Singing is a wonderful hobby.
When Katie Scherz was 14 years old she was asked to sing in a quartet named “The Mellowaires.” Her sister sang bass in the group when they suddenly lost their baritone. Looking back, she suspects they asked her because they knew she could fit in the leftover costume.
“I surprised them and did better than they expected,” she said. “We sang together for about a year.”
That was the beginning of a music adventure that has lasted 65 years and isn’t over yet.
In high school, she moved to another quartet. In 1958, she joined a struggling Sweet Adeline chorus in Fairbury, Ill.
Over the years, Scherz moved several time. In 1963, she moved to East Moline, Ill., and found a new Sweet Adeline Chapter as well as a Harmony Inc. chorus.
“I was in seventh heaven singing with both groups for several years,” she remembered.
She was singing with the “Chord Teasers” quartet when they chose to compete in the Harmony Inc. International competition. “I decided, why not?” she said. The quartet competed in Ottawa, Canada, in 1967, finishing fourth. They were fourth again in Hamilton, Ontario, in 1968, and second in Burlington, Vt., in 1969. In 1970, the Chord Teasers won the international title of “Harmony Queens” in Providence, R.I.
“It was a wonderful time during our year of reign doing barbershop shows all over the United States. Flying to and from at their expense and being featured on their annual shows. We even made an LP record during that time. After one and a half years of fun, our group broke up.”
But Scherz started a new one named “Moline Tradition.”
“We won the competition the first time on stage in Montreal, Quebec, in 1973. Again, we spent a year of traveling to and from shows.”
Scherz credits coaching with her early success.
“You can’t tell the mistakes you’re making when you’re singing,” she said. “You need that fifth person.”
A good coach is a nitpicker, she said.
In 1968, she married Chuck Scherz, who also sang barbershop harmony. Although they often sang in the same shows, they didn’t perform together very often. Quartets were mostly all men or all women.
In 1976, Katie Scherz was singing with the Sweet Adeline quartet “IV Part AlaCarte.” They competed in a regional contest in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and won the regional award.
“That win allowed us to compete in the Sweet Adeline International contest in Cincinnati. What a ride for six years. I was the luckiest girl alive.”
In 1977, Katie and Chuck Scherz purchased a fishing resort in Minnesota. The nearest Sweet Adeline chorus was 65 miles away in Fargo, N.D., but rather than give up her hobby, Katie Scherz drove there once a week for 18 years to sing bass. She usually spent the night on a friend’s couch rather than driving back after dark.
The Fargo chorus placed first in AA Division in San Antonio in 1993 at International Competition.
The resort closed in the fall each year, so the Scherzes became snowbirds all winter. On winter travels they visited and sang with different choruses in Phoenix, Oklahoma City, Las Vegas, and a variety of towns in Iowa, Illinois and Texas.
“My favorite time was singing with the Houston Horizon chorus for three winters. They were topnotch, worked hard and I was one of about 70 members. I also sang baritone in a quartet called ‘High Hopes.’ We never did compete, but had a great time ringing those chords.”
In 1994, they moved to Bella Vista. At first, Katie Scherz sang with a group in Joplin, Mo. For six years she drove 50 miles to rehearsals. Later she helped charter the Sweet Adeline group in Bella Vista, as wells as quartets “Special Design,” “On-the-Go” and most recent “Persnickety.”
She was living in Bella Vista when she got a phone call from a friend from Illinois. They had performances lined up, but their baritone was out. Once again — just like the day that got her started — Scherz was asked to fill in.
“Could I learn 12 songs in two weeks and do the jobs? One (performance) was in Illinois and the other was a biggie in Florida. To make a long story short … I did it. She sent me a tape to listen to and it was in my ear for two solid weeks. That was the only way I could learn the songs since I don’t read music.”
There wasn’t much money involved, but it was a great time, she said.
At one time she and Chuck talked about singing professionally, but they never went further than talking, she said.
“To make money and love what we’re doing, that would be ideal,” she said, but it remained a hobby.
“Barbershop singing is a wonderful hobby that I’ve enjoyed for 66 years now. I counted over 14 quartets in my lifetime. I have even sung with a mixed quartet of two men and two women.”
She no longer competes, but she still loves barbershop and sings with Perfect Harmony Women’s Chorus of Bella Vista.
“I just gotta hear those barbershop chords,” she said. “I love barbershop.”