The importance of our chorus website is brought home again in the arrival of one of our newer members of the Bass section, Greg Lund. We have Greg’s wife Suzanne to thank for looking around online for a possible singing outlet for him and discovering Northwest Sound through our website.
Greg was a sporadic church choir and wedding singer and lapsed guitarist who took up the instrument again after some years only to run into arm, wrist, and elbow trouble. Suzanne knew he’d also been on the lookout for an ensemble, and Greg says she appreciates his voice more than he does. When she came across NWS they were impressed with the video clip of “Sun Medley” from the 2009 International in Anaheim, liked the close harmony, and thought the affiliation with the larger Barbershop Harmony Society seemed like a plus. So in February, Greg drove down from their home in Clearview, near Snohomish, to check us out.
Greg says he was a little surprised when he arrived and Fergie handed him a guest book and put him right up on the risers. He started out at Bari but found Bass to be a better fit vocally. He really credits Fergie with encouraging him and helping to smooth out the ”intimidating” aspects of this group. He jumped in with both feet, including helping out with the Division II contest before he’d become a member.
Greg was born the youngest of seven children in a Minnesota family and moved to Auburn when he was 16. He sang and performed in some musicals in high school, which was the last really organized music he did until now. His career is in the mechanical and technical field, and he went back to earn his college degree from Central Washington in his 30’s and has worked at Boeing for 20 years. He’s in engineering change control, where he helps engineering groups implement aircraft design changes from customers or the company.
Greg gets a lot of help and encouragement with his music from Suzanne, who happens to be the music teacher at Cottage Lake Elementary in the Northshore School District. He speaks with pride and affection about Suzanne’s work in the school and how she can maintain the attention and focus of several hundred young children on the risers at once.
Greg and Suzanne have a daughter from Greg’s previous marriage, Emma, who is 23, graduated last year from UW as a registered nurse, works at Children’s Hospital, and is about to get married to a soon-to-be newly commissioned Air Force officer. Greg’s also into gardening, and he finds choral singing to be a great group complement to the more solitary pleasure he gets from that pastime.
Greg says he can’t emphasize enough how excited and even honored he feels to be on the risers with NWS. He was so impressed with the commitment to high quality that he saw on display at Division II. “You guys sound awesome, and I like that you just want to do it right.”
Make that “we guys,” Greg. Welcome aboard, and please thank Suzanne for sending you our way.