Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival New York Regional

25th Annual

The Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival is 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.

2009 New York Champions

Cartoon Johnny

Drawing on influences from classic soul to modern alternative, Cartoon Johnny performs a variety of audience favorites and original music, bringing audiences to their feet show after show. Based in Washington, D.C., Cartoon Johnny was named the Mid-Atlantic Harmony Sweepstakes champion in 2005, and has played up and down the East coast. In '07, the group was proud to join the National Symphony Orchestra and director Marvin Hamlisch for the Kennedy Center's Holiday Pops concerts, in true CJ style, of course. Harmony, rhythm, and soul, with just a touch of mischief and a whole lot of fun -- that's Cartoon Johnny.

2009 Results
1st	Cartoon Johnny
2nd	Rub
3rd	Classic Sounds
Audience Favorite	Cartoon Johnny
Best Original Arrangement	"Damaged" Arr. Nick Fox - Kelso
Best Original Song	"We Rub" - John McMahon - Rub
Best Solo	"At Last" - Julie Seda - Classic Sounds

2009 Participating Groups

Cartoon Johnny - Drawing on influences from classic soul to modern alternative, Cartoon Johnny performs a variety of audience favorites and original music, bringing audiences to their feet show after show. Based in Washington, D.C., Cartoon Johnny was named the Mid-Atlantic Harmony Sweepstakes champion in 2005, and has played up and down the East coast. In '07, the group was proud to join the National Symphony Orchestra and director Marvin Hamlisch for the Kennedy Center's Holiday Pops concerts, in true CJ style, of course. Harmony, rhythm, and soul, with just a touch of mischief and a whole lot of fun -- that's Cartoon Johnny

Members: Kieran Daly, Kevin Dixon, Ben Feeney, Michael Henrickson, Darcy Romano, Malcolm Lee

Choice - THE CHOICE CONCEPT...Choice emerged out of the Greenville section of Jersey City, NJ as a hobby for five young men looking for a fun way to occupy their spare time. After attracting much local attention and interest, they began performing professionally. With their extensive rehearsal and research schedule, Choice has earned their reputation as one of the hardest working groups on the acappella circuit, and has performed at such venues as Nassau Coliseum, Continental Airlines Arena and Radio City Music Hall. Among Choice’s most notable achievements is their 2007 appearance on ABC News’ Speak Freely, recording with our good friend, Dennis Gruenling, and his band, Jump Time, and participation in two Japanese film documentaries on the history of acappella and rock & roll which have aired on the Fuji television Network in Japan, and a commercial for Diet Pepsi.
As self-proclaimed eternal students of Vocal Group Musical History, Choice relishes their rich musical R&B and gospel heritage and believes that aside from the enjoyment of performing, their call is to foster wider recognition for an aspect of musical history that deserves greater respect and notoriety. Choice is excited about performing for the Harmony Sweepstakes audience.

Members: Dwayne Guzman, Leroy McCray, Anthony Peoples, Harold Shipman, Melvin Wright

Classic Sounds - Classic Sounds are a five member a cappella ensemble that hails from the Bronx and Westchester Counties of New York. Formed in 2002, their diverse backgrounds is what gives flavor to their renditions of the music that is called Doo Wop. Influenced by The Platters, Etta James, and other great performers of the 1950's, their mission is to keep a cappella, as an art form, alive and well. They spend much of their time teaching young children the art of a cappella singing and have been honored to serve as the opening act for Johnny Maestro & the Brooklyn Bridge, The Cadillacs, The Chanels, and other greats of the era. If you close your eyes and think back to Murray the K, the Brooklyn Paramount, the street lights on Belmont Avenue, the boulevards of Bensonhurst, straphanging from a leather strap on your way to see "Dem Bums", Frankie, Dion, WMCA Good Guys, cruising the streets in a '56 Chevy with the windows cranked down, singing to the tunes on your portable AM radio, and a host of other good times, you'll know why "The Classic Sounds" sing DooWop. That's why a surgeon, a plumber, two teachers, and a musician can lean in close to each other, sing those back-up sounds that are second nature to us all, give you a little hand jive and a smile, and make you remember what "feel good" music is all about.

