ABOUT USs

NOLA Vox – A Vibrant Beginning!

“There is nothing like ringing chords to touch an audience. Barbershop brings those chords to life!”
Zach Materne
NOLA Vox President
Since our founding in August 2023, NOLA Vox has grown from an exciting idea into a dynamic and evolving community chorus. In a short time, we have become a meaningful presence in the New Orleans cultural arts scene, grounded in collaboration, inclusion, and musical excellence. From the very beginning, we have been intentional about building a chorus that is open to all. We do not charge dues. Instead, we ask members to contribute in the ways that work for them, whether through financial support, administrative leadership, artistic growth, or simply showing up and singing with heart and commitment.
NOLA Vox members (l to r) Mark Shreve, Matt Ridley, and
President Zach Materne at the Jefferson Parish Bicentennial Gala.

Throughout 2025, we shared our a cappella artistry in diverse venues across the city, connecting with audiences and celebrating the power of vocal harmony. Our members deepened their musicianship and stage presence through expert-led coaching sessions, strengthening both individual skills and collective performance. This year also marked important milestones in our organizational growth. NOLA Vox became a chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, expanding our outreach and credibility, and we completed our first strategic plan to strengthen our administrative foundation. Guided by our incredibly talented musical director and united by a shared vision, we are energized and ready to raise our voices even higher in 2026.
Looking ahead, the future of NOLA Vox is bright. In February 2026, we are thrilled to launch our first Youth Harmony Festival, a crucial step in our commitment to bringing quality a cappella harmony education to New Orleans. This initiative will grow through continued outreach to high school students and meaningful partnerships with fellow performing arts organizations throughout the city. Our Spring and Fall concert series will celebrate the rich musical heritage of New Orleans, highlighting local arrangers and honoring the city’s deep connection to the barbershop tradition. As we move forward, NOLA Vox remains dedicated to our mission of enriching lives through vocal harmony in the greater New Orleans area.           President, Zachary Materne

A NOTE FROM OUR DIRECTOR

“What I cherish most about NOLA Vox is the incredible people I get to work with and the sense of community we’re building within the ensemble.”
Cassie Schmitt
NOLA Vox Director
New Orleans in Our Music 
Director Cassie Schmitt leads with skill and enthusiasm!

My journey into barbershop music began unexpectedly — late nights in college, surrounded by friends from Westminster Chorus, lingering after choir rehearsals simply to sight-read tags for fun. What captivated me then still inspires me today: the unique vocal techniques of barbershop singing and the exhilarating, resonant “ring” that can only be created through true ensemble unity.
As a music educator in New Orleans, I have been deeply committed to learning, honoring, and sharing the city’s extraordinary musical heritage. That commitment lies at the very heart of NOLA Vox. One of our core missions is to celebrate the traditions and styles of New Orleans and Louisiana through the barbershop art form—and that vision is what first drew me to this ensemble and continues to fuel my passion for its growth.
My own musical path has been shaped by a love of contemporary pop, jazz, and musical theatre. I have had the privilege of serving as music director, principal arranger, and beatboxer for the USC Sirens treble a cappella group, founding, and directing LSU’s vocal jazz ensemble The Red Stick Riffs, and directing productions at Rivertown Theaters, most recently Disney’s Newsies! Since planting roots in New Orleans, I have been honored to teach music and choir at all levels at the Louise S. McGehee School and to serve as an active leader within the American Choral Directors Association, currently as Vocal Jazz Repertoire & Resources Chair for LA-ACDA.
I am truly thrilled to collaborate with the talented singers of NOLA Vox as we celebrate the rich musical roots of New Orleans and bring them to life through harmony. Together, we are building something meaningful - honoring the past, embracing the present, and singing boldly into the future.
Musical Director, Cassie Schmitt

Our Members

NOLA Vox holds a truly special place in New Orleans’ musical landscape—not only for what we sing, but for who we are. Our members are a passionate, welcoming, and ever-growing community of singers united by a love of harmony and a deep respect for the city’s musical roots. As the only vocal ensemble in New Orleans dedicated to honoring local musical traditions through barbershop, vocal jazz, and the full spectrum of a cappella music, we embrace both tradition and innovation with equal enthusiasm.

