House Blend is an a capella quartet located in the Portland, Oregon, area. Each of us has sung with other members of the quartet, but never together in this formation. Our first public appearance was at the Forest Grove Ballad Towne competition in March, 2009, where we placed fifth.

Steve ("Drip") Schmidt sings tenor and is a 20-year barbershopper. He is a CPA and is a partner in a Beaverton accounting firm. He has an extensive musical background, and does some arranging for the group. He likes to spend many hours on the golf course, an affliction that only the top half of the quartet understands.

Sam ("Tea, please") Vigil, Jr. sings lead and started 'shopping about 25 years ago. He is a fundraising professional by day for a local nonprofit mental health services agency. Sam also sings with a church-based men's chorus and has been involved with leading music at his church. His golf affliction is that he doesn't get to spend nearly as much time out on the links as he'd like or playing with the numbers on his score card.

Sam ("Espresso") Cole sings baritone, is a 12-year barbershopper and is a charter member of the Portland Metro Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society. He is a software developer, and has been involved in music organizations since grade school. As a baritone, he "gets" to be the butt of many barbershop jokes, but knows in his heart of hearts (as all baritones do) that the jokes only reflect envy on the part of other singers. He has no clue about golf or what a CPA does.

Gary ("Double Tall") Herd sings bass, is an 11-year barbershopper and the proud father of a future barbershopper. He is an artist who runs his own business, Cry of the Wolf - creative design. He paints murals of all sorts as well as art for "faux" finishing. Outside the barbershop world, Gary likes to play in his shop with his DeWALT power tools building and refinishing furniture. He most definitely knows nothing about golf or accounting.