21st Annual

Boston Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival acapella singing competition

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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.

2005 Boston Champions

Firedrill

Firedrill! stepped back, got a big running start and LEAPED... And made a big splash at the 2005 Harmony Sweeps by winning the Boston regional. When the finals came around, though, the group bellyflopped. Two years later Firedrill! is back with bright-red bellies (see for yourself!) and the same disregard for what contemporary a cappella is supposed to be. Since its last appearance the group has stepped up its repertoire and performance schedule, appearing at SoJam in North Carolina and agreeing to host the ICCA Finals at Lincoln Center this April. Firedrill! even released its first EP, Rock Paper Scissors. Thanks for having Firedrill! at the Boston Harmony Sweepstakes!

2005 Results

1st
Firedrill
2nd
Similar Jones
3rd
5-Alone
Audience Favorite
Firedrill
Best Original Arrangement
"Can’t Stop Thinkin’ Bout You," Nathan Altimari
Best Original Arrangement
"Grandma's Hands," Reena Freedman


2005 Participating Groups

5-Alone

The idea of 5-Alone was conceived in the fall of 1999. I approached four students about starting a jazz a cappella quintet with myself as the fifth member. Encouraged by the succss of our first performance, we continued singing throughout the spring and debuted officially as 5-Alone at the Iron Horse in June, 2000.

Now 5-Alone is an accredited performing arts class at PVPA. We've come a long way from the days of rehearsing at lunch and after school. 5-Alone has gained a considerable amount of attention in a very short time. Awards and honors have been piling up from DownBeat Magazine, C.A.S.A., A-Capella.com, The National Harmony Sweepstakes, R.A.R.B., Primarily A Cappella, Berklee College of Music, and the I.A.J.E. 5-Alone has performed all over the world, including New York, California, and The Netherlands, and has turned the world of high school a cappella upside down.

Members: Arla Berman, Andrea Aguayo, Emily Kaufman, Ian Littell, O.J. Martori, Erin Richardson, Rob Ventulett

East Side Story
A vocal band from the Boston area, East Side Story is an exciting group of people who are looking to turn some heads in 2005. ESS's songs will have you up out your seat and eager to sing along! The group performs covers of pop, rock, and current Top-40 hits, and is looking to expand its repertoire with original tunes. Originally formed with six men during the Summer of 2002, East Side Story has seen several changes to its original roster. With the current mix of Dan, Holeigh, Ken, Melanie, Nic and Sean, East Side Story has been performing all over Boston in coffeehouses, bars, and local college campuses, and was chosen to compete in the 2004 Harmony Sweepstakes Boston Regional Competition. East Side Story is a young, enthusiastic, passion-for-a-cappella-filled group of musicians looking to continue to make a name for themselves in the coming months. 2005 is going to be an incredible year for ESS - stay tuned for the next chapter in their story!Members: Ken Bowers, Melanie Armstrong, Sean Dargie, Dan Huff, Holeigh Morin, Nic Tuttle

Firedrill
Firedrill! stepped back, got a big running start and LEAPED... And made a big splash at the 2005 Harmony Sweeps by winning the Boston regional. When the finals came around, though, the group bellyflopped. Two years later Firedrill! is back with bright-red bellies (see for yourself!) and the same disregard for what contemporary a cappella is supposed to be. Since its last appearance the group has stepped up its repertoire and performance schedule, appearing at SoJam in North Carolina and agreeing to host the ICCA Finals at Lincoln Center this April. Firedrill! even released its first EP, Rock Paper Scissors. Thanks for having Firedrill! at the Boston Harmony Sweepstakes!
Listen to: Chain Of Fools | Listen to: Can’t Stop Thinking About You

Members: Mike Barnicle, Nathan Altimari, Michael Leblanc, Mark Manley, Victor Sandman, Judd Tomaselli, Matt "Twinkles" Wrobel

