2010 Participating Groups
 | | 5-Alone
The idea of 5-Alone was conceived in the fall of 1999. I approached four students about starting a jazz a cappella quintet with myself as the fifth member. Encouraged by the succss of our first performance, we continued singing throughout the spring and debuted officially as 5-Alone at the Iron Horse in June, 2000.
Now 5-Alone is an accredited performing arts class at PVPA. We've come a long way from the days of rehearsing at lunch and after school. 5-Alone has gained a considerable amount of attention in a very short time. Awards and honors have been piling up from DownBeat Magazine, C.A.S.A., A-Capella.com, The National Harmony Sweepstakes, R.A.R.B., Primarily A Cappella, Berklee College of Music, and the I.A.J.E. 5-Alone has performed all over the world, including New York, California, and The Netherlands, and has turned the world of high school a cappella upside down.
Members: Elliot Hartmann-Russell, Maisie Dolan, Hannah Levy, Imani Devi-Brown, Rose O'Connell-Marion, Kimaya Diggs
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Average Joes
Average Joes was formed in December of 2008. Since then the foursome has been working to build and hone an entertaining and varied repertoire to accomplish their stated goal of entertaining you, the audience. A dedication to the barbershop style and recognition of the hard work of the composer and arranger shapes the Joes’ presentation of the songs they sing. “The song’s the thing”Members: Matt Mercier, Dan Costello, Kirk Young, Eric Ruthenberg
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 | | The Honeymooners
Formed in April 2004, The Honeymooners is a mixed quartet from the Upper Valley area of Vermont and New Hampshire. Two married couples (you can guess who goes with whom based on vertical similarities!), The HM enjoy performing a wide variety of a cappella music, and audience interaction is always the main goal. Doo-wop, barbershop, gospel and novelty songs... lots of humor and some choreography, for good measure; audiences always seem to want more, because this group looks as though they are having so much fun together! You never really know what their next song might be, but when you hear it, you will be tempted to sing along.
A pharmacist, a vice president, a director of manufacturing and a choral music teacher – can you guess who does what? Regardless of what The HM do in “real life,” singing with people they love is a passion, and it keeps that creative energy… and laughter… flowing.Members: Chris Henderson, Gaye Signor, Dan Signor, Lisa Henderson
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Overboard
Founded in the spring of 2006 by current director Nicholas Girard, Overboard is a male a cappella group from Boston, MA. Although Overboard's repertoire consists primarily of contemporary pop/rock songs, including covers from such artists as Rascall Flatts, Stevie Wonder and The Beatles, the group remains true to its a cappella roots and continues to perform classic selections such as "Blue Moon," "In The Still of the Night" and "Stand By Me."
First conceived as a street performance group intent on entertaining audiences around coastal New England during the summer months, Overboard has come a long way in a short time. The group's first album, Shipwrecked, was recorded in Nick's living room and was released during that first summer. Shipwrecked was distributed during frequent busking stops in Newburyport, MA; Freeport, ME and Burlington, VT, as well as around the group's hometown of Boston.Members: Joe, Josh, Scott, Stu, Dave, Nicholas Girard
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 | | The Pinkertones
Originally created as a barbershop quartet, the Pinkertones are now Pinkerton Academy’s male a cappella group, from Derry, NH. They perform a mixture of original compositions as well as arrangements of well known songs. While they perform various styles of music, they would most easily be classified under the genre of pop/rock. Though relatively new to the a cappella scene, the Pinkertones have performed in a variety of venues and events; these include school performances, benefit concerts, weddings, and recently the opening act for Rockapella. They are excited to perform with so many experienced and talented groups, and hope to bring new energy and life to the stage.
