"I wanted something fun to do that would give me a creative outlet," said Johnson, now the group's director. "I joined the Gold Standard Chorus, and it's become a very important part of my life."

The Gold Standard Chorus is a local singing group that focuses on barbershop music, a 1940s-era harmony-heavy a cappella genre. The group, which turns 23 on Sept. 25, practices weekly, performs in the community and hosts the music education fundraiser Sing For Your Life every November.