DIRECTORS
Master Director, Roger Tarpy ~ Assistant Directors - Jan Owen, Betty Beam

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Master Director Roger Tarpy

Roger Tarpy has been a barbershopper for over thirty-three years. He was awarded the Mary K. Coffman and Region 14 Novice Director Award for directing GRC to our championship medal in 2005. In addition to his duties with the GRC, Roger is the Associate Director of the Virginians (Barbershop Harmony Society) and their past Music Vice President. Before moving to Virginia in 2002, He was the Musical Director of the West Branch Chorus in Lewisburg, PA, for 17 years, and the founding Musical Director of the Heart of Pennsylvania Chorus, a women's barbershop chorus affiliated with Harmony, Inc. Roger is a certified Director in the barbershop Harmony Society, a member of DELA (BHS's Mid-Atlantic District honor Chapter), an annual faculty member at Harmony College East and a Certified DDWI Trainer, a BHS program for training chorus directors. At the international level of the BHS, he served as Vice Chair for Director Certification on the Chorus Director Development Committee and was an interpretation judge. In addition to his duties as Director, Roger is also an experienced quartet singer - he sang baritone for "new Vintage" (eight-time Appalachian/Western Division quartet champions, and 2002 MAD Silver Medalists), and now sings with "Moonglow", the 2004 Buckeye Invitational Mixed Quartet Silver Medalist.

Assistant Director Jan Owen

Jan Owen is a charter member of the Greater Richmond Chorus and attended the organizational meeting held in September 1976. She was the first President of GRC and has served as Recording Secretary, Assistant Director, Director, Section Leader, and Visual Team Coordinator. She holds a Bachelors in Music Education from East Carolina University. Jan works extensively with the Young Women in Harmony (YWIH) group at Manchester Middle School and has directed the Youth Choir at her church for several years. In her spare time, Jan has been the Director for her church's adult choir and a member of the Regional Music Education Staff since 1994. Jan sings bass now, but has also sung Lead and has been in multiple quartets over the years including Friendship Edition, Crystal Blue Vibration, Close Company and currently with Southern Exposure and Moonglow. Jan is an incredible asset to GRC and we're happy that she is our Assistant Director!                               Top