He was also working on his singing during this time; even as a young man, he won recognition for his baritone voice.
He studied for several years under Luigi Meola, and in 1890 he and his childhood friend Peter J. Collins organized the Metropolitan Male Quartet.
The quartet were in amateur light opera presentations, minstrel shows, and choir singers.
[1] In 1898, Byrne took the civil service examination and was promptly appointed chief clerk of the Building Department.
When Joseph A. Guider became borough president of Brooklyn, Byrne succeeded him as Commissioner of Public Works.