24th Annual


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The Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival, 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.

2008 Mid Atlantic Champions

Vocaldente

With a rich and varied repertoire covering more than 80 years, they entertain and delight their audience with songs and pieces from the Comedian Harmonists to rock 'n' roll and ABBA, from the big 80s hits to the latest pop, always presented in the gloriously elaborate sound of five professionally educated voices.

2008 Results

1st
Vocaldente
2nd
Cartoon Johnny
3rd
Skyline
Audience Favorite
Vocaldente
Best Original Arrangement
"Only You" - Cartoon Johnny

2008 Participants


Cartoon Johnny - Drawing on influences from classic soul to modern alternative, Cartoon Johnny performs a variety of audience favorites and original music, bringing audiences to their feet show after show. Based in Washington, D.C., Cartoon Johnny was named the Mid-Atlantic Harmony Sweepstakes champion in 2005, and has played up and down the East coast. In '07, the group was proud to join the National Symphony Orchestra and director Marvin Hamlisch for the Kennedy Center's Holiday Pops concerts, in true CJ style, of course. Harmony, rhythm, and soul, with just a touch of mischief and a whole lot of fun -– that's Cartoon Johnny.  

Members: Kieran Daly, Kevin Dixon, Ben Feeney, Mike Henrickson, Darcy Romano, Malcolm Lee

Downtown was created out of the Harmony Brigade movement in the Barbershop Harmony Society. They sing a wide variety of uptunes and ballads ranging from classi barbershop, swing, and doo-wop, to show tunes and jazz numbers.

Members:  Drew Fuller, Frank Fedarko, Kevin Flynn, Mike Stolle

Euphonism is a Washington, DC based vocal band composed of four men and three women with diverse musical backgrounds – including theater, jazz, classical music, barbershop and chorus – who share a passion for the pure, electrifying blending of voice. Members of Euphonism bring a mixture of angelic harmonies, driving beats and moving rhythms to audiences in the capital area and beyond.

Members: Amanda Aldag, Gillian Sowray, Lindsay Hower Jordan, Jason Sam, Joe Kang, Guy Divita, John Baer

Skyline - Using state-of-the-art technology and style, Skyline will leave you wondering where the "band" is. Why? Skyline uses only the human voice for every sound you hear. No genre is safe. You want rock, you got it. You want classical, you got it. You want it, they've got it. If you've got it, they want it.

Members:   Chris Wong, Marco Ovando, Eric Pilar, Derick Eng, Hugh Gee


Stu-dio Singers - (formerly known as The Pelicans) are Maryland's most fun a cappella group. They are a sextet drawn from a group of singers based in Laurel, MD, who enjoy performing various styles of music. They launched the group during a summer production of The Music Man in 2005. They had such a good time singing barbershop that they have been harmonizing ever since. Genres include songs of faith and inspiration, show tunes, swing, standards and doo-wop.

Members: Kathryn Binney, Erika Cogliani, Kirby Forssell, Heather Heaps, Jocelyn Knazik, Stu Knazik


Tonic and Gin is a vibrant, coed a cappella group dedicated to sharing a wide variety of music with intriguing arrangements, amazing soloists, and a whole lot of fun - all accomplished using nothing but the human voice. Founded in the spring of 2004 to create a fresh new mix of voices in the DC a cappella scene, T&G has brought its unique style to venues including the Strathmore Center for Performing Arts, Mason District Park, Jammin' Java, and more. The group has competed in the Mid-Atlantic Harmony Sweepstakes at the Birchmere in Alexandria and has performed for benefits including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Gala.  Current repertoire ranges from classic rock to current pop, from local artists' works to 80s hits to holiday favorites.

Members: Nate Pipke, Ben Keller, Bruce Shim, Mati Makagon, Stephanie Wu, Marissa Hogdkins, Alison Torrillo French


Top of the Seventh - A seasoned group of musical enthusiasts that performs at a variety of venues, from professional baseball games to private schools and parties. We take on styles that range from jazz to spiritual to pop, in pursuit of fun and musical nirvana. Many of us sing now or have sung in large choral groups as well, and we let our hair down when we get out on our own. Top of the Seventh is top of the heap!

Members: Marty Brennan, Jim Connaughton, Rob Ginsberg, Clay Kaufman, Bert Ifill
, lliot Roseman, Dave Welter


Venus d Minor - The stars that formed Venus d Minor converged in the spring of 1995 to create a women's a cappella octet which performs in a wide variety of musical styles. From pop to jazz standards, from classical to new wave, Venus brings its unique sound and brand of humor to audiences around the Washington, D.C. area. Audiences at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Birchmere, Lisner Auditorium, George Mason University, Glen Echo Park, Jammin' Java—and in many small overcrowded living rooms throughout the area—have all been wowed by Venus..

Members: Betsy Erickson, Jenny Nordstrom, Patti Gaston, Amy DeLouise, Dolores McDonagh, Beth Brummel, Robin Sloan, Kristin Bass


Vocaldente - With a rich and varied repertoire covering more than 80 years, they entertain and delight their audience with songs and pieces from the Comedian Harmonists to rock 'n' roll and ABBA, from the big 80s hits to the latest pop, always presented in the gloriously elaborate sound of five professionally educated voices.


Members: Tobias Kiel, Ansgar Pfeiffer, Niklas Turmann, Johannes Gruber, Tobias Wunschik


2008 Judges

Claire Gardiner  joined the Vienna-Falls Chorus of Sweet Adelines International in 1984, began directing the chorus in 1993, and has lead Vienna-Falls to four Regional Championships. She has sung in many quartets, one of which won the Regional Championship in 1989. Claire has a Bachelor's degree in Music Education and is a former high school music teacher. She is a faculty member within Sweet Adelines, where she teaches arranging classes and coaches many choruses and quartets. She is a Supervisory Registration Specialist in the Performing Arts Division of the Copyright Office. When Claire is not singing, directing, coaching, or working, (is there any time left?!?) you can find her out on the road riding her 2005 Honda Gold Wing Motorcycle! Claire judged the competition in 2006.

DeWayne McNeill leads the outstanding five man vocal musical ensemble Regency – a Harmony Sweepstakes staple and regional champions in 2006. Regency began singing on the street corners of Baltimore nearly 20 years ago.  The group has performed with Sinbad, Patti LaBelle, The Temptations, Manhattan Transfer, Ramsey Lewis, Spyrogyra, and The Four Tops.

Bernie Muller-Thym is a former member of the national a cappella comedy act Da Vinci's Notebook. He has been an artist in residence at the Kennedy Center and has appeared on Comedy Central, the Today Show and PBS. He has been heard on countless radio stations and stages across America and can even be found on You Tube. Bernie is now involved in teaching, giving performances and song writing workshops, as well as singing, writing music and performing with his guitar, Latin percussions, lips, hands, etc., etc., and still looking for the perfect band.

Reggie Moore, newly-minted lead singer of a capella legends The Persuasions, is a native Washingtonian who began his long singing career in the DC area. Moore has performed at every cultural institution in our Nation's Capitol, including The White House, The Kennedy Center, The Smithsonian Institution, The Library of Congress, The Shakespeare Theatre and the The Corcoran Gallery of Art Music Series. He has also been a featured performer at The National Folklife Festival of American Music, on Black Entertainment Television (BET) and has traveled internationally with several music ensembles. Charged with holding the musical torch of The Persuasions, Moore c


Complete List of Mid-Atlantic Champions

Complete list of 2008 national participants


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