2010 Participating Groups
 | | Classic Souls 4 Christ
Classic Souls 4 Christ is an all male vocal quartet based in LA/Bakersfield who met in high school singing motown, etc. in various venues, competitions or anywhere including walking through airports or street corners. The switch to gospel was an evolution to share their gifts with the world and to see the influence that music and their lives can give. The group feels they were born to be together because each member’s voice is specific to their harmony. The group has opened for various gospel artists and believe that no venue is too big or too small.Members: Gregory Warren, Ellis Gupton, Darryl Thomas, B.R. Thomas
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Down 4 The Count
Down 4 The Count began in 2003, when six CSU Northridge students in the University's vocal jazz ensemble found they shared a common interest: wanting to sing ensemble vocal jazz without those pesky instrumentalists: in other words, A Cappella! Since that time, Down 4 The Count has won multiple awards (including three song-arrangement awards and 1st place at the 2009 San Diego A Cappella Competition) and they have performed at venues all over the greater Los Angeles and San Diego area, including the Jazz Bakery, The Coach House, The Coffee Gallery Backstage, San Diego IndieFest, and many more.Members: Colleen Keene, VJ Rosales, Andreas Preponis, Francesca Delfin, Penny Watson
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 | | Frequency
Award-winning Frequency is a vocal band founded in 2009 and dedicated to performing songs from the 70s to today with a focus on the story in the music. Music is part of the living soundtrack of our lives-the music that plays in the background of important moments and that we associate with our most important memories. With a passionate and thoughtful delivery, we take the audience on a personal trip through music they know and grew up with, inviting them to remember the moments and experience the emotions all over again. Like the old analog radio frequencies that first delivered many of these songs, all-vocal Frequency brings the audience a reminder of some of their favorites.Members: Marleena Coulston, Lena Ani Rakijian, Evan Frasier, JR Calilung, Tom Keyes, Kari Francis, Christine Li
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Pitch, Please!
In 2010, Pitch, Please! erupted onto the a cappella scene in response to growing “anti-instrument” sentiment in the greater Los Angeles area.
Made up of occasionally hard-working professionals in TV, film, market research, studio recording, advertising and teaching arenas, Pitch, Please! has a collective 56 years of a cappella experience. So unofficially speaking, our first performance took place in 1954, when vocal percussion was still considered some type of witchcraft.
Pitch, Please! aint yo’ daddy’s a cappella. It aint yo mama’s neither. But it might be your sister’s…and that’s the way we like it.
Members: Sara Collins, Ben Fuller, Arathi Govind, Ian Koff, Adam Shepard, Scotty Pierce, Cate Wright, Stephanie Chan
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 | | Prime Note Ensemble
Prime Note Ensemble - was the 1st all male Filipino choral group based in Saudi Arabia, where it was founded in 2001. Originally 25-strong, the 17 members now call Southern California home since 2009. The group's first international competition was in Xiamen, China in 2006, and Graz, Austria in 2008 at the World Choir Games. Prime Note was awarded the bronze & silver medals respectively, in the male chamber choir category. In 2007, the group was among the 15 invited participating choirs at the 14th Festival International Chant de Choral in Nancy, France. Participated in last year’s LA Regional Harmony Sweepstakes, where they placed 3rd and was voted “audience favorite”.Members: Jonar Sara,, Efren Cardoza, Leo Abalos, Joel Macapas, Yagi Brisenio, Eric Yabut, Hero Emolaga, Novem Cabios
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Red Harmony
Based in Los Angeles, California, Red Harmony tailors its selection of songs to the voices and personalities of its singers in order to present a fresh and original performance. Each member brings a very unique style, specialty, and energy to the table, creating a synergistic culture where ideas are shared and creativity is celebrated. From accompanying each other with rhythmic vocals to reveling in crunchy jazz chords, Red Harmony creates a personal experience with every note.Members: Laura McCorkle, Sydne Sullivan, Anthony Starble, Nate George, Christopher Thaxter, Cali Zimmerman
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 | | SoundStage
SoundStage constantly impresses audiences both at home and abroad with their tight, unexpected harmonies and passionate delivery. Founded in 2006, their 2008 win of the LA Regional Harmony sweepstakes has catapulted them to appear on ABC's "The View" as well as a touring headline performance for the 2009 International Contemporary A Cappella Festival in Taipei, Taiwan. Their consistent jazz sensibility (with an infusion of funk) has taken them from shopping malls, to professional sporting events, to international conferences, to high school auditoriums, to county fairs, and local churches, where they have been described as "the white, suburban step-child of Take 6 and Earth, Wind, and Fire."Members: Kim Reed, Bradley Hampton, Joseph Livese, Kyle Bowen, Ryan Williams, Jammie Hampton
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Swing Shift
Swing Shift is a vocal jazz mixed ensemble. The group's signature sound is heard in their rich harmonic treatment of pop, jazz, and Broadway standards. Over the years the group has drawn on local resources like the SMC Vocal Jazz Ensemble from which five of Swing Shift's present roster are current or past members. We are proud that many of Swing Shift's alumni have gone on to advance their careers in prestigious ensembles like the LA Master Chorale and LA Choral Lab. If you love lush sounds, complex harmonies, and creamy-smooth blend, you'll love hearing this group.Members: Dina Torok, Janette La Bella, Joel Dalton, Phil Azelton, Richard Gilinsky, Holly Pitrago
