28th Annual

Los Angeles 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.

2012 Los Angeles Champions

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.

2012 Results

1st
Down 4 The Count
2nd
Quadraphonics
3rd
Frequency
Audience Favorite
Down 4 The Count
Best Original Arrangement
Colleen Keene & Christine Tavares- "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" -
Best Original Song
"Mistaken" - Sara Steinberg


2012 Participating Groups

Coast Youth Choir
Coast Youth Choir features talented young singers who are thrilled to have this opportunity to perform at the Harmony Sweepstakes! The group rehearses at Coast Music Conservatory and this is their first a cappella performance. They are very excited to perform for you!Members: Nicole Marasco, Maxwell Rohde, Jack Whitney, Kira Levin, Jeremy Adler, Cole Marcus, Samantha de Gyarfas

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: Penny Watson, Christine Tavares, Jason Lingle, Vincent Johnson, Colleen Keene

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, Kendra Lynch, Elan Jimenez, Bradley Hampton, Tom Keyes, Gabriel Arguello, Jammie Hampton

Mixed Q
The two male members belong to the Santa Monica Oceanaires Barbershop chorus and have sung with each other for many years. The ladies joined the Oceanaires in January 2010 as part of an extension course offered by the Oceanaires through West Los Angeles College. After the spring show in April 2010 (Graduation Day for the members of the class ) the women were asked if they would like to form a mixed quartet, and they said YES! Since then they have sung at various occasions for the Oceanaires, on behalf of the Masters of Harmony for their annual Christmas Float Parades held in Santa Fe Springs, Ca. and at various private functions and parties Members: David Zasloff, Eileen Erickson, David Erickson, Judith Hithe

Quadraphonics
Although this quartet has only been together a little over a year, the members of the group have decades of quartet experience. In October of 2011, they competed against 25 other quartets from the Evergreen District & ultimately won the contest holding the highest scores in all three judging categories of Music, Singing and Presentation.Members: Dean Waters, Bryan Jones, Steve Morin, Ken Potter

Simply Put
Simply Put is a Los Angeles-based cappella group that, less than one year from its inception, has created an entire original repertoire, performed huge live shows to standing ovations, recorded and released a full-length album, and been praised by critics and a cappella fanatics as “a diamond in the rough.” Singing everything from jazz standards to pop and rock, Simply Put infuses each of their songs with a uniquely simple, yet highly musical texture which supports soulful leads and celebrates both the power and simplicity of the human voice. Individually, the six energetic vocalists that comprise Simply Put bring seasoned backgrounds to the group and have performed at the Staples Center, Disney Concert Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, the Shrine Auditorium, and Carnegie Hall. Simply Put brings vibrancy and love to every performance, and they hope to share this positive energy with the audience.Members: Marisa Esposito, Drew Tablak, Loren Smith, David Stal, Andi Gibson

Storeytime
Storeytime - is an upbeat, versatile vocal group featuring five talented singers including the incredible Patrick Storey. Patrick was born with autism and a great gift for music. He is an incredible musician who thrills and inspires audiences. The group was founded in 2009, and they have since performed at various clubs and events throughout the Los Angeles area. Storeytime is honored to be part of the Harmony Sweepstakes this year! Members: Kieran Moriah, Michael Kohl, Jamey Schrick, Patrick Storey, Beth Rohde

Traffic Jam
Traffic Jam - drives all over Southern California to perform for you at county fairs, farmers markets, festivals, competitions, coffee shops, open mic nights, holiday parties, and private functions. TJ's out-of-the-box arrangements and chill attitude make every show fascinating, fun, and always worth the drive.Members: Sara Steinberg, Lindsey Raddatz, Andy Heroy, Tavis Larkham, Paul Mendoza, Ryan Berman, Richard Kennedy, Joanna Silverman

Velvetones
The award-winning Velvetones include some of San Diego's finest singers, creating our unique and smooth a cappella sound. From classic rock to classical, motown to jazz, we sing it all. With diverse experience in songwriting, musical theater, opera, early music, graphic design, business, and architecture, each performer brings their own talent and fresh perspective to this group. Our voices come together to create a stirring, rich, and soulful sound that is undeniably our own... and we are not your grandpa's a cappella! Members: Erin Ferguson, Jo Jo Ito, Pamela Narbona, Ben Willis, Mark Wischkamper, Angelica Eclar

2012 Judges TBA



Complete list of 2012 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 :

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


Our Hall of Fame - The Harmony Sweepstakes National Champions

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The Harmony Sweepstakes National Audience Favorites

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Best Original Arrangement Winners | National Winners | San Francisco | New York | Boston | Chicago | Los Angeles | Pacific North West | Mid-Atlantic

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Hermosa Beach Theater

The Hermosa Beach Playhouse is a division of the Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities. Created for the greater South Bay area to expand the availability of programming by providing a more intimate setting. This beautifully appointed 474-seat venue enables us to present a new catalog of production of straight plays as well as musicals. Performances are presented at The Hermosa Beach Playhouse located on the southwest corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach. There is plenty of free parking.Directions -


Home | Boston | Chicago | Rocky Mountain | Los Angeles | New York | Pacific North West | San Francisco | Mid Atlantic (DC)

HERMOSA BEACH THEATER

710 Pier Ave (At Pacific Coast Highway), Hermosa Beach, CA 90254



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