ABOUT US
The San Francisco Sound Wave Chorus was formed in 1956 and recently celebrated our 68th anniversary. We sing four-part acapella harmony in the barbershop style, as well as contemporary arrangements in different vocal styles.
Our Members
Members range in age from college to eighty-something and come from a wide range of occupational backgrounds. Membership includes women from all walks of life who come from five different Bay Area counties.
The chorus provides a supportive environment for women who want to develop their musical skills -- while some members sight read music, others learn by using audio learning tapes. In our quest to improve, members participate in offsite vocal workshops and educational weekend retreats to hone their performance skills.
Our Music
Our current repertoire includes dozens of different songs in diverse styles from Roaring 20's to Golden Oldies to contemporary post-Y2K tunes.
Click to listen to a few samples.
Our Director
Diane Myrick has enjoyed singing with the San Francisco Sound Wave since 1997.
After earning a BFA in Music Therapy from the University of the Pacific, Diane moved to San Francisco. Soon after she had her second son, her husband suggested that she find a way to get some music back in her life. He has been sorry ever since!
She enrolled in the Sweet Adeline Directors Certification Program in 1999 and completed the series in 2004. She became an assistant director of the SFSW upon completion of that program.
Diane was a founding member of the barbershop quartet Pitchcraft and remains a member of that group. When her hobby allows time she manages a downtown theatre.
Diane just loves working in front of a group of singers. She really gets a thrill hearing the whole sound and how the parts fit together. She feels that it is so much like putting together a puzzle where each part needs to be in the correct spot for the whole to come together, and when it all works…it is WONDERFUL!
Our Assistant Director
Melanie Elvena is the Assistant Director, Visual Leader, and Bass Section Leader of SFSW.
When not singing or spending time with her dog Winnie, she works as an arts producer serving as Artistic Director at Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center and Programs & Communications Manager at Asian American Women Artists Association.
Melanie is also an Arts Advisory Group Member for SOMA Pilipinas Cultural & Social Heritage District. She holds a Bachelors of Arts in Art History from UC Irvine specializing in Modern/Contemporary Art.
Melanie is also the owner of Marahuyo Confections, a mobile bakery and pastry shop inspired by the tropical flavors of the Philippines and beyond.
Our Activities
PERFORMING: We regularly perform and if you're looking for a unique musical experience to liven up your event, please check out our Book Us section.
EDUCATION: In addition to sharing our music with others, another great passion of ours is learning more about the art of a cappella singing. Vocal instruction is a regular part of chorus rehearsals and a very important component of the chorus experience. A couple of times a year, we get coaching from a visiting master in the art of barbershop, where we learn many fabulous tricks of the trade.
COMPETITION: Each spring, San Francisco Sound Wave Chorus competes in the Region 12 Competition in Reno, Nevada. Competitions are a special time for quartets and choruses from our region to come together to sing for each other, and get some constructive feedback from a panel of judges. The winners of the regional competition, in both quartet and chorus categories, get to travel to International Competition, which is held in the fall in a city selected each year.
Our Affiliation
The San Francisco Sound Wave is a chapter of Sweet Adelines, International, a non-profit organization of approximately 30,000 members in choruses and quartets, worldwide. The Headquarters is in Tulsa, Oklahoma.