2025 Participating Groups
 | | Classic Sounds
If you close your eyes and think back to Murray the K, the Brooklyn Paramount, the street lights on Belmont Avenue, the boulevards of Bensonhurst, straphanging from a leather strap on your way to see "Dem Bums", Frankie, Dion, WMCA Good Guys, cruising the streets in a '56 Chevy with the windows cranked down, singing to the tunes on your portable AM radio, and a host of other good times, you'll know why "The Classic Sounds" sing DooWop. That's why a surgeon, a plumber, 2 teachers, and a musician can lean in close to each other, sing those back-up sounds that are second nature to us all, give you a little hand jive and a smile, and make you remember what "feel good" acappella music is all about.
Members: Julie Seda, Bob Seda, Gabriel Dassa, Alan Fennell, Steve Aversano
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Destination
Destination is a quartet out of Connecticut, who pride themselves on singing a wide variety of musical styles, and bring a light-hearted sensibility and approach to audiences. With Jude on Lead, Christina on Tenor, Todd on Baritone, and Sam on Bass, all four are life-long music educators and coaches, with skills on piano, euphonium, saxophone, percussion, and also there’s Jude.
This group has performed widely from the sublime to the ridiculous such as barbershop chapter shows, paint-n-sip nights, open mic nights in Hartford, and improv shows. Off to a quick start in 2018, they received several awards at competitions, and are eagerly awaiting to bring their 4 voices, 6 dysfunctional eyeballs, and 39 toes on their next musical adventure with you!
Members: Christina Tramack, Jude Olney, Todd Lamson, Sam Eurich
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 | | Honey Bunches of Notes
Honey Bunches of Notes is a quartet from Connecticut that has been blending harmonies since 2012, evolving through various names and member lineups before officially becoming Bunches in 2016 and they ve been singing strong ever since! Their repertoire ranges from classic barbershop favorites to contemporary a cappella hits, bringing rich harmonies and joyful energy on stage. As a competitive Sweet Adelines quartet, Bunches was thrilled to take home second place medals in the May 2025 Region 1 contest. They also recently joined the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS) and are proud to have qualified for their first district competition this fall.
Members: Kristen Walsh, Melissa Scarpelli, Laraine Mehr-Turlis, Claire Pagliaro
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Music Divine
Music Divine is an unaccompanied, mixed chorus of professional choral singers and soloists, who have sung in many of the best secular, church, and synagogue choirs in the NY metropolitan area. Founded by Stephen Bonime in 2005, its repertoire focuses on the Renaissance 1500, give or take 500 years from Plainchant to Pärt.
Members: Audrey Fernandez-Fraser, Anna Willson, Art Manabat, Nathan Riehl, Erik-Peter Mortensen, Stephen Bonime
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 | | The Percolators
The Percolators are a new NYC-based barbershop quartet. With a love for complex close harmony, The Percolators aim to foster community and connection through music. Steering clear of romantic ballads, they instead explore life s richness through themes like joy, imagination, and individuality. The Percolators are the current champions of the Rahway Novice Quartet Contest, where they were the first SATB/mixed quartet to win in the contest s 60-year history. They hail from the Gotham Chorus community, the current Barbershop Harmony Society's 3rd place chorus.
Members: Mingwei Tu, Elena Georgieva, Nick Taber, John Maderazo
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Your Emcee for the Evening 
Diana Preisler
Diana Preisler’s career in a cappella began as the female lead singer, and band manager of Broadway Records recording artist, Blue Jupiter. She is a featured soloists on Blue Jupiter's newest album, Twisted Broadway Vol. 1. Blue Jupiter has performed at performing arts centers, colleges, festivals, and corporate events around the world. Blue Jupiter won the Oreo “Milk’s Favorite Jingle” contest, hosted by famed American Idol Judge Randy Jackson, and has performed with iconic performers like The Roots, Livingston Taylor, and The Persuasions. Companies like: Disney, ABC Family, the Food Network, Honda, NOKIA, Nickelodeon, and Hermes have featured Blue Jupiter at their corporate events. You may have seen Blue Jupiter on Oprah, the Huff Post, headlining at theatres around the globe, cruise ships and casinos, including over 200 shows at the Sands Casino in Macau, China.
Diana’s work as an a cappella performance coach and mentor caught the attention of Lifetime TV in 2014. Soon after, Diana helped create and star in the Lifetime original a cappella series, "Pitch Slapped.” This competition docu-series featured Diana working with high school students through 10 weeks of competition. “Pitch Slapped" continues to air on Lifetime in countries across the world.
