Every Tuesday from 7-9 p.m., a four-part harmony can be heard from inside Whitmore Recital Hall on campus. 

The Boonslick Chordbusters, a barbershop chorus based in Columbia, have filled MU’s campus  and the Columbia community with acapella voices. Since their first performance in 1997, the group, consisting of musicians of all ages, has performed across the city. Trey Thompson, MU sophomore and member of the Chordbuster’s college quartet, the Tiger Tuners, has connected with other vocalists through the group. 

“It really doesn’t matter if you’re a sophomore or a grad student or a PhD student,” Thompson said. “It’s just those are your peers. In the choir, we’re all equal, we’re all members of the group.”

While performing, the musicians come together to produce a full chorus sound. However, on their busiest day of the year, Valentine’s Day, the musicians sing in quartets. 

For over two decades, the Chordbusters have delivered singing valentines to locals throughout Columbia. From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., quartets delivered roses and cards, all while dressed in tuxedos. 

Chapter President Chuck Bay helped organize the chorus’s first singing Valentine’s installment during the late 1990s. Since then, the Chordbusters have traveled to countless locations throughout Columbia, from homes to The Heidelberg. At each location, the vocalists have performed their repertoire consisting of Bing Crosby’s “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” and The Four Aces’ “Heart of My Heart.” 

“We still sing the same two songs because they are super appropriate,” Bay said. “The messages are very on point, [and] the lyrics are touching.”

Since both of these songs are familiar to many,  the Chordbusters have recycled them each Valentine’s Day. Throughout the years, Bay has noticed the impact lyrics have left on listeners. 

“It’s fun to see people’s reactions,” Bay said. “Normally, they’re very excited about the attention and the message. They’re touched that somebody went to the trouble to provide this for them.”

This past Valentine’s Day, the Tiger Tuners witnessed an especially memorable reaction to their performance. While performing at Lenoir Woods, a retirement community in Columbia, Thompson noticed how some of the residents’ eyes “brightened instantly.” 

“[Singing] made me feel like I was making a difference in the community,” Thompson said. “I was helping to enhance other people’s Valentine’s Day. It made me feel like […] I was making people happy.”

In addition to off-campus performances, the Chordbusters and Tiger Tuners performed on campus. On Feb. 13, the Tiger Tuners serenaded FarmHouse Fraternity house mom Laurie Williams during the FarmHouse philanthropy event, Roses for Ricky. 

“It’s always nice to be appreciated and recognized,” Williams said. “While I get stage fright and a little bit embarrassed with those things, it’s always nice to know the guys are thinking about me.”

The quartets continued to deliver singing valentines throughout the area, including in Downtown Columbia. The Tiger Tuners traveled from food establishments such as Hot Box Cookies to businesses such as Hudson / Hawk Barber & Shop. While performing, Thompson said he found a sense of freedom.

“[You] get to break those norms of acting a specific way when you go into areas,” Thompson said. “It’s fun to walk into somewhere, do something that is typically not something that happens ever and have a positive reaction.”

While chorusing, the quartet not only broke established social norms, but also spread their love for barbershop music. MU sophomore and member of the Tiger Tuners Zach Wehrenberg noted the emotional significance of this music style. 

“Music can move you in a way that no other form of media or entertainment really can,”  Wehrenberg said. “Being able to share such raw emotions with other people through such an old style of music, there’s something really special about it.”

Edited by Alex Goldstein | agoldstein@themaneater.com 

Copy edited by Sterling Sewell | ssewell@themaneater.com 

Edited by Sophie Rentschler | srentschler@themaneater.com