A Work In Progress

The Guys (from left to right in the above photo):

Greg Grote (Baritone) is from Jefferson City ... he sings Baritone in the chorus and Tenor in the Overtones quartet.  (detailed bio)

Tarry Koutz (Bass) is the Director of the Boonslick Chordbusters.  He sings Bass in the chorus when Tom is directing.  (detailed bio)

Walter Coplen (Lead) was formerly the Baritone for Dogs Without Leashes. (detailed bio coming soon)

Tom Palis (Tenor) is the Assistant Director of the chorus, and shifted from Lead to Tenor when Walter joined the quartet in 2008.  He sings Lead, Tenor, or Baritone in the chorus (as needed) and formerly sang Tenor with the Dogs Without Leashes quartet.  (detailed bio)

Upcoming Schedule

August 9 ... Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Jefferson City, MO ... 9am service and 10:30 service

General Info

Our name says it all.  We're having fun, but always looking to get better.  We really enjoy singing, and we would love to come sing for your group!  Our repertoire includes barbershop classics, spirituals, ballads, and toe-tapping "up-tunes".

Click here to drop us a note to request more information (or just to chat!).

Curious about how we got here?  Visit the AWIP history page.

Detailed Bios

Greg works for Wren Solutions in Jefferson City, and was the only member of the original quartet who did not have formal musical training (unless one counts piano and organ lessons as a youth) -- but as the Baritone he obviously has the best ear of the group, which more than makes up for his lack of training (I can't believe that they let me leave that statement in!).  He moved to Missouri in 1999 from South Carolina, where he was singing with a small chapter in Florence.  Greg considers himself very lucky to be married to the "ever young and ever lovely Miss Beverly", as a friend from South Carolina likes to refer to her.  Their son Geremy lives in KC after earning a Jazz degree from UMKC ... his wife Margaret recently graduated with degrees in Music Therapy and Psychology.  Greg is the Webmaster for the Chordbusters (which makes it easy to ensure that he always looks good on the web site).  An admitted quartet junky, he sings in as many quartets as will have him (or, rather, as many as Beverly will allow to have him!)

Tarry is an ordained minister teaching in the field of Church Music. He has led worship at two different churches in Columbia and taught for 37 years at a four-year Christian College in Moberly where he and his wife, Poppy, reside. They became "Grandpa" and "Grandma" a few years ago when their daughter, Julie, and their son-in-law, Tim, presented them with a new granddaughter, Emery. They now find they are coming to Columbia more often and staying longer. Their son, Cris, and daughter-in-law, Michelle, live in Ballwin, MO where he teaches music in Middle School and leads worship every Sunday. Tarry and Poppy visit them as often as they can get away because it gives them a chance to take in the culture and shopping of St. Louis while their kids think they are coming to see them. Tarry says he gets his "high" from Poppy (but not the flower!). She is a piano teacher and loving wife and mother. Music brought them together and is keeping them more active than they'd sometimes like. Tarry is frontline director of The Boonslick Chordbusters and has enjoyed every minute of his barbershopping career.

Walter (bio coming soon!)

Tom works in Columbia and lives in nearby Wisconsin . . . okay, we're kidding about that last part . . . he really just lives a few miles NE of Columbia, but sometimes it seems like we're driving all the way to Wisconsin when we travel to his place!  Tom's ability to hold a note for a very long time gives the rest of us plenty of chances to breathe, and we really appreciate it!

AWIP Photo Links

2007 Spring Show photos

2006 Singing Valentines

AWIP singing at the 2005 Home Show

2004 Joint Show with Sweet Adelines in Moberly

Afterglow following the 2004 Fall Show

Afterglow following the 2003 Fall Show

Photo Credit

The photo at the top of this page was taken by Beverly Grote during the Boonslick Chordbusters' 2009 spring show.