Before Diana began her career as an a cappella singer, she graced the theatrical stage on multiple national Broadway tours such as “Fiddler on the Roof” and “A Christams Carol.” Regional roles across the US include Eva Peron in "Evita", Ado Annie in "Oklahoma", Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz”, Linda in “Blood Brothers” and Shelley in "Bat Boy, The Musical.” As a Nationally televised voice-over artist, you’ve heard Diana as the voice of MTV, Nickelodeon, Behr Paint, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Herbal Essences, Priceline, Planter’s (with Robert Downy Jr), Fisher Price, HGTV, VH1, or Bank of America (to name just a few.) |
2025 Judges
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Debbi Burdett
As a director, performing artist, and professional consultant through her company, DB Creative Consulting, Debbi Burdett recently completed a marketing and website design for NOT YOUR TIME, a short film featured a numerous film festivals, and a similar project with A JOURNEY TO JOY, a CD of spiritually engaging songs. Her directorial credits include - The Dysfuncational Pianist; Three Guys, Three Girls, and A Diva; Take Five; and Take Five More and numerous cabaret and nightclub acts. She has been the director of The WestSide Youth Choir, which was heard in the feature film HOUSEHOLD SAINTS. She has been featured in numerous musicals and plays, most notably as Cleo in THE MOST HAPPY FELLA, the Soprano in Terrance McNally's PRELUDES, Ruth in THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE and Katisha in THE MIKADO. Additionally, Debbi is very proud to have coached NY Harmony Sweeps competitors, Dobsonfly, and Stay Tuned, who placed 3rd at the 1999 competition. Her company plans and consults for weddings and corporate events and Debbi has performed to wildly enthusiastic crowds in her one woman show throughout the United States. Her work continues to be a dedication to her late husband David Schaefer and to Bob and Eugene: "They continue to teach me all I know." |
Mark Paul
Mark Paul is an accomplished a cappella performer, music director, vocal coach, and lifelong musician. A 46-year member of the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS), he's currently the bass of the a cappella barbershop group The Square Route, specializing in digging out old, forgotten barbershop songs and re-introducing those harmonies to both young and old alike. The Square Route holds a quartet championship in the BHS US & Canada Northeastern District. Formerly the bass singer of a top-20 international-level a cappella barbershop quartet, Reveille; they regularly entertained audiences across the United States and internationally. Reveille holds a quartet championship in the BHS six-state Mid- Atlantic District. Mark served for seventeen years in top musical leadership positions for gold and silver medal internationally competitive BHS choruses, and was the front-line musical director of a BHS District level chorus. He performed in a cool a cappella documentary film about barbershop singing and is on two music albums. An a cappella vocal coach for 40 years, Mark works with individuals and groups of all sizes and has served as faculty on several exciting a cappella music education programs, both domestically and abroad. Whatever level the individual/group is at, he elevates them, instilling higher levels of awareness, alignment, confidence, commitment and fun. Mark is an Executive Leadership Development Coach and a Reiki Master. Mark's favorite downtime activities are surffishing, photography and camping. |
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Dave Revels
Dave Revels is an artist/writer/show producer, as well as a professional recording and performing artist.
• As a Former Member Of The Drifters he appeared on the 1985 NBC special, " Motown Returns To The Apollo Theater alongside The Temptations and The Four Tops. He toured with Dick Clark on his final American Bandstand Tour in 1989 with The Drifters, Spinners, Guess Who and The Associations. He is the current Lead singer/record producer and vocal arranger of the Legendary a cappella group, The Persuasions on the albums, The Persuasions Sings U2 and Knockin' On Bob's Door the music of Bob Dylan. He is a singer/songwriter credited with writing what many have hailed as a contemporary national anthem, "Stand Up America”. He is the author of the book "A Natural Guide to Mastering The Art Of Live Entertainment.” He is the vocal background arranger and lead vocalist on 2017’s critically acclaimed album with a member of Canada's Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, "Ladies and Gentlemen: Barenaked Ladies and The Persuasions."
Additionally, Dave is a vocal workshop instructor for Fur Peace Ranch, a musician's retreat owned and operated by Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame member, Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna; he cowrote and recorded his new single with Jorma Kaukonen titled Birds & Sleeping Dogs. He is the Creative Director and Producer of currently nationally touring award winning Motown Tribute production, Shadows Of The 60s - and the Harmony Sweepstakes is honored to have him with us tonight! |
Jonathan Minkoff
Jonathan Minkoff and the Founder and Executive Producer for the Public Charity, SingStrong (SingStrong.org) and its International A cappella Festivals. The 21st SingStrong Festival is Jan 30-Feb 1, 2026 at Adelphi U. Come sing with the open group “Single Singers", watch 9 PRO headliners, or compete for awards and $1,000 (HS, College+ Semi-Pro)! Proceeds support music programs and the fight against Alzheimer’s Disease. Minkoff performs world-wide with the award-winning a cappella quartet, Blue Jupiter. He holds a Bachelors in Music Ed. from Northwestern U., a certificate in voice study from the Boston U. Tanglewood Institute, and a JD from Boston U. School of Law. Minkoff won the Chicago Harmony Sweepstakes 1st place and audience favorite and the Chicago & National Sweeps' "Best Original Composition" and "Best Arrangement Awards", shared a "WAMMY" nomination for "Best Album", a CARA nomination for "Best Jazz Album" and a WAMMY win for "Best A cappella Album". Minkoff coached Stiletta, the only group to ever win every possible award at nationals. He has over 350 published a cappella reviews at RARB.org and his articles at ACAPPELLA101.com have thousands of views. Minkoff continues to teach, perform, emcee and judge at a cappella events worldwide. Minkoff now calls Orlando, Florida home. Jonathan@SingStrong.org |
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Complete list of 2025 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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Colette Thompson (New York)
Colette Thompson has directed or performed in over eleven vocal ensembles, with her group, Stay Tuned, placing 3rd in the 1998 New York Regional of the Harmony Sweepstakes; Colette has performed/recorded with Lukas Foss, Leonard Bernstein, Jesse Norman, Peter, Paul & Mary, and James Levine A billboard-ranked singer/songwriter, she has also managed several events, including, Christmas at NYU, Complex at the Duplex, and An Evening with The Real Group at NYC's Symphony Space. With performances televised via major news programs including Good Morning America, The Today Show, CNN, and NY1, she is a promoter, producer, adjudicator and an ambassador of vocal music worldwide.
128 Fort Greene Place, Suite 1B, Brooklyn, NY 11217
917-442-2011
colette.thompson (at) mac.com
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