John Burri, in his own words...

I sang in junior and high school choirs in Lompoc, California, and helped our director in high school. The father of a school friend was a barbershopper, and I was curious and interested in singing more than I already was. I did not join the Society at the time, but they billed me as an Associate Member of the Gents-in-a-Chord Chorus singing baritone. My first two high school quartets were Intestinal Fourtitude (Guts for short) and The Best Men. (We sang all love and wedding songs).

I moved to Berkeley and hung around with the Oakland East Bay Californians, but school and work kept me too busy to join them. About seven years later I finally joined the Society and became an assistant director.

I attended what I believe was the first district-level director's school in the Far Western District (FWD) with Dr. Greg Lyne as master clinician. What an experience it was. It changed my barbershopping life. Six months later, our director became ill right before our chapter show, and my chapter asked me to lead the chorus. I had never directed more than warmups and polecats. What a rush. I was hooked. The director was looking for an excuse to go elsewhere so they offered me the job and I directed them from 1987-1991, receiving Barbershopper of the Year (BOTY) honors in 1988. I also sang in a champ novice quartet called The Time Be-Four .

I moved to Portland in August of 1991 and immediately became the director of the then Rose City Close Harmony Music Men until 1993. During that time I was also in a fair quartet called Northern Lights, finishing 6th in the Evergreen District (EVG) in 1992. I joined the Vocal Gentry in late 1993 and went with them to International in Pittsburgh in 1994. I became their front line director in January of 1995 and led them until 1999. I also sang in my most successful quartet, All Knight Harmony , with a 3rd place finish in EVG in 1998.

My work took me to Birmingham, Alabama, where I helped the Birmingham Metro Harmony Express Chorus and sang in a quartet called Natural Selection; that was my first try at lead.

I returned to the Evergreen District in August 2000 and joined the Senate-Aires in November 2000 as their assistant director and the chapter president in 2002. I helped Portland Metro Bridge Town Sound at their first contest where they achieved a 2nd place finish, and I am now their permanent front line director.

My favorite barbershop experiences are helping singers get really excited about bettering their craft and enjoying their barbershop experience to the fullest. One of my favorite quotes is, 'Perfection is the goal, but excellence will be tolerated.