For over 40 years Tom Raffety, VHS Director, has been involved with barbershop singing. Beginning in 1973, when he attended an AFA (Auditions For Admission) event at the Encino Town & Country Mall, Tom begain attending rehearsals, and was officially accepted to sing with the then "Valleyaires Chorus" as a tenor
After becoming the Tenor Section Leader, Tom became interested in the visual aspect of Barbershop singing and was put in charge of creating, teaching and coaching the chorus in choreography and visual presentation.
One highlight of Tom's involvement with the Valleyaires was attending and performing with the Valleyaires at the International Contest in the 80's in Hartford, CT, where the chorus placed ninth in the competition. To date, that is the first and last time the chorus has ever been on the international stage.
He decided to become a contest judge in the area of visual presentation, at that time called stage presence. After coaching a number of choruses and quartets in stage presence and was then appointed as a Stage Presence Judge. He judged several Quartet and Chorus Contests.
Tom held the position of President of the Valleyaires Chorus for about three years. He then became the Valleyaires Chorus Director, and continued in that position for quite a while. He also held the position of Music VP at the same time, and continued to create choreography and coach stage presence for the Valleyaires. At the same time, he was also directing the Riveroaks Sweet Adelines Chorus.
Shortly after Tom joined the chorus, he formed a quartet known as "The Great American Sound Company" and performed on many chapter shows and competitions, singing tenor in that quartet.
For several years, Tom took a hiatus from barbershopping, because of personal reasons and other factors. Then, in 2014, the then Director, Laura Pallas, of the new named chorus, The Valley Harmony Singers, contacted Tom and asked him to come and coach the chorus.
He accepted the invitation, coached and then accepted the position of assistant director or the chorus until June of 2015. At that time he was approached by Laura, whose other commitments to her Sweet Adelines chorus made it impossible to continue as director, to take over as director of the chorus because she had to leave. Tom accepted the position and has been the front line Director of the Valley Harmony Singers Barbershop Chorus since June, 2015.
Tom was named "Barbershopper of the Year" in 1982. Over the years, he has brought approximately 23 new members into the chorus. Tom Raffety has been enjoying and contributing to Barbershop singing and The Valley Harmony Singers (Valleyaires) Chorus for many years, and is still going strong!