Members: Gabriel Dassa, Alan Fennell, Julie Seda, Lou Valentino, Bob Seda

Invisible Men - (IM) is a vocal band based in Manhattan, dedicated to performing tasty and propulsive arrangements of the choicest pop, rock and R-'n-B morsels.Coming out of the underground contemporary a-cappella scene, IM uses its voices-- including vocal percussion, well-amplified bass and the occasional audio effect-- to create performances as exciting and energetic as an instrumental combo. While most pop groups in the college a-cap scene (in which the IM guys honed their chops) are large and have the luxury of being able to literally recreate popular recordings using complex arrangements, IM and small bands like it are looking to create the excitement of popular music with efficient but powerful arrangements, so that while you know you're listening to voices, the sound is so full and convincing that you simply don't care. Invisible Men played its very first show on Feb. 26, 2005 at the New York Harmony Sweepstakes at Symphony Space, and took the metro vocal harmony scene by storm that night, winning Audience Favorite honors.

Members: Justin Blanding, Warren Bloom, Christian Lerch, Oliver Libby, Jason Menkes, Tyler Pennock, Angelo Rufino

Kelso - The anti-a-cappella group! Six performers have been brought together by a secret organization to take over the a cappella world. These are hand-picked masters of the vibrant music scene of New York City -- a jazz bassist, a techno beatboxer, a rock wailer, a musical theater lead, an R&B soul singer, a smooth cabaret soprano. When their powers of auditory finesse combine, they unite to bring awesome sound to the masses. The organization dubbed their creation Kelso, in honor of a thoroughbred racing horse whose statue graces the band's secret headquarters.

Members: Michael Bunting, Laraisha Burnette, Janifer Cheng, Nicholas Fox, Dave Soson, Di Zhang

Rub - Fresh off our world tour...well, Flushing - that's world enough! Since forming last year, Rub has performed in a variety of bars and clubs around the city, including 'THE IRIDIUM' and 'THE GARAGE'. We do jazz and latin arrangements of jazz and latin tunes, as well as tunes that jazz and latin dudes never heard of. Although our political repertoire has diminished slightly with the arrival of the new administration, Rub couldn't be more grateful! Rub is classic craft with new lines. We Rub!

Members: Jonathan Hampton, Melissa Munn, John McMahon, Craig Eckhardt, LLoyd Nilsen

Six13 - Anchored by thumping beatbox, intricate arrangements and soulful harmonies, this six-man vocal band brings an unprecedented style of Jewish music to the stage. With songs that range from hip-hop dance tracks to rock anthems, the members of the New York-based group sound like a full band -- while using nothing but their voices. The group has toured nationwide to rave reviews, and released the Jewish music community's best-selling album - the recipient of extensive radio play within that community and two Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards -- to critical and commercial acclaim. In 2007, they reinvented Jewish a cappella again with their follow-up, Encore, which earned a perfect score from the Recorded A Cappella Review Board. Currently, the group tours nationwide to standing ovations, and is excited to return to The Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival.

Members: Mike Boxer, Moshe Cohn, Yan Frenkel, Josh Mohrer, Justin Rosenblum and Alan Zeitlin

The Fault Line - The sheer power of the human voice unleashed...breaking new ground. What started out as a cool idea to create a rock band using no instrumentation has lead to the creation of this unique, organic sound. The Fault Line has completely rewritten the book on vocal music with their innovative direction. Unlike traditional vocal music(or that dirty word, a cappella) The Fault Line's sound easily fits into modern rock radio playlists, while their electrifying stage show and huge live sound more than hold their own on the same stages as today's heaviest bands. So powerful is the emergent property of these 4 talented musicians that the judges of America's Got Talent; Sharon Osbourne, David Hasselhoff and Piers Morgan, watched in awe as the Fault Line rocked the stage using only their incredible voices. The Fault Line is psyched to make their return to the Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival

