18th 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.

2002 Boston Champions

Groove

Groove is Boston's newest acappella sensation. Formed in December of 2001, this seven man vocal band specializes in arranging and performing pop/rock songs in a contemporary style. Though this lineup is new, individually, Groove's members have performed in over 2000 acappella shows as past and current members of: Binghamton Crosbys, Buffalo Chips, Boston College Acoustics, Boston College Bostonians, UMASS Doo wop Shop, The Gentlemen of UNH, Jyde, Four Shadow, The Hyannis Sound, Jigsaw and Five o'Clock Shadow. This exciting new septet strives to combine a high level of musicality with a vibrant stage energy

2002 Results

1st
Groove
2nd
All About Buford
3rd
The Works
Audience Favorite
Groove


2002 Participating Groups

A.K.A. Pelican Groove
The members of A.K.A. Pelican Groove love to joke around, hence the name (phonetically, "A Cappella Can Groove!") But seriously, their sense of humor has sustained an 8-year-long collaboration that has brought them to many new and exciting places (both musically and geographically). Over their history, theyıve performed at hundreds of venues, including corporate events, club dates, wedding gigs, outdoor shows, community concerts, and live appearances on television and radio. One morning last spring, the group made their "drive time" debut on Bostonıs Star 93.7 FM morning show. That same evening, they performed the National Anthem on the hallowed grass of Fenway Park (GO SOX!) Last summer, they had the privilege of sharing the stage at Bostonıs Hatch Memorial Shell with Nile Rodgers and Chaka Khan. A.K.A. Pelican Groove released its first CD "Plunge" in 1999. With a diverse repertoire that spans classic R&B, doo-wop, 70ıs soul, 90ıs alternative, pop originals, and more, A.K.A. Pelican Groove looks forward to entertaining you tonight, as they bring their own brand of groove-based, "funkified" a cappella into the new millennium.Members: Charlie Deal, Scott Evrard, Alice Burge, Andy Long, Bob Lutz, Chris Saulnier

All About Buford
All About Buford is a pop-funk vocal band from Boston, New York City and Philadelphia who switch seamlessly between an a cappella format and an acoustic guitar format, delivering pure vocals, complex arrangements, and intricate harmonies. The rhythmic background of AAB is the complex vocal percussion (beatboxing) of Del Coy, who simultaneously does percussion AND bass. You might not believe the sound is being created vocally, but there are no drum tracks! Performing an eclectic mix of covers and originals, All About Buford has been described as both sexy AND sophisticated. They have performed steadily at venues large and small since their inception in 2000, and were the 2003 Boston Regional Harmony Sweepstakes champions (runner-up in 2002). All About Buford does a high-energy, surprising show that gets an audience involved.Members: Taunia Soderquist, Adeel Pandith, Amy Malkoff, Shah Salmi

Groove
Groove is Boston's newest acappella sensation. Formed in December of 2001, this seven man vocal band specializes in arranging and performing pop/rock songs in a contemporary style. Though this lineup is new, individually, Groove's members have performed in over 2000 acappella shows as past and current members of: Binghamton Crosbys, Buffalo Chips, Boston College Acoustics, Boston College Bostonians, UMASS Doo wop Shop, The Gentlemen of UNH, Jyde, Four Shadow, The Hyannis Sound, Jigsaw and Five o'Clock Shadow. This exciting new septet strives to combine a high level of musicality with a vibrant stage energy
Listen to: Anna Begins | Listen to: I Feel Good

Members: Nate Altimari, Darrell Belch, Roopak Ahuja, Michael Burrows, Jim Harrington, Matt Lane, Michael LeBlanc

Peking and the Mystics
Peking and the Mystics was formed in 1973 by four alumni of both Tufts and the Beelzebubs. Over the years, PATM has: toured nationally and internationally, including trips to the Far East and South America; recorded a CD (and, with a recent recording session in Petaluma, Calif., now in the books, is well on the road to its second disc); appeared on television and radio programs; and been featured in the local and national print media. The group's eclectic repertoire, comprising original arrangements by PATM members themselves, features swing, jazz, doo-wop, and pop music of every decade from the '20s to the '90s. In December 2001, PATM was proud to participate in the Bubs Foundation-sponsored Generations concert at Tufts, and with its inclusion in Harmony Sweepstakes 2002, is again pleased to assist the Foundation in its mission of supporting music curricula in secondary education.Members: Andrew Cranin, Chris Parker, Gene Blake, Tim Vaill

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: Frank Farach, Rob Opdycke, Ben Cohan, Jeremy Sacco, Mike Schwartz

Six Appeal
Is Six Appeal a comedy group, a vocal ensemble, or a rock band? Audiences have been trying to answer that question for years. Swearing off instruments, Six Appeal uses a cappella singing to span decades of classic oldies, current chart toppers, and catchy original tunes. Featuring vocal dexterity and adventurous song selection, the group explores all genres with a far-reaching repertoire that will surprise and captivate audiences regardless of the setting. Despite their cheeky group name, the antics of these six young gentlemen provide a good natured atmosphere for their electrifying performance. A Six Appeal show will split your sides, feed your musical sweet tooth, and leave you wondering how in the world they pulled it off just with voices.Members: Julie Tucker, Dana Mann, Christy Colburn, Irene Antonellis, Dave West, Dylan Mroszczyk-McDonald

soniCrush
soniCrush is the product of five women and one man who have sung both professionally and leisurely over the past fifteen or more years. Founded in 1996, as HOUSE BLEND, their ultimate goal is to share its love of a cappella music with its audiences, hoping that they have as much fun listening as soniCrush has singing. The soniCrush sound is an equal mix of covers, both old and new, and originals. From opera to jazz to Broadway to funk, the members of soniCrush have sung every kind of music in every kind of venue. Having all enjoyed singing a cappella in college (they are graduates of Boston College, Brown, Dartmouth, MIT & UNH), they have pooled their diverse musical talents and years of experience to produce a strong and versatile band focused on the human voice.Members: Erin O'Connor, Allison Berger, Stephanie Pappas, Kate Matsutani, Vanessa Sanborn, Christian Force

The Works
The Works is a five-part a cappella group, three men and two women, founded in 1994. Comprised of former college chorus dropouts trying to resurrect their vocal chords in what some people call middle age, The Works performs an eclectic (trying to live up to the group title) mix of contemporary close harmony, from the B-52s to Gershwin, from Ricki Lee Jones to James Brown. Based in Hyannis, Wenham, Sherborn, Concord and Wellesley, weıve performed in a wide variety of settings, from intimate anniversary parties to business meetings with large gatherings of 3,000 people in a room to empty squash courts (unbelievable acoustics). The group is characterized by an absence of conflict in rehearsals, perfect pitch, and a subliminally brilliant marketing approach that swayed the French Harmony Sweepstakes judge to select us for the upcoming competition.Members: Bev Jaques, Fred Jordan, Dan Gorin, Sarah Lazarus, Patrick Rafter

2002 Judges TBA



Complete list of 2002 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


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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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