Boysen Blue NYC Trip 2024

Hello! My name is Josh Cavalli, and I am the treasurer/bass of Boysen Blue, Portage Northern High School's very own barbershop quartet.

Members:

Member Bios

Ethan has been with Boysen Blue since the beginning, and also sings with Charlie in the highly praised Pioneer District quartet known as Graffiti, as well as Portage Northern's former quartet: DisChord. Ethan also sang in the Bush League 2023 champion quartet, Ace and a Bass. He is a member of the Great Lakes Barbershop Chorus, where he also sings tenor. Ethan is a junior in high school, and loves to sing, whether it is in choir, onstage in a musical, or in a quartet.

Charlie is the most experienced member of Boysen Blue, having founded it with Ethan and Muamen. He's been a barbershopper since he was 11, in which time he has sung in 3 choruses and 6 quartets to date, including One Brother Short, DisChord, Great Woolf, Magic Stix, Graffiti, and of course, Boysen Blue. He also subbed a chapter show with Remix, the 2018 PIO Champs! He is incredibly valued in our quartet, and we certainly couldn't do this without him. He is currently a member of the Great Lakes Chorus. Charlie is a senior in high school, and has left a lasting impression in our choir program.

Muamen is the third founding member of Boysen Blue, and he puts on an unforgettable show! Muamen does an incredible job of balancing his scholarly goals and his singing career, always being able to put a smile on the faces of everyone around him. He sings with the rest of the boys in the PNHS Songleaders Chorale, as well as the TTBB choir, Huskie Harmonizers (both directed by Chelsea Whiteoak). In each of these choruses he is a steadfast leader, and always delivers beautiful, emotional performances. Muamen is a senior in high school, where he participates in theater, choir, and forensics.

Josh is the newest (and youngest) member of Boysen Blue. He has only been the bass of the quartet since August, and yet he has already begun to make a name for himself in the barbershop community. Although this is his first quartet, he's far from inexperienced musically. He began singing as an elementary schooler, and has never stopped. 2023 marks Josh's first year as a PNHS Songleader, joining his fellow Boysen Blue members as an upper level singer. He also is a well known member of the Kalamazoo area's theater community. Josh is a sophomore in high school, and he hopes his barbershop career will be a long one.

What’s in NYC?

It’s official! Boysen Blue is going to NYC. But, we need your help.

The Midwinter Convention is a gathering of the most talented barbershoppers from across the country, congregated in one large show. It takes place January 9th-14th, 2024, at the Sheraton Times Square Hotel. Yes that’s right! It’s smack in the middle of Times Square, practically on Broadway’s doorstep! Our quartet will learn from the best, spending hours singing and improving as much as we can. And that’s not all - part of the convention is the “Next Generation” high school quartet contest and Boysen Blue has submitted an audition. If we qualify, we will compete against top of the line quartets, and if we win, we will perform in front of everyone attending the convention!

For more info about the Midwinter Convention, click here.

Where is the money going?

Unfortunately, nothing about this trip is cheap. This is a basic breakdown of the costs we’re working against. Keep in mind, we must also bring at least one chaperone.

Plane tickets: A round trip flight to Laguardia, NY costs at least $112 per person.

Lodging: A room in the hotel where the convention takes place costs about $265 a night.

Food and incidentals: In NYC, we each expect to spend $40 per day.

Conference Admission: Access to the convention itself costs $225 per attendee.

Why donate?

The opportunities presented at this convention are, in a word, endless. We will watch the best quartets perform, and then learn from them, one-on-one. It is an incredible chance that you don’t find every day. Having participated in this convention will also boost our future careers substantially, as I believe there truly is no better way to learn the art of singing. The four of us are members of a prolific choir program, and we are blessed to have the support that we do. The least we can do in return is put PN Choirs on the map by potentially winning the Next Generation contest!

If you made it this far, you are appreciated! Boysen Blue is incredibly thankful for any and all donations. Singing is our passion, and we couldn’t do it without the support of our choir, our families, our friends, and of course, eachother. Thank you so much for reading, and please consider donating.

Sincerely,

Joshua Cavalli,

The Bass of Boysen Blue