Members: Adam Decker, Dave Baumgartner, Matt Olmstead, Tommy Morris

The HarMannics - HarMannics is Horace Mann School's a cappella group. The group consists of high school singers who beat box and sing music from classical to pop styles. Although the club existed at this independent school in Riverdale, NY a few years ago, it was revived and restarted under the leadership of 11th grader Katie Dubbs in fall of 2007 and currently includes both boys and girls in the 9th through 12th grades. HarMannics performs at school charity fundraisers as well as in venues in New York City and Westchester County for community service. HarMannics has performed at the DeWitt Nursing Home, Mary Manning Walsh Nursing Home, and Blythedale Children's Hospital, among others. Performances at Horace Mann's sponsored events for charity include Ampléfest on behalf of Habitat for Humanity, Urban Aid on behalf of Breast Cancer Awareness, and the Holiday Dinner on behalf of the Sanctuary for Families. HarMannics is thrilled to have the opportunity to enter the Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival, and to compete at The Miller Theater. We thank Ms. Bahr, Ms. Lawrence, Mark Johnson and Colette for their support and encouragement!

Members: Katie Dubbs, Sarah Sanders, Izzie Baum, Mira Armstrong, Mark Levine-Weinberg, Andrew Demas, Alec Kacew, Ethan Levine-Weinberg

Judges

Gerard Brown III is a screenwriter and former writer in residence with the New York Shakespeare Festival. He has written a number of screenplays and teleplays for the likes of Paramount Pictures and HBO among others. However, his most gratifying artistic accomplishment was PBS's Spike & Co: Do it A Cappella which he conceived, wrote, and co-executive produced and shot at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Gerard Brown III is a screenwriter and former writer in residence with the New York Shakespeare Festival. He has written a number of screenplays and teleplays for the likes of Paramount Pictures and HBO among others. However, his most gratifying artistic accomplishment was PBS's Spike & Co: Do it A Cappella which he conceived, wrote, and co-executive produced and shot at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Barry Carl - In a poll conducted by the A Cappella Society of America, Barry Carl was named ‘the most influential bass singer of the last thirty years’ for his work with Rockapella, which included fifteen albums, numerous compilations and collaborations, five years on the Peabody Award-winning television series, “Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego?” the ground-breaking PBS special, Spike & Co. Do It A Cappella,” appearances on countless tv and radio programs, and concerts worldwide. Currently performing with the original quartet that comprised Rockapella, now under the name XRP, Barry can be heard on an all-new DVD of songs for Schoolhouse Rock, to be released later this year, and in concerts around the country. Barry holds Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in performance from the Juilliard School, where he also attended the American Opera Center and made his operatic solo debut. He won vocal competitions sponsored by the Boston Opera, the American-Israel Foundation, and the San Francisco Opera’s Merola program.

Judy Douglas - has been involved with Sweet Adelines International for almost 30 years. She directed Golden Apple Chorus in Westchester for nine years and is currently a certified director of Metro Rhythm Chorus in Cranford, N.J. Judy's expertise is in vocal production, expression and showmanship. She has been a choreographer for all four of the choruses in which she has sung. Judy loves the barbershop art form and has coached choruses in Japan and Australia as well as the U.S. Judy has been a judge for this competition since 2004.

Jonathan Minkoff is the Executive Producer for www.SingStrong.org, a weekend-long a cappella festival in DC, March 27-29, 2009 whose profits go to support the Alzheimer's Association. This year the event will feature over 22 a cappella groups from around the world. Minkoff has directed various a cappella groups since 1984. Six of those years were spent touring over 40 states as the founder and artistic director of Blind Man's Bluff. Four of those years were spent with the pop-funk vocal band, Blue Jupiter in which Minkoff currently performs. Minkoff holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Northwestern University, a certificate in voice study from the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and a Juris Doctorate, cum laude with a concentration in Intellectual Property with honors from Boston University School of Law. Minkoff, a partner at Fuchsberg & Fuchsberg, LLP is admitted to practice in both New York and Massachusetts. Jonathan Minkoff was the choral director and voice instructor for Grayslake High School. Minkoff served as the Executive Producer for the East Coast A cappella Summit for 5 years, as the President of CASA for 3 years, and as music critic for RARB, the Recorded A cappella Review Board, for 11 years. Minkoff records, writes and produces for various a cappella groups in his 42nd Street recording studio or on location.

