

Gambit!


GAMBIT is:
TODD, JOHN, MICHAEL, MERLE
Gambit is a barbershop quartet from Rochester, Minnesota. They have sung together for many years as members of the MedCity Harmony Chorus and they are the 2017 Land O' Lakes Southwest Division Champions.
Gambit is no longer together as a quartet. Thank you for all your support through our 10 years!
Baritone
Todd has been involved with barbershop singing since he was in high school when his music teacher encouraged him to be part of a barbershop quartet for a school music contest. He's been involved with the Rochester Music Men Chorus and various quartets for over 30 years now. He's competed at various barbershop levels several times, having won Division Champions with Gambit multiple times. Todd has twice the honor of fulfilling one of his barbershop hobby highlights by singing in the "School Board" barbershop quartet in productions of The Music Man. Todd also checked off another barbershopper "bucket list" item by singing an impromptu pole-cat song with Disney World's permanent professional main street barbershop quartet, the "Dapper Dan's." Todd continues to be active in his chapter by filling in as an assistant director and holding various chapter officer positions. He is thrilled to find singing opportunities with "Gambit" whenever he can, including "National Anthem" appearances and the popular Singing Valentines fundraiser for the chorus. Todd currently works for IBM as a software engineer. He is happily married and has two fun-loving boys. A big "Thanks!" to the support he gets from his family.
Lead
John has been singing barbershop harmony since 1975. His first high school quartet "Four of a Kind" came in first place in the very first "Young Men in Harmony Contest." During their senior year in high school, they changed a couple of voice parts to become the "Class Reunion" and were lucky enough to compete on the International Stage 3 different times, placing as high as the 24th best quartet in the world. Class Reunion became the Land O' Lakes district champions in 1983. As a member of the Music Men Chorus, John has sung with the Class Reunion, CR Reunion, Pennies from Heaven, Cabaret!, APEX, Hot Topic! and several other chapter quartets. John has served as President, Music Vice President, PR and Marketing, and choreographer. John has 3 adult daughters, 2 awesome sons-in-law, 2 adorable granddaughters and a very handsome grandson...
Bass
Michael’s first involvement with barbershopping was with a high school quartet. He then joined the Barbershop Harmony Society after moving to Rochester in 1991 and has been a member of the Rochester Music Men Chorus and multiple quartets ever since then. His first quartet was put together for an annual chorus show, and aptly named ‘Frank’s Fault’ for the quartet’s creator. From there he was a member of Harmony Connection, Resonance, Hot Topic, and now Gambit. Hot Topic was Michael’s first competition quartet, taking Novice Champions of the LOL Southwest Division. He now enjoys singing with the members of Gambit and the wealth of quartet experience that they bring with them. Michael is currently the treasurer of the Rochester Music Men as well as working as a Project Manager at IBM in Rochester.
Tenor
Merle has been a barbershopper since 1980, having been a member of the Windom MN, Sheldon IA, Worthington MN, and Rochester Chapters and has sung in quartets in each chapter. He's been involved with the Rochester Music Men and various quartets for over 25 years now. Merle's previous Rochester quartet experience includes comedy quartets "The National Pastime" and "The Totally Uncalled Four." One of his favorite barbershop experiences occurred when he sang with Todd in the barbershop quartet in the Rochester Civic Theatre's production of The Music Man. Merle is the Director of the Music Men, a Music Educator the Greater Rochester Area, spent many years in the Public Schools in Rochester, taught recently in Kasson-Mantorville, Lyle, Triton, and is very active in the Music Ministry at Bethel Lutheran as well as serving as Bethel’s Associate Music Director. He loves to sing with his quartet whenever he can, including "National Anthem" appearances and the popular Singing Valentines fundraiser for the chorus. Merle's lovely wife is a NICU nurse at St. Mary's. They have three adult sons, a daughter, daughter-in-law, two grandsons, and a granddaughter.
