The Red Stick Sound Story:

Barbershop in Baton Rouge thrived in the mid 1990’s to the early 2000’s. The Showboat Chorus prided itself winning the small chorus plateau division many times over the years, staying involved in the community, and of course lots of singing valentines.  As the story goes, all good things come to an end. Members come, and members go, and unfortunately by 2012 too many members went.  The once Sugarcane Chorus in the 60’s, became the Showboat Chorus, and unfortunately had to cease rehearsing.

Daniel Zeagler has been a part of the Barbershop Harmony Society since 2001. Inspired by his dad, Grayson, Daniel (11 years old) wanted to sing with the local Monroe chapter. Throughout the early years of barbershop, he sang with not only the chorus, but with his dad’s quartets. Eventually, Daniel would take over the directing responsibilities and for several years, the Notorious Chorus thrived with higher scores and awards like the most improved chorus award.

In 2015, Daniel moved from Monroe to Baton Rouge to work in his uncle’s music store and to much of his dismay, he found that the Showboat Chorus had sunk. Fortunately, the local theatre company, Theatre Baton Rouge, was producing the show The Music Man that summer.  Daniel was dead set on getting involved in the show and in doing so met some of the key people in creating a new barbershop chapter in the capitol city.  In the Music Man quartet was three former members (two ex-directors) of the old Showboat Chorus. PERFECT!

After a few short months of meeting former members, finding new contacts from husbands of sweet adelines, and inviting men young and old, the Greater Baton Rouge Chapter was again reborn in the summer of 2015. The name “Red Stick Sound” was chosen because “Baton Rouge,” in French means “Red Stick”. The present name of the city Baton Rouge dates to 1699, when French explorers noted a red cypress tree stripped of its bark that marked the boundary between Houma and Bayou Goula tribal hunting grounds. They called the tree "le Baton Rouge," or red stick.

During the spring of 2017, Red Stick Sound received its official charter. We are proud to finally be a chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society and to bring a barbershop convention back to Baton Rouge.  It’s been a long time since we have hosted a convention and we hope you will enjoy the food, hospitality, and the fantastic performance venue.  We thank all that have supported us in our endeavor and look forward to many new opportunities in the future.