National Barbershop Music Appreciation Day for the year 2024 is celebrated/observed on Thursday, July 13th. There are until the next observance.

We can hear many wonderful voices harmonizing, and they’re informing us that July 13 is National Barbershop Music Appreciation Day. This annual celebration of barbershop music, a kind of voice-only, acapella music, should not be confused with another barbershop-themed event, National Barbershop Quartet Day. People of different ages, genders, and nations join together to sing tunes from diverse genres at public or private occasions. This day is a tiny taste of nostalgia, beauty, and authenticity united in a pop culture world.

📆 When is National Barbershop Music Appreciation Day?

This year, National Barbershop Music Appreciation Day is on July 13th. It is the 2nd Thursday in July; in 2024, it is on Saturday.

Countdown to National Barbershop Music Appreciation Day

Did you know: The Sweet Adelines women-only organization is one of the largest in the world, with almost 21,000 members worldwide.

You can also view all fun things you didn’t know about and facts about July 13, 2023.

📜 History of National Barbershop Music Appreciation Day

By the 1830s, this music had reached America, and as local barbershops were frequented by the male population, it quickly rose to prominence. This musical genre was elevated by African American culture and its traditional music. Four-part singing of hymns and folk tunes helped form the distinctive sound of barbershop music.

However, this music didn’t really take off until the 1900s, when it exploded in popularity by the 1940s. The only recognized group performing these tunes, though, was all-male. Women who had husbands who were members of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America (S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A.), the male barbershop music society, were especially moved. They knew from personal experience how enjoyable this genre of music could be. The Sweet Adelines were thus founded on July 13, 1945, when Edna Mae Anderson invited the spouses of fellow S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A. members to her Tulsa, Oklahoma, home for a singing session. This group is one of many groups making barbershop music popular around the world and in the United States right now.

Although barbershop music today incorporates more contemporary musical genres, such as pop, rock, and show tunes, in order to appeal to a younger audience, traditional songs are still sung.

☑️ National Barbershop Music Appreciation Day facts

This genre has influenced many
It has Bing Crosby, Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor, Groucho Marx, Abbott and Costello, and jazz legend Louis Armstrong.

The first-ever email attachment
Nathaniel Borenstein, an American computer scientist, emailed a photo and audio clip of his barbershop quartet, the Telephone Chords, to his colleagues in 1992, making them the world’s first email attachments.

The traditional costume’s background story
The huge mustaches, striped coats, and straw hats associated with this kind of music originated in an old form of theater entertainment known as Vaudeville; reportedly, they donned these eye-catching outfits so people could see them.

Things to do on National Barbershop Music Appreciation Day

Get your tune on
Sing along to classic barbershop songs like “Shine On, Harvest Moon” and “Come Fly with Me” whether you can hold a tune or not. Sing your favorite song in this way to make it more enjoyable (and tough).

Learn more about barbershop music
Learn all you can about this song, including its history, contemporary influences, performance details, and more. Online or at local libraries, information is readily available. You may also join a barbershop group to gain hands-on experience with this musical style.

Spread the (barbershop music) love
Organize enjoyable family occasions that use barbershop music prominently. Attend local barbershop music events and post information about them online. As more individuals become interested in this type of music, you will ultimately profit from a community of like-minded music fans!

📅 National Barbershop Music Appreciation Day Observances

YEAR DATE DAY
2023 July 13 Thursday
2024 July 13 Saturday
2025 July 13 Sunday
2026 July 13 Monday
2027 July 13 Tuesday

You can view all July holidays, including Special Interest and other American holidays.

We will continue to update this page with new information and fun facts about National Barbershop Music Appreciation Day. So be sure to check back soon.