My Brother's Barbershop Quartet

My older brother joined a barbershop quartet at fifty-five. He's an insurance agent. He had never sung in public in his life.

The quartet has four members: my brother, a plumber, a dentist and a retired high school principal. They wear matching striped vests and straw hats. They practice every Tuesday in the principal's basement.

This spring, they performed at our town's Fourth of July festival. My whole family came. When they started singing "Sweet Adeline," in perfect four-part harmony, I couldn't believe that was my brother's voice, so deep and rich and confident.

The crowd went wild. A little girl in the front row threw a flower at them. My brother caught it, put it in his hatband and winked at her. I've never seen him so happy. He says it's the best decision he's ever made.