Mark Paul is an accomplished a cappella singer, vocal coach and lifelong musician. Mark is a 30-year member of the Barbershop Harmony Society (formerly SPEBSQSA).
As the bass of a top-20 international-level quartet, he regularly entertained audiences across the United States and internationally. He holds a championship in quartet competition in the six-state Mid-Atlantic District. He served for seventeen years as the bass section leader for two internationally competitive choruses. Mark has been a vocal coach for 25 years, working with individuals, quartets and choruses. He applies an exceptional sensitivity and passion to guide others to reach higher levels of musical awareness and achievement. He has served as faculty on several a cappella music education programs. Professionally, Mark is an executive business coach, working with small and mid-tier organizations. A resident of Manhattan, New York, he is also an outdoorsman and avid fisherman.

Jim Vincent is widely known and respected as a singer, composer and arranger. His unique arrangements in pop, jazz and classical styles are rich and complex. As a founding member of the award-winning a cappella group, The Accidentals, 1995 winners of both the New York Regional and the National Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival, Jim has been a major contributor to the group's signature “orchestral” sound. Jim’s music has been featured on television( Las Vegas, Jag, Providence, and The Guiding Light), and receives radio airplay around the world. He has recorded and/or performed with such diverse artists as Randy Brecker, The Chordettes, Petula Clark, David Johansen (a.k.a. Buster Poindexter), Christine Lavin, Vernon Reid, The Roches, Ronnie Spector – and most recently, the East Village Opera Company on their Grammy-nominated CD, “Olde School.”
A native of Rochester, New Hampshire, Jim earned a B.A. in music from the University of New Hampshire, where he studied composition, music history, and choral technique & conducting.

William Zukof is a founding member of The Western Wind. A New York City native, he was born in Manhattan and received his BA degree from The City University of New York. He has appeared as a soloist with the Roger Wagner Chorale, the Gregg Smith Singers, the Handel and Haydn Society of Boston, Musica Sacra of New York, and the St. Thomas Choir of Men and Boys. Mr. Zukof performed the Bach Magnificat under the direction of Leonard Bernstein at the Vatican in Rome. His operatic appearances include roles with the Washington Opera, the Eastern Opera Company, the Eastman School, and the University of California at Berkeley. As executive producer for The Western Wind, he produced Blessings and Batéy, The Chanukkah Story, The Passover Story, Mazal Bueno, O Western Wind, an (almost) A Cappella Songbook, The Birthday of the World: Music and Traditions of the High Holy Days, My Funny Valentine, Taste of Eternity, Part I; Holiday Light, Singing Angels, Silver Bells and The Man In The Moon, music of Robert Dennis. He also produced Castles of Gold, a St. Patrick's Day special for Public Radio International, featuring Frank McCourt and Roma Downey.

THE NEW YORK REGIONAL A CAPPELLA NEWSGROUP

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Interested in Competing?

We are always seeking groups who would like to compete 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:-

Colette Thompson has directed or performed in over eleven vocal ensembles, with her group, Stay Tuned, placing 3rd in the 1998 New York Regional of the Harmony Sweepstakes; Colette has performed/recorded with Lukas Foss, Leonard Bernstein, Jesse Norman, Peter, Paul & Mary, and James Levine A billboard-ranked singer/songwriter, she has also managed several events, including, Christmas at NYU, Complex at the Duplex, and An Evening with The Real Group at NYC's Symphony Space. With performances televised via major news programs including Good Morning America, The Today Show, CNN, and NY1, she is a promoter, producer, adjudicator and an ambassador of vocal music worldwide.

Colette Thompson
Thompson Consulting
128 Fort Greene Place
Suite 1B
Brooklyn, NY 11217
917-442-2011

Colette.thompson@mac.com

The Harmony Sweepstakes National A Cappella Festival
PO Box D
San Anselmo, CA 94979
(415) 455-8602
harmony@singers.com

Prizes

Regional winners win roundtrip airfare plus two nights accommodation in the San Francisco Bay Area to compete in the Harmony Sweepstakes National A Cappella Festival

A selection of compact discs from the Primarily A Cappella catalog

A $250 coupon from Discmakers

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