Front Line Director
Roger Tarpy
Roger Tarpy, Musical Director of the Greater Richmond Chorus of Sweet Adelines, has been a barbershopper for over thirty-three years. For directing the chorus to their 2005 Region 14 chorus championship, he was awarded the Mary K. Coffman and the Region 14 Novice Director Award. 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 seventeen years, and the founding Musical Director of the Heart of Pennsylvania Chorus, a woman'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 Mid-Atlantic District Microhep schools, and a Certified CDWI 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 Medallists), and now sings with "Moonglow" (the 2004 Buckeye Invitational Mixed Quartet Silver Medallists).
Jan Owen, Assistant Director
Jan Owen is a charter member of the Greater Richmond Chorus and even attended the first organizational meeting held in September 1976. Jan was the first President of GRC and has also 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 the last five years.
In her spare time, Jan has been the Director for her church's adult choir and has been a member of the Regional Music Education Staff since 1994. Bass is the part where she resides now, but she has also sung Lead and has been in multiple quartets over the years including Friendship Edition, Crystal Blue Vibration, Close Company, Southern Exposure, and Moonglow. Jan has been an incredible asset to GRC, and we're happy that she is our Assistant Director!
Betty Beam, Assistant Director
Betty Beam has been a Sweet Adeline since 1982. Betty was a charter member of Richmond Encore (formerly Cold Harbor Lites) and held various positions such as Assistant Director, Head Section Leader, Choreographer, and was a member of the Board of Directors. From 1992 to 1998, Betty was the Director of the Richmond Encore Chorus and led them to two First Place Small Chorus Championships in both 1995 and 1998. In 1996, Betty took the Richmond Encore chorus to the St. Louis, MO 1st Performer's Seminar.
In her spare time, in addition to directing a chorus, Betty also coached several quartets and also sang Bass with the Richmond Chordials Quartet from 1983 to 1993. The quartet took 5th place at the Regional Competition in 1986. Betty is a certified director and the recipient of the Sonny Harmon Award. Greater Richmond is very fortunate to have Betty serving as an Associate Director!