Director

Jerry Garrard is a native of the Kansas City metro area.  His love affair with Barbershop began as a junior high school student at a Youth In Harmony event — known today as Harmony Explosion — sponsored by the Heart of America Chorus.  That quartet, 'The Overtones' won first place solidifying his passion for barbershop harmony.  Jerry’s lifelong love of music brought him through college as a Music Education major and has allowed opportunities to sing with the Kansas City Chorale and Kansas City Symphony Chorus for several years. Interest in Barbershop takes many different shapes and sizes with Jerry. He’s given back to the hobby by serving as director for the Cody Choraliers of Leavenworth, KS, and most recently accepting the directorship of Riversong Chorus, the Sweet Adelines International (SAI) chapter out of St Joseph, MO. Jerry spends many weekends traveling and coaching a cappella ensembles across our great country.

Throughout his musical career, Jerry has performed with various ensembles as well as a soloist on the world's leading performing arts center stages—such as Lincoln Center's Avery Fischer Hall and Carnegie Hall directing the Heart of America Chorus and the Barbershop Festival Chorus during his most recent visit to New York City.

Unbelievable as it may seem, Jerry still has time outside Barbershop for a rewarding IT profession as a Cloud Solutions Architect.  Purely personal pursuits include his continued ambition of proficiency as a private pilot and enjoying precious time with his wife Valerie and his 3 precious granddaughters.