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2010 Judges
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Eric Bradley
Eric Bradley moved to Los Angeles in 1999 and joined Sixth Wave which would go on to win the 2001 Los Angeles and National Harmony Sweepstakes. He also joined another startup group with the legendary Dick Van Dyke called The Vantastix who are still going strong after 19 years. Along the way he’s sung in numerous a cappella groups on and off screen including How I Met Your Mother (“The Shagarats”), The Break-Up (“The Tone Rangers”), The Office (“Here Comes Treble”), Brooklyn 99, Fresh Off the Boat, New Girl, About a Boy, Silicon Valley, The Simpsons, Family Guy, and brief stints with live groups The Bobs and M-Pact. As a session singer he’s lent his voice (and whistle) to hundreds of films, television shows, albums, commercials, and video games. See more info at ericbradley.info and ericwhistles.com. |
Johnny D. Figueroa
Johnny D. Figueroa is the founder, artistic director, and bass vocalist for NOTA, the Latin vocal band sensation and winners of the nationally acclaimed NBC/SONY a cappella competition "The Sing-Off". Introduced to the wonders of choral and barbershop music by his parents, Johnny became passionate for vocal harmony since an early age. He received formal training in Music Performance and Voice. During the past 20 years, he has had extensive experience singing, performing, voiceovers, radio, and touring with several award-wining choirs and vocal groups. His hobby is to manage a Neurophysiology Research Laboratory and teach medical courses at the Loma Linda University School of Medicine.
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Laura Pallas
Laura Pallas has a Bachelor of Music, vocal performance from the University of the Pacific and a Masters of Fine Arts, vocal performance from the University of California, Irvine. Laura has had many years of solo work with various churches in the LA area. Laura is an accomplished musician, performer, and regional and international competitor in the Sweet Adelines International arena. She is a member of the Sweet Adelines regional and International Faculty, and was awarded the title of "Master Director" in 2009 for scoring 620 points at the Region 11 Contest. In addition to directing the women’s Santa Monica Chorus, Laura also directs the award-winning men's Oceanaires Chorus. She coaches quartets and choruses around the country specializing in vocal production and technique. Laura also sang lead in the internationally competitive quartet, Naturally, Region 11 Quartet Champions in 2005. |
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Jeff Smith
Los Angeles-based musician Jeff Smith is best known to a cappella fans for his role as singer/vocal percussionist for the internationally-acclaimed pop/jazz ensemble, m-pact. Since joining the band in 2004, he has toured all over the world, performing in venues ranging from jazz clubs and festivals to concert halls and opera houses. Outside of m-pact, he is a full-time freelance musician, producer, clinician, and arranger. His voice (and beatboxing) can be heard on numerous film/TV soundtracks, as well as in countless live performances across the U.S. Jeff serves in the Army Reserve as the commander and conductor of the 300th Army Band in Los Angeles, and he has been a featured vocalist and worship leader at numerous churches throughout southern California. He works as a performing arts coach for Burbank Public Schools, and he has recently been commissioned to develop and lead a new music education curriculum at West Valley Christian School in West Hills, CA. In his spare time, Jeff is also a solo recording artist and has several CARA-nominated all-vocal releases on iTunes and other digital music outlets. Jeff lives in the San Fernando Valley with his wife Heather, son Noah, and new bouncing baby girl Sophia. |
Gerald White
Gerald White - is a prolific singer/songwriter, accomplished pianist and teacher. He has been heard on over 100 feature films, TV shows, video games and commercials. He is currently working on the new hit TV show GLEE and was recently heard on the Cameron Film, AVATAR. His introduction to the a cappela world was his 5 year stint in the group, "Sixth Wave".
Gerald teaches the Sightsinging Classes at the Screen Actor's Guild and has a Vocal Studio in Santa Monica, CA where he coaches voice and records for commercial and CD projects. |
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Complete list of 2010 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 :
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Tom Keyes (Los Angeles)
Tom is a passionate and dedicated a cappella facilitator, event producer, and music director. He is the Director of Operations for A Cappella Academy, and previously has served as the exec. producer of the Los Angeles A Cappella Festival, and as director of the Contemporary A Cappella League (while still part of the Contemporary A cappella Society: CASA.org). With a considerable background in performance, vocal, and instrumental music, Tom was bitten by the a cappella bug in 2009 when he decided to create and direct his own group, the award-winning Frequency, and has been a strong advocate of all-vocal music ever since. Still music directing Frequency (vocalfreqs.com) as well as a spiritual center, he balances music, work, and family, and lives with his wife and three children in South OC.
tom.keyes@vocalfreqs.com
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