2015 Participating Groups
 | | 20/20
20/20 is a collection of current and former music students from Centra20/20 is a collection of former college friends who have formed a lifelong bond through sharing their love of music. With their skills from music school at hand, the group combined already has decades of performing experience including leading opera roles, national festival performances, and professional choral recording sessions. Since graduating from Central Washington University they have all taken different career paths but still find time to come together in order to pursue musical excellence and share their passion for performing as 20/20. Members: Theo Olson, Ben Rice, Isaiah Ragland, Jacob Cecil, Matt Mayrhofer
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Bodacious Ladyhood
Bodacious Ladyhood is a Seattle-based trio of women who have been singing together since 2002. Carolyn, Loretta and Jenny are excited to be back for their fourth time at Sweeps, having placed in the top three in their prior three appearances! They have opened for The Baudboys and have performed at Chateau Ste. Michelle (and on live, national radio) as guests on "A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor." They have been called "distinctive", "vibrant-voiced", and "show-stopping." Bodacious Ladyhood is three parts harmony, one part comedy and a whole lot of fun.Members: Carolyn Hastings, Loretta Deranleau Howard, Jenny Buehler
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 | | High Altotude
High Altotude is a female a cappella group made up of seven members from Cleveland High School. The group was founded in 2010 by a few girls in the choir department at Cleveland who felt there needed to be a female counterpart to the male a cappella group, Cloud Nine, made up of nine young men from different high schools around Portland. High Altotude’s original director gave the position up at the end of last year to our current director, Aranda Furth, who has been a joy to have as a leader. High Altotude performs around Portland at various locations such as Providence Child Center, The Pittock Mansion, and Portland State University. Members: Molly Carpenter, Lillian Sweeney, Lilley Carroll, Laura Young, Maiya Coleman, Rain Pollock, Aiden Lester Ingram
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Peppermint Twist
Peppermint Twist Quartet is a women’s barbershop quartet with a refreshing sound. We are part of Sweet Adelines International, a worldwide organization for female singers. We truly love to perform and sharing our love of music with many audiences. We are fun, sassy and a little bit unexpected. We are the best of friends and believe that comes through in our music!Members: Robin Osborn, Debra Aungst, Shelly Bristow, Angie Whitten
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 | | Straighter Road
Singing is one of the purest art forms. Nothing man made between the artist and the audience. Straighter Road was formed as a Gospel vocal group first, with a band back-up, and recently has ventured down the Acapella Road. The challenge of acapella sing is without edges and joined with the charge of spreading the Good News of the Gospel, keeps Straighter Road striving for excellence.Members: Diane Trandum, Lynn Knight, Jerry Leith, Chris Nelson, Aliya Kunz, Mary Kunz, Kevin Kunz
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Your Emcee for the Evening 
Smilin Jay
| A radio announcer for over 40 years, Smilin Jay is the morning host on AM 1240 KITI in Centralia, Washington. He and his “Hunny-Bunny” Mariann live on Tumwater Hill in a wholly automated home run by a computer named D.O.R.I.S. (Domestic Operations, Resources and Information System.) A former school band, orchestra and choir member, Smilin Jay has a deep affection for a cappella music and is honored to return as emcee for this evening’s Pacific Northwest Regional Harmony Sweepstakes. |
2015 Judges
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Mark Anton
Since 1980 Mark has sung lead tenor with The Americana Supper Clubs of Florida, The Norman Luboff Choir The Roger Wagner Chorale, The Pied Pipers and The Dapper Dan's of Disneyland. He has performed with the Big Bands of Tommy Dorsey, Les Brown, Ray Anthony, Jimmy Dorsey, Horace Heidt, Billy May and Harry James along with such great stars as Tony Bennette, Rosemary Clooney,Julie Andrews,George Burns ,Barry Manilow, Diana Krall to name a few and was featured on the Larry King White House Christmas Special Andy Williams.
In addition to live performance, studio recording, TV and Radio performance Mark has owned and operated his private vocal studios in Los Angeles, CA and Olympia, WA where he continues to teach singing to students of all ages, levels and personal musical interests. |
Jill Barnes
Jill Barnes is the Executive Director of the Washington Center, a lover of all things Broadway, and a car/shower/office singer extraordinaire. She has a music degree from the University of Utah and a Master's in Arts Administration from Boston University. She shares her home and life with her husband Nathan, 3 curly haired kids, a wonderful Korean exchange student, and 2 gentle giants (AKA Great Danes). She’s in love with the new wallpaper in the recently renovated Center and is over the moon to again have the opportunity to regularly attend live performances and to play a part in facilitating those opportunities with the community. |
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Kelley Johnson
Kelley Johnson has headlined in NYC at Birdland, Jazz Standard, Tanglewood and Dizzy's Coca-Cola. Wynton Marsalis chose Kelley as one of only three jazz singers to tour with her trio in the six years that Lincoln Center curated the US State Department sponsorship of artists abroad. Johnson won first place in the International Jazzconnect Jazz Vocal Competition and Jazz Education Journal listed '"Live at Birdland" in the top ten vocal CD's of the year. Kelley reaches her audience with storytelling, subtlety, soulfulness and swing.
Ms. Johnson is a sought after vocal coach, jazz clinician and and mentor to young talent. Her past teaching credentials have included Cornish College of the Arts as a faculty member and past director of the Children’s Jazz Choir at the Seattle Metropolitan Urban League. Besides having a jazz performing career, Kelley is on faculty at MusicWorks Northwest in Bellevue and Shoreline Community College. Kelley is based in Seattle and is currently taking students for her popular jazz singing workshops and private lessons. She can be reached at Kelley@kelleyjohnson.com where you can also join her mailing list or check her web calendar for upcoming performances.
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Judy Pozsgay
Judy Pozsgay is a professional vocal and visual performance coach and choreographer 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. As a member of Sweet Adelines International, Judy serves on their International Faculty and is also a Showmanship Judge. For 15 years, Judy was the Choreographer and Assistant Director of the International award-wining Lions Gate Chorus (Vancouver, BC, Canada). Not being one to simply create and teach, she is also an 11-time SAI Top 10 International Quartet finalist, and currently sings with the 5th Place International Quartet, Frenzy. |
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Jen Ryle
Jen Ryle is Olympia Family Theater's co-founder and Artistic Director. She completed her BA at The Evergreen State College in June of 2006, focusing her studies on expressive arts, business and education with the goal in mind of creating a children’s theater here in Olympia. Formerly, she worked for Creative Theatre Experience (CTE) and for 5 years, she was a community specialist at the Olympia Regional Learning Academy (ORLA) teaching classes on everything from music to creative dramatics, puppetry and crafts. In June of 2013, Jen completed a certificate program- “Directing for the Stage and Screen” at the University of Washington. For OFT Jen has directed; Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Giver, Rapunzel, The BFG, Winnie the Pooh, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Go, Dog. Go!, and Lyle the Crocodile and three of OFT’s all youth productions including; The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Phantom Tollbooth. Jen is living her dream, watching OFT as it grows and flourishes. |
 
Complete list of 2015 participants
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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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Victoria Montrose (Pacific Northwest)
The Pacific Northwest Regional Festival is sponsored and produced by Masterworks Choral Ensemble (MCE). Victoria is the Business Manager of MCE, as well as a board member and proud tenor. MCE is a Southwestern Washington community chorus dedicated to performance, community service, music education and leadership in the arts. Their 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
360-491-3305 x5
masterworkschoral (at) gmail.com
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