Singing their hearts out

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BY CANDICE NOVITZKE THE CHIPPEWA HERALD
Friday, February 13, 2004 11:02 PM CST

While at work Friday morning, Gary West was called to the lobby at TTM Technologies to meet a visitor. As he entered the lobby and pulled off his rubber gloves and goggles, he was met with a surprise he'll never forget: A singing Valentine from his wife, Debbie.

"It shocked me," West said. He would have expected a crazy surprise on Monday because that's his birthday, but the singing Valentine caught him completely off guard.

Before 10 a.m., the CHIPS barbershop quartet has been the cause of smiles and laughter all over Chippewa Falls. For the past nine years, CHIPS (Close Harmony Is Pretty Swell) has brought singing Valentine messages to nearly 300 people in the Chippewa Falls and Eau Claire area. For a fee, the group delivers a singing valentine to loved ones.

"It's a blast to go into these places and surprise people," Rod Bailey of Menomonie said.

Several people this year received a singing valentine for the second -- or even third time.

Notre Dame teacher Jennifer Rubenzer received a singing valentine from her husband Rick, the Chippewa Falls Public Works director, for the second year in a row.

"I was so shocked I cried (last year)," Jennifer said.

"I know the group does a wonderful job, and I think the gift of music is a nice gift to give," Rick said.

"It was such a riot. We just loved it," said eighth-grade teacher Alice Butler, who watched the quartet sing to Jennifer.

Vivian Swanson, an employee at the Northern Center for Developmentally Disabled, has received one from her husband Vernon for the third year.

The CHIPS quartet makes a point of stopping at the local high schools to spread the cheer and even teach students a little about the barbershop style of song.

"A lot of kids have never heard the barbershop style before," quartet member Tom Arneberg of Chippewa Falls said.

That's why the group made their annual stop at Chippewa Falls Senior High School, where they surprised high schoolers Lindsay Slack and Stephanie Olson. The students begged to hear their rendition of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," though it's not a true barbershop-style piece. CHIPS member Randy Knaack of Menomonie does a bird call, while Arneberg pretends to be an elephant.

Some stops have been especially memorable for the group.

A couple years ago, one woman was so mortified that she talked through the whole first song.

"She kept saying, 'Who did this? Who did this?'" quartet member Rod Bailey of Menomonie said. "Finally we gave her the note from her fianc/ about how eager he was to spend the rest of his life with her. She had tears streaming down her face."

Another time, the group sang to a terminal hospital patient.

"It was one of those where you pick something on the wall and just look at it, otherwise you wouldn't be able to make it through," Bailey said.

Not all of the valentines are requested in advance.

After receiving a standing ovation from the Chi-Hi choir for "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," the CHIPS quartet prepared to leave the building. They were met with a request to sing to the school's cooks.

"We'll make time," Arneberg said, despite the fact that they were running a little late.

So down the hall the group went, to put smiles on the faces of nearly a dozen cooks.

The group plans to continue spreading their "notes" of love for Valentine's Day as long as they can.

"I wouldn't miss this for anything," Arneberg said.

Reach Candice Novitzke at candice.novitzke@lee.net