Viva!: a celebration! - of life, love,
friendship, and music. Four friends who have a
passion for singing, harmony, and friendship
came together to form Viva! Quartet in the
summer of 2015. Their members, Patty Cobb Baker,
Gina Baker, Chris DeRosa, and Peggy Jones each
bring their unique flavor to the music they
sing. They love songs from Barbra to Broadway
and their USO Show has been on the road in
Missouri, Texas, Georgia, and several cities in
Florida.
Since formed they have also competed and became
Regional Champions in 2018 which qualified them
for the Sweet Adelines International
competition. St. Louis in 2018 earned them
Silver Medals and most recently came home from
New Orleans competition with the Gold!
Patty Cobb Baker, tenor of Viva!, is a professional voice teacher and vocal coach, embarking on her career in 1996 after a 14-year stint as a business analyst with NASA. She is a 36-year member of Sweet Adelines International (SA), has earned regional championships singing both lead and tenor, and is the tenor of the 2013 SA International Champion Quartet, Touche'. Patty currently serves as President of the SA Board of Directors, and is the Education Coordinator for the SA International Champion Harborlites Chorus. She is also a faculty member of SA Golden West Region 21. Patty lives in Missouri City, TX with her two fur babies, Max and Oliver.
Gina Baker, lead of Viva!, has been around
barbershop music her whole life! She is what
they call a "Barbershop Brat", teething on
records from The Suntones and The Tiffanys. She
became a member of Sweet Adelines in 1993, and
is currently a member of the Toast of Tampa Show
Chorus, where she serves as the Associate
Director and dances in the front row! Gina sang
with Patty in Touche', 2013 SAI Quartet
Champions, and was also the lead in Jackpot!,
SAI three-time Silver Medalist Quartet. She is a member of the Region 9 Education Faculty,
coaches several regional quartets and choruses,
is a Youth Harmony Camp clinician, and an
Approved Candidate Judge in the Sound Category. Gina is
married to Jeff, and they make their home in
Tampa, Florida where she works as a Registered
Nurse at St. Joseph's Women's Hospital, in the
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Chris DeRosa, baritone of Viva! is no stranger
to the Barbershop life, although she is
affectionately known as "Tony's Sister" to most
'shoppers, she has several Regional
Championships singing both lead and baritone!
She was the lead of Crystal Clear Quartet, long
time audience favorite with several Top Ten
International finishes as well as the baritone
of Journey Quartet, who placed as high as second
at International. Chris currently is a member of
Toast of Tampa Show Chorus, with her daughter
Kylie and dances on the front row along side
Gina! Chris lives in Lakeland, Florida and has
worked for the power company for over 25
years....don't call her when the lights go out!
Peggy Jones, bass of Viva! grew up in a
barbershop family and still enjoys sharing the
hobby with her sister, Cathy. She also loves
singing with Carolina Harmony Chorus and
currently serves as a member of the music team
and as assistant bass section leader. Peggy does
quartet coaching, both in person and virtually,
and is the Quartet Education Specialist for SAI
Region 14. She was honored to be a member of the
2016 Sweet Adelines International Quartet
Champion quartet, Speed of Sound. When she isn't
working as a dispatcher at Fedex, Peggy is
usually at home in Holly Springs, NC with "THE"
Tom Jones and their menagerie of animals.
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