Falcon Futures: Internship with barbershop chorus strikes a chord for UWRF grad

 

Falcon Futures: Internship with barbershop chorus strikes a chord for UW-River Falls grad

June 17, 2026 - When Michael Kerr was approaching his final semester at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, he had a couple of very different choices to consider for an internship. That might not be surprising, considering he was on the verge of completing a triple major in marketing communications, education, and stage and screen arts. Kerr, of River Falls, could have worked in sales for a window company or helped a barbershop chorus implement a social media marketing strategy. The barbershop chorus opportunity definitely struck a chord. 

“I've been like listening to barbershop since I was in middle school when I saw a YouTube video of the Newfangled Four singing ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,’” Kerr said. “I was immediately hooked." 

Kerr performed in choirs and musicals all through high school and college and says music will always be part of his life. That lined up well with the philosophy of the Croix Chordsmen Chorus. 

“We call it ‘Sing for Life,’” said Loren Paulson, a 29-year member and vice president of the group’s board. “We realize the effect that music has on our lives and research shows it has a really positive influence for those who do it.”  

The group formed in River Falls in 1951 as a local chapter of what is now called the Barbershop Harmony Society. They currently rehearse Tuesday evenings at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Stillwater, Minn. Paulson said they had been looking for someone with fresh ideas to help promote the group and recruit new members. 

“We reached out to the university and looked for an intern who was familiar with social media and the internet,” Paulson said.  

Kerr learned about the internship opportunities through Marketing Communications Instructor Brienna Schuette, the department’s internship coordinator. He then made full use of UWRF’s Career Services to put his best foot forward. 

“I was in Career Services more than twice a week, reworking my resume, reworking cover letters,” Kerr said. “I wanted to be very individualistic, very intentional, not just mass apply to every job.”  

He also learned to stand out at career fair events, having real conversations with representatives about their employers and careers. 

Kerr’s efforts paid off with two opportunities. His next job was to decide which one lined up with his career goals. 

“It’s my passion to help local businesses, especially nonprofits, to be able to expand,” Kerr said. “The barbershop internship caught my eye.” 

Throughout his internship, Kerr expanded the group’s use of Facebook and Instagram, creating posts and tracking analytics. Kerr said he set out to make the social media accounts more than stagnant message boards. He wanted to really introduce the audience to the members of the chorus and their joyful music by posting member shoutouts and song snippets.  

“They really let me take the reins and explore ideas,” Kerr said. “It was an awesome opportunity.” 

Paulson said the group enjoyed seeing the results. 

“He’s got some creative ideas,” Paulson said. “It has been great to have him with us.” 

The group didn’t pass up the opportunity to recruit Kerr as a singer as well as a social media marketer. At 23, he is their youngest member. The oldest is 101.  

With three majors at UWRF, Kerr said he enjoyed the opportunity to branch out into many things at once. 

“The phrase I have adopted is, ‘If you stop learning, you stop growing,’” Kerr said. “I love working with kids, so I chose education. I realized I wanted to work with small businesses, so one way to do that was marketing communications. And then I love theatre.” 

Kerr said acting, singing, directing and designing sound for stage and screen arts productions made for a transformative experience while at UWRF. 

“Leaving high school, I was a very shy person,” Kerr said. “College was my time to be the kind of person that I was meant to be. One of the ways that happened was with the Music and Stage and Screen Arts Department.”  

Kerr graduated from UWRF in May and accepted a full-time job as a recreation program assistant with Farmington Community Education in Farmington, Minn. He said he will use skills from all his majors in his new job. 

“Together, these three areas gave me a toolkit that I'm genuinely passionate about putting to work helping the community connect, grow and have a great time doing it,” he said. 

Photo: Michael Kerr, a May 2026 graduate of UW-River Falls, combined his passions for marketing and barbershop music while completing an internship with the Croix Chordsmen Barbershop Chorus in his final semester. UWRF photo.