“Our hope is that NOLA Vox serves as a bridge - connecting voices across styles, generations, and communities through the shared joy of harmony.”
Sue Englebert, NOLA Vox member
Our members benefit from an enriching musical experience that emphasizes growth, collaboration, and excellence. We regularly welcome expert coaches from across the country who help us refine vocal technique, blend, and performance skills. Rehearsals are energized by focused small-group work and personalized guidance from our music director, assistant director, and dedicated section leaders—creating an environment where every singer is supported and challenged to grow.
What truly sets NOLA Vox apart is the spirit of its membership. We sing with purpose, curiosity, and joy, believing wholeheartedly in the power of a cappella music to connect and inspire. Together, we are elevating barbershop and a cappella as vibrant, relevant, and culturally significant traditions in New Orleans, while opening our doors to singers of all backgrounds and experience levels.

Community Engagement and Performance Highlights

2025 found NOLA Vox all over the New Orleans area and creating new partnerships along the way!
  • Co-hosted small ensemble afternoon of a cappella harmonies celebrating Valentine’s Day!
  • Co-hosted a concert at Old St. Peter and Paul Church with the Campolindo High School Concert Choir from Moraga, California.
  • Hosted Shades of Praise Chorus at the St. Louis Cathedral with a concert called New Orleans Voices.
  • Performed at Jefferson Parish’s Bicentennial Gala to celebrate two hundred years!
  • Participated in New Orleans’ Culture collision event fostering the nonprofit performing and visual arts organizations in the New Orleans metro area at the New Orleans Museum of Art.
  • Joined award-winning Nocturne Quartet to perform at uptown’s St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church.
  • Participated in the third annual Sing Fest at Dillard University’s Lawless Chapel with nine other a cappella groups.
  • Hosted NOLA Vox’s 2nd Holiday concert at St. John Lutheran Church with guest performers including Southern Tradition and Nocturne quartets.
  • Combined with the student choirs of Ursuline Academy and the Ursuline Academy Orchestra to present “Caroling at the Chapel” in the National Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor.
  • Our year ended by providing a concert for the Lambeth House Retirement Community.

Strategic Highlights

NOLA Vox has come a long way since our beginning in August 2023! We founded this community chorus on a few especially important ideals –
  • Bringing quality a cappella music to our community;
  • Reflecting our city and its culture in our music; and
  • Building strong relationships with New Orleans music educators and musicians.
We are working to make this vision a reality through four key goals in our strategic plan.
NOLA Vox will develop musical skills and performance acumen to be an outstanding singing organization.
2025 successes
  • Our director attended a week-long Harmony University course.
  • Developed section leader and music guidance.
  • Held several coaching sessions with lauded clinicians to improve ensemble vocal and performance skills.

NOLA Vox will expand and coordinate our opportunities to
engage the New Orleans community.
2025 successes
  • Developed a member guide and continued to gain new members.
  • Initiated participation in several high-profile local events.
  •  Initiated a partnership with a local school for Harmony Festival in 2026.


NOLA Vox will improve awareness of the chorus.
2025 successes
  • Built an established presence on all social media platforms.
  • Set up a comprehensive website with an app for members.
  • Secured performance opportunities due to website prominence.

NOLA Vox will build our financial base of support.
2025 successes
  • Participated in Give NOLA Day 2025 with results that surpassed other community choral groups.
  • Connected with new sponsors offering major venue assistance.
  • Secured grant for Music Education from two grantors.
  • Began to build a financial reserve fund.