Members: Jeff Scott, Trevor Wells, Jameson Wells, Jon Gaines, Kaleb Wells
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Plumbers of Rome
While serving as court musicians/crepe chefs at the court of Charles VII in the 13th century (they were not allowed to serve as the Royal Plumbers, since plumbing was at that time considered to be a form of witchcraft) the Plumbers of Rome invented a device to hurl food and concert T-shirts into the starving peasant section of the King's Concert Hall. Adapted for military use, and named the Trebuchet, this modest invention lead the French army to many victories, as well as adding to the festive atmosphere of French wedding receptions and modern day Renaissance Festivals. While history has all but forgotten the inventors of the Trebuchet, the Plumbers are commemorated in the traditional French carol ballade de l'arme romaine aim'e de plombier.Members: Ron Gilgamesh, Ernie Stuckowitz, Randy Jackson
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 | | Prism
Since its inception four decades ago, the New England Conservatory’s jazz program has been producing an impressive roster of young singers, largely due to the presence of JazzProject Recording Artist and virtuosic vocalist/composer, Dominique Eade. The newest crop of current students and alumni are no exception and they have decided to put their education and their voices together to create Prism, an all-star vocal ensemble featuring original arranging, masterful solo singing and lush harmonies. "Hearing any one of these innovative young singers live would be a treat, but to have their impressive talents combined in one group gives a glimpse of the future of vocal jazz group singing not to be missed," comments Eade, who served as a mentor to nearly every member.Members: Aubrey Johnson, Tammy Scheffer, Katie Seiler, Laura Grill, Richard Saunders, Tomas Cruz, J.C. Coffey
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2010 Judges
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Michele Adams
Michele Adams joined the Boston Children’s Chorus in 2007 as the first Assistant Artistic Director of the organization. She conducts four choirs at the training and intermediate levels and directs the innovative education program for urban singers. Previously, she worked in the New York City Public Schools where, as a Project ARTS (Arts Restoration Throughout the Schools) Liaison, she coordinated arts collaborations between the school and community. She also taught music and founded the choral program in her magnet school. She earned a Bachelor of Music in music education from The University of South Carolina. In addition, she earned a Master of Music in choral conducting from Florida State University, where she studied conducting with Rodney Eichenberger and André Thomas. Adams has also completed Level I Kodály certification at New England Conservatory. She has authored articles for affiliate publications of MENC: The National Association for Music Education and the American Choral Directors Association and is active as an adjudicator and speaker. |
Mike Barnicle
Mike Barnicle began his teaching career at the age of 16, as a percussion and woodwind teacher at the Simsbury Music and Arts Center in CT. In 1998, he received his BS in Music Education from Central CT State University, and went on to work as a High School and Middle School choral director and music educator in CT and MA. While in CT, he also served as the Artistic Director/Conductor of The Vernon Chorale, and was actively involved with CMEA (CT Music Educators Association) as a High School All-State vocal judge. Mike stepped into the a cappella world in 1994 as a founding member of The Hyannis Sound, and is still involved with the group as a member of the Board of Directors. In 2001, Mike joined Five O’Clock Shadow, and spent 2 years touring and helping develop their “Vocal Challenge” educational program. Having just returned to Boston after spending several months cruising Alaska and the Caribbean, singing with the quartet Wheelhouse on Celebrity Cruise Lines, Mike is happy to be reuniting with 2005 Boston Harmony Sweepstakes winner Firedrill!, whose most recent CD, “Sings Without Music, Vol II,” has made a big splash in the a cappella world. Look for Firedrill! in the coming months! |
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Jamshed Bharucha
As Provost and Senior Vice President of Tufts, Jamshed Bharucha is the Chief Academic Officer of the university, overseeing the seven schools, Tisch College, and cross-school programs. The provost is responsible for driving institutional and budgetary priorities, and for academic planning. Dr. Bharucha also holds faculty appointments in the departments of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Music. His own research has focused on the cognitive and neural basis of the perception of music, using perceptual experiments, neural net modeling, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). |
Aaron Loveland
Aaron Loveland began singing in church at an early age. Growing up, church services had a huge musical influence on him and he believes it was there that he began to learn music, harmony, and vocal dynamic. Throughout school, Aaron played in his Jr. High and High School band. It wasn’t until his senior year of high school that he joined the choir. It was a small ensemble focusing on contemporary choral music with a strong emphasis on music theory. After graduating high school, Aaron auditioned for and received a vocal scholarship to attend the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where he studied classical vocal performance with a focus on vocal pedagogy for two years. There he had the opportunity to tour internationally with a small show choir from the University and, on two different occasions, he visited Great Britain to perform all over the English Countryside. In the fall of 1998, Aaron auditioned for and received and vocal performance and songwriting scholarship to attend The Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. This is where he bumped into the boys of Ball in the House and he’s been performing with them since. |
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Amy Malkoff
Involved in a cappella since college (Kenyon College), Amy Malkoff was a founding member and bandleader of the award-winning groups All About Buford and Deadline Poet, and she has appeared on stage and in the studio with such luminaries as Wayne Brady, Jonatha Brooke, The Persuasions, Ellis Paul, Vance Gilbert, GrooveLily, Patty Griffin, and Dar Williams. She has a degree in music from Kenyon College, with music studies at Youngstown State University and masters-level coursework at the New England Conservatory of Music. She is currently Media Director for the Women's A Cappella Association, as well as being on the board, and the Marketing Director for the A Cappella Education Association (presenting the first National A Cappella Convention in Memphis next week!). Amy served on the board and was the Web Content Director for CASA (Contemporary A Cappella Society) and is a longtime judge for the International Championships of Collegiate and High School A Cappella. She is a writer, designer and runner of social media campaigns (www.amymalkoff.com), as well as a singer/songwriter. Amy's music has appeared on both the Rounder Records and Hear Music/Starbucks labels. @amalkoff |
 
Complete list of 2010 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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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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