Our Musical Director - Gabe Caretto

Gabe Caretto began singing barbershop at age 16, joining the Cascade Chorus in Eugene, Oregon, and singing lead in his high school quartet The Uncalled Four.  Gabe is thrilled to have represented the Evergreen District on the international contest stage in 1988.  After graduating from Lowell High School, Gabe studied music at Southern Oregon State College, where we was awarded the Outstanding Undergraduate Student award in 1991.  In 1990, Gabe and roommate Coby Foster revived the defunct Medford chapter, now the Rogue Valley Harmonizers.

While pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Oregon (GO DUCKS!!), Gabe sang bass in a college quartet, Secret 4-mula, which placed second at the 1993 international collegiate quartet contest in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.  In addition, he served as the musical director of the Cascade Chorus for two years.

After earning his teaching his teacher’s certification, Gabe moved to Boise, Idaho, where he sang bass and then tenor in a quartet called Straight Ahead, placing as high as second in the Evergreen District contest in 1999.  He was the director of the Boise Valley Chordsmen for six years while in Idaho.  He also sang bass in Razorburn and baritone in Upswing, before moving to California in January 2004.  Gabe sang baritone in PlayBack and then Late Show, the 2006 Far Western District Quartet Champions!  Late Show placed 12th at the Barbershop Harmony Society’s international quartet competition in 2007.

In January 2006, Gabe joined Voices In Harmony (VIH), the San Francisco Bay Area’s premier barbershop chorus and the 2008 Far Western District Chorus Champions and international third place bronze medalist.  During most of that time, he has served as Assistant Director and has learned a great deal from Dr. Greg Lyne, VIH Musical Director.

Over the past 23 years, Gabe has served in a variety of leadership positions and educational roles for the Society, including serving as a faculty member at Harmony University in St. Joseph, Missouri, and a trainer for the BHS’ Certified Chorus Director’s Workshop Intensive.  He also is a sought after coach for choruses, quartets and youth workshops and festivals throughout the northwest and California.  In his spare time he makes four-part learning tracks and does some arranging (or as he calls it, ‘de-ranging’).

A former music educator, Gabe is now the Financial Manager for CSHQA Architects in Sacramento.  He enjoys playing golf, watching movies, doing home projects with his sweetheart, Cindy, and playing with their two big dogs, Sadie and Sophie.