Our Founding Director – David Calland
David was born in Mansfield, Ohio, and started singing in church at the age of five. He was active in school choirs, the Mansfield YMCA Youth Choir and several Church Choirs. After touring Europe and Mexico with the American Boy Choir Federation at the age of 11, his grandfather took him to a barbershop show to see the Mansfield Chapter’s Fun Center Chordsmen. Immediately, he was hooked!
During his high school years, David was honored as a National School Choral Award recipient and spent time singing with his first quartet. His director, Ric Roberts, encouraged him to study Music Education at Bowling Green State University. While attending BGSU, David sang with The BGSU Men’s Chorus, three varsity quartets, The Collegiate Chorale, A Cappella Choir, several opera productions and performed lead roles with the summer theater.
David’s barbershop directing resume includes being a past director of the Maumee Valley Seaway Commanders, Toledo, OH, past assistant director of the Singing Buckeyes, Columbus, OH and he is the founding and current director of the nine-time Johnny Appleseed District champions and two-time international Barbershop Harmony Society bronze medalist chorus, The Alliance of Greater Central Ohio. His quartets have competed on the international stage fifteen times including five international quartet medals, two bronze and two silver during the 2000-2003 International Conventions with Uptown Sound, 1996 JAD Champions and a 2010 5th place bronze medal with his current quartet, The Allies who also captured the JAD championship in 2006.
David was honored with the 1997 & 2005 Johnny Appleseed District Golden Apple Coach of the Year award and the 2002 Johnny Appleseed District Golden Apple Director of the Year award. He was the Barbershopper of the Year for the Greater Central Ohio Chapter, The Alliance in 1999. He is a perennial faculty member of the Barbershop Harmony Society’s Harmony University and Johnny Appleseed District Apple Corps. He has been on faculty for many district Top Gun schools and educational weekends throughout the Society. He is a highly sought after quartet and chorus coach for the Barbershop Harmony Society and Sweet Adelines International. David is the Immediate Past JAD President (2009-2010).
David, his wife Kim, stepdaughter Alexa (17) and son Jamison (10) live in Worthington, Ohio. David is employed by Nationwide Insurance as a Business Consultant for the Staff Sales Business team working with IT strategy.
