2014 Participating Groups
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We sing smooth, soulful, & feel-good a cappella. It all started in the living room of a little apartment, wanting to sing. Combining our different music backgrounds and styles, we formed an a cappella group named after our apartment number. We laugh, we dance, & we play because expression is our shared passion. We are #FOURTY4B."
Members: Jeanette Mangilit, Cara Blaxton, Jin Puertollan, Grayson Villanueva, Amer Quilala, James Moore, Monica Mandapat
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Abinante Family Singers
Abinante Family Singers is a music group consisting of Father (Mark), Mother (Lieneyda) and their 5 children (Jacob, Rebeca, DeAna, Isaac and Callista). They have performed at conferences & festivals in several states; most recently being featured artists at the 5th annual Pan Pacific Film Festival, as well as at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center and Warner Grand Theatre.Members: Mark Abinante, Isaac Abinante, Deana Abinante, Lieneyda Abinante, Callista Abinante, Jacob Abinante
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Down 4 The Count
Down 4 The Count began in 2003, when six CSU Northridge students in the University's vocal jazz ensemble found they shared a common interest: wanting to sing ensemble vocal jazz without those pesky instrumentalists: in other words, A Cappella! Since that time, Down 4 The Count has won multiple awards (including three song-arrangement awards and 1st place at the 2009 San Diego A Cappella Competition) and they have performed at venues all over the greater Los Angeles and San Diego area, including the Jazz Bakery, The Coach House, The Coffee Gallery Backstage, San Diego IndieFest, and many more.Members: Colleen Keene, Gregg Haueter, Christine Tavares, Jason Lingle, Jalin Hsu
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 | | Frequency
Award-winning Frequency is a vocal band founded in 2009 and dedicated to performing songs from the 70s to today with a focus on the story in the music. Music is part of the living soundtrack of our lives-the music that plays in the background of important moments and that we associate with our most important memories. With a passionate and thoughtful delivery, we take the audience on a personal trip through music they know and grew up with, inviting them to remember the moments and experience the emotions all over again. Like the old analog radio frequencies that first delivered many of these songs, all-vocal Frequency brings the audience a reminder of some of their favorites.Members: Marleena Barbe, Emily Simmons, Elan Jimenez, Bradley Hampton, Tom Keyes, Gabriel Arguello, Jammie Hampton
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Overhaul
This award-winning vocal band, formerly known as Veritas, has been entertaining audiences all across SoCal since 2012. The seven members of Overhaul breathe new life into the world of music without instruments by "overhauling" their arrangements to create their own, indie/pop/rock sound. They've been seen performing at festivals, schools, private events, Los Angeles Harmony Sweepstakes and even reached final casting for season 4 of The Sing-Off. If you want innovative arrangements, bone-shaking bass, heart-pounding percussion and the intensity of a full-on rock band, complete with killer leads, using nothing but the human voice, look no further than Overhaul!Members: Danielle Dissmore, Emily Morris, Jeremy Hitch, Jourdan Rystro, Richie Ferris, Sean P. Gorecki, Anh Nguven
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 | | Premiere A Cappella
Premiere is a contemporary, all-female a cappella group in Los Angeles. Bringing a diverse repertoire and range of voices, the group sings with attitude, dynamic leads, and messages of female empowerment. Premiere has had the honor of performing at such venues as the House of Blues Sunset Strip, hosting the Los Angeles A Cappella Festival twice, signing with the AwesomenessTV Network, and collaborating with acclaimed groups from across the country. Each woman brings a unique musical background and balances commitment to Premiere with her individual professional career. As a group, Premiere seeks to create powerful music and raise the bar of all-female a cappella.Members: Jessica Rucker Gottdank, Rebecca Bozeman, Kimberly Nguyen, Lindsey Cloud, Leia Feazel, Anne Montone, Andrea Wiseman, Meron Mogos
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Red Harmony
Based in Los Angeles, California, Red Harmony tailors its selection of songs to the voices and personalities of its singers in order to present a fresh and original performance. Each member brings a very unique style, specialty, and energy to the table, creating a synergistic culture where ideas are shared and creativity is celebrated. From accompanying each other with rhythmic vocals to reveling in crunchy jazz chords, Red Harmony creates a personal experience with every note.Members: Jenny Gruen, Tiffani Call, Tyler Rivera Stein, Nate George, Christopher Thaxter, Matt Atkin, Tessa VonderHaar
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 | | The Velvet Frogs
Barbershop Quartet is the 2011 Senior Quartet Champion of the Far Western District of the Barbershop Harmony Society (S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A.). In 2012, they were awarded 4th Place at the International Seniors Quartet Competition and took 3rd place at the 2014 competition. The quartet members represent barbershop quartet chapters from all over the Southern California area & have been singing together for four years. This popular, entertaining group of singers perform the “old songs” in the “old style” reminiscent of the early 1900’s. Members: Les Dergan, David Livingston, CJ Sams, Bill Wilson
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2014 Judges
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Johnny D. Figueroa
Johnny D. Figueroa is the founder, artistic director, and bass vocalist for NOTA, the Latin vocal band sensation and winners of the nationally acclaimed NBC/SONY a cappella competition "The Sing-Off". Introduced to the wonders of choral and barbershop music by his parents, Johnny became passionate for vocal harmony since an early age. He received formal training in Music Performance and Voice. During the past 20 years, he has had extensive experience singing, performing, voiceovers, radio, and touring with several award-wining choirs and vocal groups. His hobby is to manage a Neurophysiology Research Laboratory and teach medical courses at the Loma Linda University School of Medicine.
