My Three Sons Quartet Biography

In 2003, a father and his three sons made barbershop quartet singing history when they became Florida statewide champions. They are the first father and (3) son group to do so since the Barbershop Harmony Society was founded in 1938. The quartet, appropriately named My Three Sons, was formed in 1998 in Sarasota, and to everyone’s amazement, became the 1998 statewide Novice Quartet Champions with a 10 year old Lead and a 9 year old Tenor.
           Stephen Ditchfield and his three sons, Nathanael, Michael, and David, were all singing together as a part of the well-known Ditchfield Family Singers when they discovered their potential as a quartet. After winning the Novice competition, My Three Sons were invited to sing at the Barbershop Society’s International Convention.
           Their performance at the convention was followed by a video-taping by PBS for a documentary on the tradition of barbershop singing in America and CBS and CNN included them in their coverage of the event on Headline News. A barbershop marketing and recruiting video, which has been shown all over America, includes footage of My Three Sons. Realizing how small Michael and David were at 9 & 10 years old, it is no wonder they were viewed as a phenomenon!
             After taking a hiatus from competition during the boys’ voice-change years, they made a sensational comeback appearance at the next District competition, With Michael then 16 and 6’2” and David 14 and 5’10” the quartet walked out on stage with a whole new look, and a whole new sound! With the help and encouragement of renowned coaches, Don Clause and George Gipp, the quartet
 once again amazed everyone by taking home the trophy as the 2003 Florida State/Sunshine District Quartet Champions and went on to rank 49th in the world at the 2004 International Barbershop Harmony Society Competition in Louisville, Kentucky, and moved up to 34th in the 2006 International Competition in Indianapolis, Indiana.
            In addition to traditional barbershop songs, My Three Sons perform a variety of popular music from the ‘30’s, ‘40’s, and ‘50’s, the hits of Broadway and the best-loved traditional and inspirational standards of our time. As one of the most unique quartets in America, a show with My Three Sons is both heart-warming and unforgettable!

 

Stephen, the head of the group, is a highly accomplished Bass/Baritone soloist.  He is the consumate performer, whether on stage in concert before thousands, or in the intimate atmosphere of a private party or special event.  Stephen is well-known as an emcee, performer and Director of the 2004 Sunshine District Cahmpionship Chorus of the Keys. In addition to his musical performance background, Stephen's experience is wide-ranging and includes activities as a motivational speaker and sales trainer, broadcaster, magazine publisher and professional golfer.

 

 

 

Nathanael is the elder son in the family, and started performing at the age of 15 when he joined his first Barbershop Quartet singing Baritone.  For the past 15 years he has sung with The Chorus of the Keys and has been an important contributor to the sound of the Ditchfield Family Singers and My Three Sons Quartet.  Nathanael and his wife, Regina, have three sons: Andrew, Christopher and Joshua who range from four to ten years old and already sing and perform as well.  When not on stage, Nathanael is a licensed real estate broker (which occupies the majority of his time) and tries to squeeze in a little golf or tennis whenever possible.

 

Michael is a music major at Manatee Community College in Bradenton, Florida, specializing in vocal performance and music theory.  In My Three Sons quartet, he distinguished himself as an extraordinary lead singer at the ripe old age of 10, when the quartet won the Men's Novice Quartet Championship for the state of Florida.  He frequently sings all four parts of barbershop quartet arrangements and has the "annoying" habit of informing other family members of which notes they're missing in their parts during rehearsal.  He is now the Lead Section Leader of the 100-man Sarasota Chorus of the Keys and is already an accomplished soloist.

 

 

David Nicholas, the curly red-head in the family arrived on January 11th, 1989 too late for Christmas, but he was a big surprise nonetheless.  David is a gifted harmony singer, proficient in all four barbershop parts and an aspiring pianist.  He is in his first year as a Music Performance Major at Manatee Community College in Bradenton, Florida and when not singing or studying, David passionately pursues his quest (albeit useless) to defeat his older brother Nathanael in their fantasy football league.