30th Annual

National Finals | Schedule | Recordings | Previous winners | Rules | How to enter

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The Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival, the premier American showcase for vocal harmony music. The annual national competition draws from hundreds of vocal groups from around the country with regional competitions in eight cities. The winning group from each festival is flown to perform in front of celebrity judges and a sold out house of enthusiastic a cappella fans at the National Finals.

2014 Boston Champions

Women of the World

Women of the World is an international ensemble of musicians representing 9 countries. Honoring global folk traditions, their repertoire spans music in 21 languages. In many ways, the ensemble is a microcosm of the world, with members working closely together, not just to create and perform music, but also learning about each other's countries, cultures, languages, beliefs and practices. Over the years, Women of the World has received accolades and collaborated with many renowned artists including Bobby McFerrin, Angelique Kidjo, Mario Frangoulis, and the Boston Pops Orchestra led by Maestro Keith Lockhart. With tours in Japan and North America, including performances at the Blue Note Jazz Club, Carnegie Hall, Boston Symphony Hall, BeanTown Jazz Festival, TEDxBoston, and United Nations events, Women of the World strives to engage in, and support peace building efforts, and other movements that help foster unity amidst the rich diversity that surrounds us. To date, Women of the World has united over 200 international women artists in this richly diverse musical collective.

2014 Results

1st
Women of the World
2nd
Similar Jones
3rd
Boston Accent
Audience Favorite
Women of the World
Best Orginal Song
"Teach Me" by Prosper
Best Soloist
Cheryl Brusket of Boston Accent for "Life is a Cabaret"


2014 Participating Groups

Boston Accent just can’t seem to get enough of singing together, so they are members of Sweet Adelines International and Harmony, Incorporated – two international organizations of female barbershop singers. In November 2006, BA won the coveted gold medal at Harmony, Inc's International competition in Jacksonville Florida! In May of 2010, 2012 and 2013 they won first place in the Sweet Adelines North Atlantic Regional competition and competed internationally in Honolulu, HI. Their CD, CROWNED AND DANGEROUS, has been hailed as a "vocal symphony with an ACCENT on fun and entertainment".

Members: Cheryl Brusket, Karen Rourke, Ruth Berman, Julie Jeffery


Bostonality originated several years ago in the greater Boston area under a different name. Flash forward to 2013, the group, looking for new beginnings, settled on a new name and with it, an identity all of the members could relate to. It's a group of young professional men and women who love taking a break from the daily grind of adulthood to keep music and performance in their lives and have a blast all the while. Bostonality enjoys impromptu vocal jams, mashups, and trying to make each other laugh in the middle of a song.

Members: Brittany Stein, Nicole Rimbert, Jane Margolis, Dani Dragon, Ben Lang, Ben Krol, Jeff Bliss, Dominic Sarcia, and Bobby Bradbury


The Eight Tracks are a close-knit, semi-professional, Boston based a cappella group who bring a wealth of musical experience and passion to their singing. They perform regularly around the greater Boston area, singing energetic arrangements of crowd-pleasing hits and popular classics. Their debut performance was in the Fall of 2013 at the Hard Rock Cafe in Boston, where they took third place/best vocal group among 11 other acts. For The Eight Tracks, it's all about sounding tight and letting loose.

Members: Rebecca Corliss, Michela Gardner, Tony Harris, Ashton Howard, Mary McCoy, Diego Reinero, Jordan Smith, Jonathan Carpenter


None of the Above - Celebrating 10 plus years of music-making and camaraderie, None of the Above is an a cappella octet performing an eclectic mix of early polyphony, cutting-edge modern harmony, familiar folk songs, uplifting spirituals, catchy pop tunes, and lush jazz standards. Based in Wellesley, MA, NOTA has performed all over New England at coffeehouses, libraries, churches and other aca-friendly performance spaces. We have won multiple cultural council grant awards in Natick and Wellesley, MA for our diverse programming - including our annual showcase concert, Spring Fev-ah. In 2009, NOTA took third place here at Boston Sweeps, our first and only appearance to date. Our wildly popular inaugural CD, "multiple choice", is now in its second printing, and is available at numerous online outlets. We are delighted to perform today for such a great aca-savvy audience!

Members: Alisa Manning, Elena Rabinowitz, Deb Abberton, Elyssa Miller, Charlie Hodges, Tony Vuolo, Matt Ettore, Jeff Auerbach


Prosper is an inspirational a capella group that originated in one of the most musical places in the U.S.-Oakwood University in Huntsville, AL. Musicians like: Brian Mcknight, Take 6, and Committed-the season 2 champions of the hit NBC televesion show 'the sing-off'. We are very excited that our first album will be produced by Committed's Lead vocalist Theron Thomas on our newest album) Arion Mills originated the group by literally walking around campus and listening to various singers sing in and outside of classes! We assembled a bass, 3 tenors and a counter-tenor and the sound was phenomenal! Singing gospel arrangements around campus at various functions slowly turned into us performing pop music for large masses in AL. We are excited to take on the challenge of expanding our sound outside our state and showing musicians and people around the globe that we are hungry to perform and excited to share in the fun and camaraderie that only a cappella music can bring!

