to the Dew Drop Inn and Delona's in Gladstone," Tall said. "We finally got hold of him and told him we were at The Drifters."
Starting at 8 a.m. and singing until around 6 p.m. and with anywhere from 45-60 places to stop at during the day, their strategy is to have three of four visits an hour, leaving time for travel from place to place. Because they may travel as far as Rapid River to the east and Bark River and Hannahville to the west, they attempt to line up their schedules to make the fastest and most economical use of their time. But that isn't always easy.
"It doesn't always work out," said Tall. "Not everyone is available at the time that's most convenient for us and most don't say for us to come and sing any time we want."
Over the 19 years the group has been performing, there have been a few changes.
"We used to take a Poleroid picture and leave it with the person but you can't get Poleroid film anymore," Tall explained. "We use a digital camera now and we recently purchased a battery-powered printer. It's a neat little thing and it's in full color and pretty quick. We can take the picture before we start singing and have a print ready to give them by the time we finish."
Both Brainard and Tall joked that their age is becoming a factor in their performance as well. At the end of their love song, the men generally drop to one knee in dramatic fashion.
"It used to be all of us," said Tall. "Nowadays, Ted is more likely to still be able to do it, expecially by the end of a long day."
The Next Generation Quartet is featured each fall in the annual Harvest of Harmony Barbershop show held in the William Oliver Auditorium at the Escanaba Middle School. The foursome also took part in Saturday's USO Show fund-raiser for the U.P. Honor Flight program.
Singing Valentines is a major fund-raiser for the group and the cost is $35 per person.
To send a Singing Valentine to a loved one or a special person, call 786-4798 and reserve a place on the quartet's schedule.