Integration By Parts
Integration By Parts is a six-member vocal band which has been performing in the greater Boston area since 2001. This merry band of music veterans has crafted a unique sound influenced heavily by jazz, breathing new life into everything from pop to folk to classic rock. The group has competed in the Boston Regional Harmony Sweepstakes for two years running, and was awarded Best Original Arrangement at the 2003 competition. Known for their tight vocal harmonies, but never in danger of taking themselves too seriously, the members of IBP infuse their performances with exuberance and a healthy shot of humor. The group released its first album, MetroGnome, in 2004. IBP also heads up the non-profit organization Vocal Band Aid, which brings a cappella performers together to help fund music education. Integration by Parts: a cappella without limits!Members: Liz Baraff, Jeff Alderson, Mike King, Carolyn Schneyer, Anna Sergel, Greg Simpson

Similar Jones
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: Reena Freedman, Ben Cohan, Leigh Guptill, Rob Opdycke, Mike Stevens

Three Men and A Tenor
For 19 years, Paul, Chuck, Mark and Glenn, have been winning over audiences in so many ways. With almost 2.500 performances, including sharing the stage with American legends like Chuck Berry, Dionne Warwick, Bob Newhart, Peter Cetera, Pat Boone, Lee Greenwood and The Beach Boys, 3MT has also been featured national entertainment for corporate conventions and conferences, as well as major festivals and fairs.

Paul, Chuck, Mark and Glenn formed a vocal group expecting to sing only one song together at Michigan State University to help fill concert time in a men's chorus concert. Since that very humble beginning over 18 years ago, these guys have had some amazing musical moments. In 2006, Three Men and a Tenor was voted the "Best Entertainment in Michigan", and the group is loved all over the world.Members: Ryan Kasperski, Lucas Groth, Larry MacDonald, Boris Van Druff

Undertone
Undertone officially formed in the beginning of 2003, and has been slowly working its way into the Boston a cappella scene ever since. This group is a random concoction of seven wild and fun-loving people, who also just happen to love to sing. Their repertoire mostly consists of Pop, Rock, and R&B covers, but they have started to dabble in the world of original songs. They have performed at several colleges in the area, as well as the All Asia Cafe, Faneuil Hall, and Copley Plaza. Undertone's claim to fame is finishing second place to a belly dancer while competing at a local variety show. If that doesn’t show you that they’re up for anything, what will?! Members: Erica Featherstone, Dave Blauch, Niel Francisco, Ehsan Iraniparast, Amanda Mercier, Eric Tjonahen, Adri Torres

2005 Judges TBA



Complete list of 2005 participants





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 12 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 music and photos to the regional director :

Dan Campagna (Boston) has been a part of the a cappella community for over 10 years and is the co-founder and business manager of the Boston-based group, Fermata Town. Behind his leadership, Fermata Town has released two award-winning albums, performed at international festivals and appeared on network TV. In 2013, Fermata Town captured the Boston Harmony Sweepstakes championship before placing third overall at Nationals where they took home "Best Original Song" honors. He is a founding board member of the Contemporary A Cappella League and voluteer program manager for the Contemporary A Cappella Society of America (CASA). An active member in the Boston a cappella community, Dan enjoys attending local shows and volunteering for Varsity Vocals during ICCA season.

Prior to Fermata Town, Dan sang collegiate a cappella at Emmanuel College in Encore!, the college’s first-ever coed group which later changed its name to In Good Company.

Outside of a cappella, Dan works fulltime at Emmanuel College as the Director of Athletic Communications. Dan is also an Assistant Coach to the University of Massachusetts Boston Women’s Soccer Team and an adjunct professor at Lasell College where he teaches a sports journalism course.


860-874-5191
FermataTown@gmail.com


Our Hall of Fame - The Harmony Sweepstakes National Champions

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Cohen Auditorium, Tufts University

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.Directions -


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COHEN AUDITORIUM, TUFTS UNIVERSITY

40 Talbot Ave, Medford, MA 02155



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