Barbershop Harmony Society, Nashville

The Barbershop Harmony Society, also known as the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc., has a rich history of promoting and preserving the art of barbershop music. This organization was founded by Owen C. Cash in 1938 and has since played a significant role in fostering barbershop harmony among men of all ages. As of 2007, nearly 30,000 individuals in the United States and Canada are proud members of this society, which primarily focuses on a cappella music. In 2007, the international headquarters relocated from Kenosha, Wisconsin, to Nashville, Tennessee, after being situated in Kenosha for half a century.

A central element of the Society's mission revolves around safeguarding the legacy of barbershop music. To achieve this goal, they maintain the Old Songs Library, which houses an extensive collection of over 100,000 titles (equivalent to 750,000 sheets). Remarkably, this collection ranks as the world's largest repository of sheet music, second only to the Library of Congress. Additionally, the "Barberpole Cat Program" stands as a crucial part of their efforts. This program encompasses a repertoire of 12 songs, commonly referred to as "polecats," that every barbershopper is encouraged to know. The program's purpose is to ensure that all barbershoppers share a common repertoire, facilitating the readiness of new quartets to perform. Furthermore, the Harmony Foundation, established as a not-for-profit organization in 1959, operates as a charitable subsidiary of the Barbershop Harmony Society. It plays a vital role in raising financial support to sustain the society's various programs.