Members: Arion Mills, Brian McDaniel, Shian O'Connor, Cheon Brathwaite, Randel Hall


Similar Jones is a vocal band with a combined sound that's bigger than their 7 voices. With a heavy focus on blues and rock, the vocal band uses a powerful rhythm section to get things pumping and tight, and bright background vocals to build the foundation for a wide variety of songs, including favorite covers and their own original tunes. SJ has been gigging around Boston for ... holy crap has it really been 15 years? ... at venues large and small. The current lineup features an opera singer, an astrophysicist, and one original member. Can you guess who they are?

Members: Eric Chung, Dave Cushing, Reena Freedman, Rob Opdycke, Nate Piper, Jeremy Sacco, Mike Stevens


Six13 is a six-man vocal group from New York City that brings an unprecedented style of Jewish music to the stage. They create the sound and energy of a full band, while using nothing but their voices. Six13 has recorded five award-winning albums with over 20,000 CDs in circulations, and are among the top Jewish music artists on iTunes. They have performed around the world for millions, including New York’s Salute to Israel Parade, Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center, three times at the North American Jewish Choral Festival and seven times for major league sporting events at Madison Square Garden, Citi Field and Dolphin Stadium. They’ve been featured on the Chabad Telethon, Fox, ABC and my9. They’ve also become a viral internet sensation, with over one and a half million views on YouTube. Anchored by a strong Jewish identity and fueled by soulful harmonies, thumping beatbox and intricate arrangements, Six13 is driven by a mission to connect Jews around the globe with their heritage with music.

Members: Mike Boxer, Eric Dinowitz, Rob Operman, Craig Resmovits, Jacob Spadaro, Mordy Weinstein


Women of the World is an international ensemble of musicians representing 9 countries. Honoring global folk traditions, their repertoire spans music in 21 languages. In many ways, the ensemble is a microcosm of the world, with members working closely together, not just to create and perform music, but also learning about each other's countries, cultures, languages, beliefs and practices. Over the years, Women of the World has received accolades and collaborated with many renowned artists including Bobby McFerrin, Angelique Kidjo, Mario Frangoulis, and the Boston Pops Orchestra led by Maestro Keith Lockhart. With tours in Japan and North America, including performances at the Blue Note Jazz Club, Carnegie Hall, Boston Symphony Hall, BeanTown Jazz Festival, TEDxBoston, and United Nations events, Women of the World strives to engage in, and support peace building efforts, and other movements that help foster unity amidst the rich diversity that surrounds us. To date, Women of the World has united over 200 international women artists in this richly diverse musical collective.

Members: Ayumi Ueda, Annette Philip, Giorgia Renosto, Deborah Pierre


SPECIAL GUEST PERFORMANCE



The Beelzebubs

As Tufts University’s oldest all-male a cappella group, the Beelzebubs have always been at the forefront of contemporary a cappella. From Boston to Buenos Aires, the Bubs bring music to life. Though our repertoire is stylistically diverse, ranging from Rock to Pop to Hip Hop, one thing about us is clear. Whether performing for preschoolers or presidents, the Bubs have carried on our motto, bringing “Fun Through Song” to the world since 1963.

The proceeds from tonight's show will be donated to the Bubs Foundation

The Bubs Foundation’s mission is to awaken in young people a passion for expression and learning through music. To support our mission, we provide financial grants to middle and high schools to augment under funded programs and to support inspiring music teachers.

During tough economic times, budget makers often look to the arts when needing to make cuts. We think that’s a shame and we deplore the fact that in several public schools in the greater Boston area, music programs have been cut to the bone or eliminated entirely. Our grant program is meant to give a lift to those professionals who work hard every day to teach music in difficult circumstances and, in our own small way, we hope we’re lending a voice for the importance of music education in the schools.

The Judges

Tsunenori “Lee” ABE is an active composer, arranger, performer and producer throughout the country as well as in his native country, Japan. ABE has written music for many types of instrumentation, from solo piano, pop rock band, and big band, to world-class orchestras likes the Boston Pops. While ABE, a winner of S&R Washington Award as a composer, is extremely versatile in many genres, his name is especially known in the vocal jazz world as an arranger both in the US and in Japan. He won the best arranger’s award in 2008 at Harmony Sweepstake. Many of his works, highly praised by such musical personalities as Keith Lockhart of the Boston Pops, Cheryl Bentyne of the Manhattan Transfer, Kim Nazarian of New York Voices, and Cedric Dent of Take 6, are currently published through YAMAHA Music Media, Sunnyside Music and University of Northern Colorado (UNC) Jazz Press, and are being sung by many vocal jazz lovers across the nation.

ABE is the composer/arranger/bass singer of a vocal jazz quartet “More Than Four,” and was the founding member of an award-winning vocal jazz quartet “Syncopation,” and has appeared at festivals and venues such as Tanglewood Jazz Festival, Boston’s4th of July Celebration with the Boston Pops, Meihou Music Festival and Blue Note New York among others.
In addition to his composing and playing, ABE is a respected educator and gives master classes for vocal writing and group singing frequently, and serves as an Assistant Professor for Contemporary Writing and Production department at Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA, where he shares his love in composing and arranging with students from all over the world.

