2011 Participating Groups
The Baudboys is an eight-voice a cappella group composed entirely of Microsoft employees and alumni, have been called “The Undisputed Kings of Geek A Cappella.” For more than two decades, they have entertained audiences up and down the West Coast with their unique brand of geek comedy and musical excellence, sharing the stage with a cappella legends such as Take 6 and The Manhattan Transfer. In 2008 they won first place overall at the Harmony Sweepstakes Northwest Competition, and were named “Audience Favorite” in 2010. Their debut album, Hello World, is now available on Amazon.com, and they are currently hard at work on their follow-up CD, due in early 2012.
Members: Owen Braun, Elliot Lewis, Dave McEwen, Jon Schwartz, Mark Adolph, Paul Eng, Martin Puryear and Mike Thomsen.
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Crosspoint is a vocal ensemble made up of church members of Westminster Chapel. They are a diverse group of people, but they are unified in the vision of providing an excellent musical experience that brings a message of hope and encouragement to the community. Crosspoint was originally formed in 2003, but its current member lineup has been singing together for just over a year. Last year was their first year to compete at the PNW Harmony Sweepstakes and had a blast so they decided to come back for a second time! They have performed in churches, malls, and other local venues, singing intricate, yet fun, arrangements of church music.
Members: Tim Anderson, Arlene Finley, Colleen Hickman, Drew House, Cindy Lucas, Cheri McDonald, Dave McEwen, Jim Stocker
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Klapa Doo Wopella is one of the world's oldest ongoing musical ensembles devoted exclusively to singing a cappella. KlapaDooWopella specializes in traditional Croatian "Klapa" singing. Klapa singers are a cappella minstrels that hang out on boat docks and street corners along the Adriatic coast of Croatia.
The passionate harmonic blend of traditional Klapa songs evokes uncaught fish, raging seas, and lost love. Despite forays into other genres, the quartet always returns to its first love, the moan of the sea that is the primal chord of the Klapa song.
Members: Phil Parham, Ted Hunter, Jim Hoath, Bill Weis
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Rezonate The premiere a cappella group from Eugene, Oregon, the gentlemen of Rezonate sing R&B, Gospel, Pop, Soul, Jazz, Funk, and even some Hard Rock, including deftly arranged covers and original songs. The group started singing together as Rezonate in December 2004, and have sung at many venues since. At the Harmony Sweepstakes National Finals in May of 2009, Rezonate won both Third Place and the coveted award for Best Original Arrangement. With thick, lush, true six and seven part harmonies and a difficulty level second to none, Rezonate can evoke the smooth sounds of the Four Freshman, the rockin' edge of the Goo Goo Dolls, or the pop excitement of acts like Bruno Mars and Owl City.
Members: Ryan Dixon, CJ Mickens, Chris Dobson, David Fertal, Jason Caffarella, Tyson Biggerstaff, Justin Diller
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Shadywood Boys are four guys who get together to sing. We graze freely through the pasture of quartet styles: a little Jubilee Quartet here, a little Doo-Wop there, maybe a bit of Barbershop. Sometimes we wander into the back forty and browse 19th century styles such as Antebellum Spirituals - or even some Shape-Note Singing. But there is one patch of grass we keep coming back to: a style of singing that emerged from the Southeastern U.S. in the 1930's and 40s that would become known as Southern Gospel. This style carries through the early recordings of bands like The Stanley Brothers, Bill Monroe, and Flatt and Scruggs. It's retro-phonic, and we like it.
Members: Larry Statland, Tim Cullen, David Brook, Phil Shaver
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Strangers in Harmony is a vocal quintet from Portland, Oregon. Since 2009 The Strangers have been delighting audiences all over greater Portland with their memorable original music and classic crowd-pleasing covers. In 2010 Strangers in Harmony took top honors in the prestigious "Portland's Got Talent" contest. Five guys from different musical and geographical backgrounds come together to make music. That's Strangers in Harmony.
