From Southern California, The Newfangled Four is one of the top barbershop quartets in the world, performing all around the country as well as internationally. Formed in the fall of 2012, this foursome quickly bonded through their involvements with the Westminster Chorus and Masters of Harmony, two well-renowned choruses in the Barbershop Harmony Society. Combining old fashion slapstick humor with their quirky youthful comedy, The Newfangled Four merges their talents as top notch harmony singers and first class entertainers. In 2013, the quartet won the International Collegiate Barbershop Quartet Contest and the Far Western District Quartet Contest. They compete most years in the open International Quartet Contest, and most recently finished 6th place in the world in 2023. Over the years they have developed a reputation not only for their fine singing and showmanship, but also for their work and involvement in the youth movement as clinicians and educators, leading countless workshops for young singers in the United States. The Newfangled Four has appeared on Buzzfeed, Hallmark’s “Home and Family show”, the new “Gong Show”, The CW’s “Christmas Caroler Challenge,” and has recorded custom tracks for the Lifetime Movie Network. With millions of views on their YouTube performances, they are proud to introduce the barbershop artform to aspiring young singers and to provide nostalgia for those that fondly remember “the good ol’ days.”
THE NEWFANGLED FOUR
Joey Buss (tenor)-started singing in the seventh grade while taking private voice lessons. At Edison High School in Huntington Beach, he sang in their chamber choir, jazz choir, show choir, and madrigal ensemble. He was put into his first quartet, Short and Sweet, in his freshman year of high school and hasn’t stopped singing barbershop since. Joey is a member of the Westminster Chorus, where he has earned several chorus gold medals (7, actually!). He has also won two International Collegiate Quartet Championships singing tenor with The Vagrants in 2009 and The Newfangled Four in 2013. Outside of his barbershop successes, Joey sings in a 60’s/70’s/80’s style cover band called “Hollywood and Vinyl,” and works part time for California State Parks at Huntington State Beach as an Interpreter and Volunteer Coordinator.
Jackson Niebrugge (lead) – Has been performing since he was 6 years old. He was first introduced into formal music making while singing in the Santa Clarita and Los Angeles Children’s Choruses from ages 6 to 10. At 11 years old, he picked up the trumpet and followed that all the way through to college, earning him his bachelor’s degree in Trumpet Performance from the Bob Cole Conservatory at California State University, Long Beach. While at CSULB, Jackson met Jake Tickner in the fall of 2010, who invited him to attend a rehearsal with the 9-time international chorus Masters of Harmony, and suddenly the urge to sing was revived. He went on to win multiple gold medals with both the Masters of Harmony and later The Westminster Chorus, The 2009 Choir of the World. Jackson served on the board of directors of the Masters of Harmony as the VP of Chapter Development in 2015 and later became President of the board in 2016, a position her served in for two years. As a member of the Westminster Chorus, Jackson continues to fulfill his role as one of the Lead Section Leaders, as well as being on the music team. Jackson’s hobbies include playing guitar, writing songs, and streaming the occasional video game.
Jake Tickner (bass)– first experienced barbershop in his sophomore year of high school, when he became the bass in his school’s barbershop quartet. Thus began his love and passion for a cappella singing. Now a graduate of Cal State Long Beach with a bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance, he sang with their chamber choir and the award-winning vocal jazz group “Pacific Standard Time.” Jake earned a gold medal with the Masters of Harmony in 2011 and became a dual member with the Westminster Chorus. Since teaming up with the rest of The Newfangled Four in the fall of 2012, he went on to win an International Collegiate Quartet Championship and Far Western District Quartet Championship the very next year. He loves singing with three of his best friends and looks forward to more inspiring fun-time adventures with them. Jake currently lives in Long Beach and works many part time and contract jobs, ranging from soloist/section leader at various churches to recording sessions for the immensely popular children’s song channel on YouTube, “Coco Melon”.
Marcus Carline (baritone 2022-Present) – A singer, arranger, composer, and general jack of all tech trades working out of Long Beach, CA. He first met Jake in the 2010 All-State Honor choir and would later meet the rest of the quartet at Cal State, Long Beach, where they would introduce him to the world of barbershop via the Boom Town Chorus in 2014. After several years away from barbershop, he returns to find that his experience in jazz and modern choral music fit nicely with the Newfangled Four’s stamp on the barbershop tradition – one of tight, balanced harmonies and expressive story telling. A fellow Bob Cole Conservatory alumnus with Jackson and Jake, Marcus performs with several other LA and Orange County based choirs, a cappella groups, an electroacoustic quartet, and works as a stage technician running lights and sound for the music department at CSULB.
Former Members:
Ryan Wisniewski (baritone 2012-2020)– also comes from a non-musical family. Originally from San Diego county, his family moved out to Las Vegas just in time for him to start middle school. It wasn’t until his sixth grade choir class that he started singing, and until his freshman year of high school that he was introduced to barbershop. At the age of 14, it was this exposure that paved the way to a lifelong obsession. After graduating high school, he joined his two local chapters (the City of Lights Chorus and the Las Vegas Gamble-Aires), and a year later moved back down to California to live his dream of singing with the Westminster Chorus and Masters of Harmony. Through all of it, he starting singing with three guys he had been Facebook stalking for years, and the rest is history! In 2013, this foursome went on to win the International Collegiate Quartet Contest and the Far Western District Quartet Contest in the same year, marking the first time Ryan crossed either stage. Outside of his busy schedule singing barbershop, Ryan also works part time giving private vocal lessons.