Anne C. S. Kalis has been involved with theater and a cappella for over 20 years. While living in Chicago for 6 years, she sang with a semi-professional co-ed group called Lake Shore Jive. After moving to Boston, she quickly found In the Moment, an all female a cappella group, and performed with them for nearly 8 years. Anne has performed on stage as the lead in Diary of Anne Frank and Coyote Ugly. She has sung in numerous musicals, including the cabaret style show, An Evening with Stephen Sondheim and recently played the role of Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof. Currently, Anne is a preschool teacher and also sings part-time at her temple during religious services. She produces an annual a cappella concert called Acappelooza to raise money for her children's elementary school.

Amy Malkoff is the Web Content Director for CASA (Contemporary A Cappella Society), is a frequent festival clinician/teacher and competition judge, and is also a writer and designer. She is a singer/songwriter and founding member of All About Buford and Deadline Poet, and she has appeared on stage and in the studio with such luminaries as Wayne Brady, Jonathan Brooke, The Persuasions, Ellis Paul, Vance Gilbert, GrooveLily, Patty Griffin, and Dar Williams. She has a degree in music from Kenyon College, with music studies at Youngstown State University and master’s-level coursework at the New England Conservatory of Music. Her music has appeared on both the Rounder Records and Hear Music/Starbucks labels. She is on the production team of the Boston Sings (BOSS) Festival, is the media director of the newly formed Women's A Cappella Association, and assists with production of the weekly video podcast, "Inside A Cappella". www.amymalkoffmusic.com

Brian O’Connell: For fifteen years Brian was director of the Concert Choir at Berklee College of Music. For nine of those years he also served as Chairman of the Voice Department where he developed a unique curriculum geared to the contemporary singer that increased the number of vocal department majors from approximately 30 to 200. Presently, he is the Director of Vocal Activities at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. Brian is also director/founder of the Sarteano Chamber Choral Conducting Workshop each summer in Tuscany, Italy. He is also on the faculty of both the University of Massachusetts/Lowell, where he teaches Vocal Pedagogy and Choral Methods, and The Boston Conservatory, where he teaches graduate Choral Methods. While at Berklee, Brian was very active in Boston's rock, a cappella and recording scenes. In 2010, Brian joined the panel of judges for choral performance, voice & conducting for the national competition, The American Prize.

Christopher Scranton sang with the nationally-known Beelzebubs during his time at Tufts University, which included the the award-winning "Infinity" album and the group's first network television appearance, on "The Late Show with David Letterman". He began performing acappella in high school, as part of a group directed by one of the founders of the Vineyard Sound, and continues to support acapella music to this day with his work as President of the Bubs Foundation.




Complete list of 2014 national participants


National Finals Recordings

Interested in Performing?

We are always seeking groups who would like to participate in our events.

Groups of any style are welcome, but you must have between 3 and 8 members. We have a rule book which explains many of the details of the event, which you can see by clicking here. All groups must audition in order to compete. Generally this is done by sending a current tape and photo, although live auditions are sometimes arranged. The purpose of the audition is to make sure the group is appropriate for the Festival and to help the Director determine the performance order. If a group has competed previously, the audition process may be waived.

How to enter

Please send tapes and photos to the regional director :

Jackie Chisholm (Boston) The Bubs Foundation, formed by alumni of the Tufts University Beelzebubs A cappella singing group, has had a historic mission since 1991 of supporting vocal music programs in Boston-area public schools. With the relentless need to reduce public school budgets, music education programs have been substantially reduced or eliminated. The Bubs Foundation is proud to have contributed over $50,000 in grants to 60 music programs thus far. In addition to its annual grant-making activity, the Bubs Foundation has decided to take a more focused approach to leveraging the principal tenet of the Beelzebubs organization, namely "Fun Through Song". The Foundation will also create and implement a cappella music programs in economically underprivileged middle schools and community agencies.

Marty Mahoney
781-729-2179
boston (at) harmony-sweepstakes.com

The Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival
PO Box D
San Anselmo, CA 94979
(415) 455-8602
festival (at) harmony-sweepstakes


Complete List of Boston Champions

Previous Boston results:- 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009 - 2008 - 2007 - 2006 - 2005 - 2004 - 2003 - 2002 - 2001 - 2000 - 1999 - 1998


Cohen Auditorium is the largest auditorium/lecture hall on the Medford Campus at Tufts University. The house seats 616 with 486 seats in the orchestra and 130 seats in the balcony. Located in the Aidekman Arts Center, it is a multi-use facility serving as a classroom from morning through mid-evening, Monday through Thursdays, and a performance or conference space on weeknights and weekends.

Cohen Auditorium is located on the Medford campus at Tufts University, Cohen Auditorium is inside the Aidekman Arts Center on Talbot Avenue, near College Ave. There is plenty of free parking. Yahoo map - Google map - Directions


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