Members: Eric Chung, Ramsay "RC" Cowlishaw, Shawn Dudley, Mike Mendyke, Roy Rasera
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The Uptown 4 - What started out as four friends singing in their backyards has become one of the fastest-growing A Cappella quartets in the Northwest. The Uptown 4, based out of Renton, Washington, has been described as “having a natural, raw quality and talent” and “one of the best quartets in a long time.” The Uptown 4 is consistently working on new music, finding ways to bring unique style and personality to their arrangements. They perform an extensive repertoire of music, spanning a range of different styles from Fifties Doo-Wop and Standards to modern-day Top 40 hits. They have performed at events and venues across the country, from Seattle, Washington, to Los Angeles, California. They were even given priority auditions at NBC’s “The Sing-Off” and “America’s Got Talent”.
The Mission of The Uptown 4 is to bring the joy of harmony to people of all ages and prove that A Cappella will continue to be one of the best forms of music for generations to come.
Members: Orion, Jeffrey McGlinn, Jeff Weister, Sky Lewis
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Judges
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Jamie Dieveney is an exceptional musical talent, has spent more than two decades entertaining and touring nationally as a singer/musical director with the critically acclaimed vocal group, The Coats. Best known for his unique, enthusiastic performing style and beat boxing, his vocal and arranging skills have brought great joy to hundreds of thousands of music lovers over the years. Jamie is the co-producer for 10 Coat's albums and has won several national awards for his writing and arranging..
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Scott Farrell has been a professional actor, singer, music director and teacher for over 40 years. A Northwest native, Scott has been a featured singer for cruise ships, theaters and nightclubs in New York, Miami, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Philadelphia, Atlantic City, London and Bermuda. He spent 16 years as Music Director for Greg Thompson Productions, one of the largest producers of staged revue shows in the world, where he arranged and directed over 50 world-class revues. A member of The Evergreen State College music faculty, he directed the college’s choral group, The Evergreen Singers. Scott now teaches singing full-time and has voice studios in Olympia and Seattle, with students ranging in age from 11 to 86.
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Kevin Kunz has been a professional singer, piano player, arranger and composer for more than 25 years in the Pacific Northwest. He has won numerous song writing and arranging awards and was one of the founding members of the Harmony Sweepstakes 2005 National Champions, Groove For Thought. He has performed with Jazz greats Joe Williams and Ritchie Cole, and is currently producing and performing with Contemporary Christian Recording Artists, Step-of-Faith. |
Joan Levitin is an active member and one of the Musical Leaders of the award-winning Pacific Sound Chorus. As a member of Sweet Adelines International, she is a Certified Director, a Certified Expression Judge and a Panel Chair. Joan was the front-line director of Jet Cities Chorus for over seven years and was the lead in eight regional medalist quartets. She presently serves on the Education Direction Team for her region and is an active coach and faculty representative as well.
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Judy Pozsgay is a professional vocal coach, choreographer, and visual performance and presentation coach / instructor based in Seattle, WA. She travels the world to work with a cappella ensembles and choruses, and her innovative choreography and visual plans have been showcased at multiple international competitions. Judy is the Choreographer and Assistant Director of the International award-wining Lions Gate Chorus (Vancouver, BC, Canada), and as a member of Sweet Adelines International, she is an Approved Showmanship Judge and a member of their International Faculty. Not being one to simply create and teach, Judy is also an 8-time SAI International Quartet Top 10 finalist, and has competed in past NW Harmony Sweeps. |
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Interested in Performing?
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. Please send tapes and photos to the regional director :
Gary Witley (Pacific Northwest) The Pacific Northwest Regional Festival is sponsored and produced by Masterworks Choral Ensemble (MCE). Gary Witley is the Artistic Director & Conductor of MCE. MCE is a Southwestern Washington community chorus dedicated to performance, community service, music education and leadership in the arts. Our mission is to perform sacred and secular choral, orchestral and newly commissioned works; to participate in community service activities and to provide a leadership role in developing, sponsoring and broadening the vocal arts
PO Box 1091
Olympia, WA 98501-1090
Pacificnw (at) harmony-sweepstakes.com
The Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival
PO Box D
San Anselmo, CA 94979
(415) 455-8602
festival (at) harmony-sweepstakes
How To Enter
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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The Washington Center for the Performing Arts, South Puget Sound's largest performing arts facility, is committed to providing a wide variety of entertainment and cultural activities for the residents of five counties. Located in the heart of Washington State's capital city, The Center has become a community gathering place, providing a focus for the performing arts unique to the region.
The Washington Center is located at 512 Washington Street SE, Olympia, WA 98501. There is plenty of free parking. Google map
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