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Caroline McLean
Caroline McLean is originally from Leeds, England. Her passion for close-harmony singing began when she was in high school and is still a major part of her life. While living in England, she was a member of the award-winning White Rosettes Chorus and was the lead singer in the gold medal quartet, 42nd Street. She currently directs the L.A. South Towns Show Chorus which, with its distinctive and lively style, charms audiences and wins rave reviews wherever they perform. Caroline also sings with the popular Los Angeles-based vocal jazz quartet Ready Willing & Mabel. |
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Heather McMasters Orosco
Heather McMasters Orosco - is an original member of the award winning, a cappella sensation, Vybration. As a singer and actress, Heather has performed on stages across the country in musical theatre, industrial shows, benefits and concerts. She has also been on TV shows for ABC, NBC and KTLA. She has also performed with the likes of Julie Andrews, Richard Carpenter, Dick Van Dyke, James Earl Jones, Jim Brickman, and Andy Garcia, to name a few.
One of her true passions is working in the recording studio on a number of albums for BMG and Capitol Records, recordings for Disney and Sesame Street and you’ve also heard her in commercials for Mattel, Sun Microsystems and Nabisco. Heather recently celebrated 20 years with The Walt Disney Company. She began her career as a Dickens Caroler at Disneyland and continues to perform in a multitude of special events for the Company, including appearances at Hollywood’s El Capitan Theater, the Hollywood Bowl and various venues across the United States. |
Beth Rohde
Beth Rohde received her Bachelor’s Degree from Berklee College of Music and her Master’s Degree from USC’s Thornton School of Music with a full scholarship from the Ella Fitzgerald Foundation. She has performed on five different continents as a solo artist and as the lead female vocalist in Les Brown’s Band of Renown.
Beth is an experienced ensemble singer, arranger and choir director. She currently directs vocal ensembles at Coast Music Conservatory, and she is the soprano and music director for the group Storeytime. She has taught vocal groups at some of the nation’s leading institutions including McNally Smith College of Music and the University of Southern California, and she recently coached vocalists on American Idol. |
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Greg Whipple
Greg Whipple - Originally from Orlando, Florida, Greg Whipple presently resides in LA where he has become an accomplished and sought after performer and session singer. His career thus far has allowed him to work with such luminaries as Burt Bacharach, David Foster, David Maddux, Adele, Brian McKnight, Judith Hill, Roger Daltry, Frankie Valli and of course, Deke Sharon. Greg received his B.A. in Music from Florida State University and is also an accomplished songwriter and producer having toured and recorded as a member of the world renown jazz vocal groups, m-pact, Sixth Wave and Vybration and currently LA’s own supergroup, Voasis. Greg’s bread and butter however, comes from the film/tv industry these days and his voice can be heard on many projects in film: Ice Age 3 & 4, Toy Story 3, Star Trek 1 & 2, Avatar, Oz: The Great & Powerful, The Hangover 3, Planes, Monsters University, Godzilla and many others; TV: Family Guy, The Voice, The Simpsons, The Acadamy Awards, Hart of Dixie, American Dad, The Neighbors, Sophia The First, and Futurama; commercials: Microsoft, Subway, Jack In The Box, and 21st Century; and major-label recordings: Muse, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Andrea Bocelli, Aaron Carter and Jackie Evancho. He also lent his talent to the intriguing silent-movie/stage recreation phenomenon, Vox Lumiere as the voice of Quasimodo in the live production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. In Greg’s spare time, he has enjoyed putting on the indie-rock singer “hat” and gigging with local bands Frankie Goes to North Hollywood, Temperamentals, and The Bone Yard. Greg is honored to be judging tonight’s competition and excited for all the groups involved. |
 
Complete list of 2014 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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Tom Keyes (Los Angeles)
Tom is a passionate and dedicated a cappella facilitator, event producer, and music director. He is the Director of Operations for A Cappella Academy, and previously has served as the exec. producer of the Los Angeles A Cappella Festival, and as director of the Contemporary A Cappella League (while still part of the Contemporary A cappella Society: CASA.org). With a considerable background in performance, vocal, and instrumental music, Tom was bitten by the a cappella bug in 2009 when he decided to create and direct his own group, the award-winning Frequency, and has been a strong advocate of all-vocal music ever since. Still music directing Frequency (vocalfreqs.com) as well as a spiritual center, he balances music, work, and family, and lives with his wife and three children in South OC.
tom.keyes@vocalfreqs.com
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