Financial Summary

Revenue: $38,103

Expenses: $20,108

Fiscal Year 2025 at a Glance

Revenue Sources

*Retirement fund required minimum distributions

Nearly half of our funding came directly from individual donors who believe in the power of music.
Expense Allocation

The majority of every dollar directly supported singers, performances, and music education.
Financial Health
✔ Operating Reserves: 4 months
✔ Cash Flow: Stable throughout the year
✔ Long-Term Debt: None What the Support of our Donors Made Possible
  • Present high-quality concerts and community performances.
  • Support our singers and artistic leadership.
  • Keep music accessible through outreach and education.
  • Build a stronger foundation for future seasons.

Sponsors and Generous Donors

Harsch Family & the Estate of Al Harsch
The New Orleans Mardi Gras Chorus
  Phillip Morin
Sound & Videography

Sustaining
  Donors

   donated
        in
2024 & 2025		 Mrs. Anne Cafiero
Mr. Ed Demirer
Mr. Brian Dupree
Ms. Sue Englebert
Mrs. Ashley Grossman
Mr. Karl Hanson
Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Harsch		 Mr. Joe Jacquat
Mr. Zach Materne
Mrs. Debbie Mora
Mr. Matt Ridley
Ms. Beth Sacco
Ms. Cassie Schmitt
Mr. Mark Shreve		 Ms. Janie Soslow
Mrs. Robin Stead
Mr. Perry T. Sukstorf
Mrs. Jeannine Thibodaux
Ms. Sarah Todd
Mr. Jefferson Turner

2025 First-time Donors

 Ms. Dulce Aguda
Ms. Mary Erin Allerton
Ms. E Anderson
Ms. Leila Conner
Ms. Connie Davis
Ms. Reha Demirer
Mrs. Lori Duke
Ms. Kirsten Early		 Mr. Steven Farkas
Mrs. Jessica Forrister
Mr. Todd Grosch
Mr. Brian Katz
Mr. and Mrs. Brad Knapp
Ms. Karen Lane
Mrs. Danielle LeBlanc
Mrs. Bev Manson		 Ms. Nancy Maveety
Mr. Jeff Patton
Dr. Raman Radha
Mr. and Mrs.Kevin Rhodes
Mrs. Mary Ripple
Ms. Lisa Rushing
Mr. Scott Wolfe

The Roots of Jazz and Blues Are
in New Orleans and in Barbershop Harmony

Barbershop singing, now recognized as a unique American art form, has deep roots in the cultural and musical heritage of New Orleans.

Vic Hobson in his 2014 book, “Creating Jazz Counterpoint: New Orleans, Barbershop Harmony, and the Blues” (University Press of Mississippi) writes, “New Orleans jazz was different from ragtime in a number of ways. It was a music that was collectively improvised, and it carried a new tonality--the tonality of the blues.” He notes that what made New Orleans jazz so unique was that many of its pioneers—including Buddy Bolden, Bunk Johnson, Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, Johnny Dodds, and Kid Ory—sang in barbershop (or barroom) quartets.

Tag Lines – what inspires us!


“NOLA Vox is a place where I get to enjoy the company of adults from a variety of life experiences who share the same love of singing as me. It is a place where I can learn from the experience of others.  It challenges me to practice a skill that I do not get to engage with in my normal 9-5 life.  As adults, it is rare to set aside time to do something that brings joy.  NOLA Vox brings joy for myself, and I hope for the people who listen to us sing!”
Renee Webb, NOLA Vox member

Contact us:

Mailing Address: 5709 Constance Street
New Orleans, LA 70115

Rehearsals: NOLA Vox rehearses at
St John Lutheran Fellowship Center
3940 Iberville Street, New Orleans, 70119
Thursdays (First and Third of the Month), 6:30 pm
Email : Info@NOLAVox.org
Web site : https://www.nolavox.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NOLAVox/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NOLAVox
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nola.vox/
Bookings e-mail: Info@NOLAVox.org