Bowling Green State University continued its long-standing tradition of excellence in vocal
performance this July when The Sunny Boys placed second in the collegiate quartet division at the Barbershop
Harmony Society’s International Convention in Toronto, Canada – despite the far-flung group members’ having
had to rehearse together largely online, through Skype.The annual competition draws more than 10,000 present
barbershop singers, many of whom are choral directors from around the world. In addition, thousands of
others watch the competition through online streaming.BGSU student Nicholas Gordon helped form the quartet
with bass Christian Diaz, tenor Edward Mejia, and lead Alberto Rico.Sunny Boys’ coach Douglas Wayland, an
assistant professor of voice in music performance studies, has coached other winning groups, including
BGSU’s 2011 first-prize winning quartet, Prestige, of which Gordon was also a member.For a quartet to
compete at the international level, it must get through the difficult preliminary qualifier round, which is
held in dozens of districts throughout the U.S. and in other participating countries. Quartets are scored
based on three categories: singing, musical, and performance.The only member from BGSU, Gordon met Diaz
while working and singing together in Disney World, Fla., last winter. Diaz knew the other two men from
previous singing experiences. Before long, the quartet read different pieces and saw potential.According to
Wayland, one of the key ingredients of putting a successful quartet together is having four exceptional
voices that can blend well."Our blend was so promising that we decided to stay together and
compete," Gordon said.Despite their talent and musical rapport, The Sunny Boys faced obstacles in their
rehearsals. With the members living in different states, the only solution they found to rehearsing was
through Skype. They were only able to rehearse in person a few days prior to the competition, with the help
and direction of Wayland.Luckily, all four men had extensive barbershop experience. The three non-BGSU
members had been in a quartet called "Spanglish" that received third place in the collegiate
division in 2010. Wayland was confident the quartet had prepared adequately."When you work with
students who come with that kind of experience and preparation, you only have to tweak and make suggestions
to fix minor problems – just like a conductor who works with an orchestra that is already musically
prepared," he said.The Sunny Boys won the most points in the singing category and only lost 30 out of a
possible 1,800 points.Gordon spoke of the support Wayland has shown him through the years: "Doug has
been there for every single one of my competitions. He’s traveled to California, Missouri, Pennsylvania,
Florida and now Toronto in order to support me. He realized early on that I had a deep passion for
barbershop singing and he’s helped me sing it in the healthiest way possible."He continued: "We
had no idea what the outcome would be, and we couldn’t be more proud of our accomplishment. Barbershopping
has taken me to so many places I never could’ve imagined."The group also benefited from financial
support from Pro Musica, a Bowling Green organization that helps student musicians travel to outside
performances and conferences."With the incredible support of Pro Musica, I have been able to keep
barbershop in my life and it has helped me grow exponentially, not only as a musician, but as a human
being," Gordon said.