Our Story
“Tom Metzger was directing a large choir in the Vancouver area, and getting frustrated - how could there be so much organizational work! There should be a solution just for choirs.”
In 2003, life-long singer and computer scientist Tom Metzger was directing a large choir in the Vancouver area, and getting frustrated - how could there be so much organizational work! There should be a solution just for choirs.
Finally, in 2009, Tom started Groupanizer to build the software every choir needs. Eleven years later, #choirgenius looks nothing like that humble first version. Hundreds of choirs around the world rely on it to keep the music flowing!
Our mission is to get more of the world singing by making it easy for choir administrators and musical leaders to run a choir. That’s what our choir management platform does – it’s a collection of powerful tools that work together seamlessly to get your whole group growing, thriving and making better music.
You may be wondering, why did we choose to go into this unusual business? Surely there are easier ways to make a buck! Indeed there are, but everyone on the Choir Genius / Groupanizer staff is a singer, dedicated to growing the singing community. Each of us rolls out of bed energized every day to make it happen, because we believe that singing matters.
The Choir Genius Team
Tom Metzger
CEO/CTO
Tom is an entrepreneur, software developer, singer, choral music enthusiast and technical founder of Groupanizer Technologies & Choir Genius. After completing a degree in computer science, he decided to put together his expertise in choral music with his expertise in technology to build the first version of Choir Genius.
Tom’s father, Charlie Metzger, was always involved in musical groups like church choirs and quartets. He instilled in Tom a deep appreciation for the art of ensemble singing. Tom has been singing in semi-professional vocal ensembles since 1988, the most notable of which was “Realtime” which won the barbershop world championship in 2005. Tom has sung in Phoenix Chamber Choir and currently serves on their board.
When he’s not building software or singing, he’s hanging out with his two teenage boys, who both sing in the Vancouver Youth Choir.
Sharlene Kowk
Support and Training,
Manager of Operations
Sharlene has been with Choir Genius for over 10 years, and believes in bringing the Choir Genius platform to more choirs around the world. She’s passionate about the arts, with a love of music and theatre, and has a Bachelor of Arts (BA) focused in Criminology and Forensics from Simon Fraser University.
Sharlene is a member of a mixed SATB chorus, Soundscape, where she gets to sing with her dad. Previously she sang with a women’s barbershop chorus, Peace Arch Chorus, for close to 10 years. She was previously a baritone section leader and board member for several years. She was also a board member for Harmony Hollow, a singing family-camp weekend in the Pacific Northwest.