32nd Annual

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.

Hosted by

2009 National Champions

Stiletta

Stiletta is a NYC-based, all-female sextet combining pop leads, dance beats and hip-hop choreography. In 2016, the ladies of Stiletta were crowned National Champions at the 32nd Annual National Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival, winning in every possible award category: First Place, Audience Favorite, Best Arrangement, and Best Original Song. This enormous accomplishment came on the tail end of having won First Place and Audience Favorite at the 2015 Mid-Atlantic and 2016 New York Harmony Sweepstakes competitions, as well as Best Vocal Percussion and Best Arrangement. These ladies have the moves, the grooves and even the shoes. So get pumped!

Members: Judy Minkoff, Haley Clair, Meg Lanzarone, Jaymee Frankel, Olivia Harding, Meghan Costa

2016 Mid-Atlantic Champions

West Side 5

West Side 5, an award-winning vocal jazz ensemble based in New York City, is known for its refined sound and sophisticated approach to jazz. Inspired by greats like Manhattan Transfer, New York Voices, and The Real Group, WS5 has crafted its own unique sound, characterized by highly original arrangements, complex harmonies, and outstanding musicianship.

The group formed in the summer of 2009, bringing together five old college friends on the west side of Manhattan. They immediately garnered acclaim, winning the Mid-Atlantic Harmony Sweepstakes while being voted Audience Favorite and winning Best Arrangement for "Pure Imagination". They went on to be featured artists at the SingStrong A Cappella Festival, and have performed alongside groups including Blue Jupiter, Streetcorner Symphony, and The Bobs, as well as for Mayor Michael Bloomberg at Gracie Mansion in New York.

2016 Results
1st	West Side 5
2nd	Catch 22
3rd	Vox Pop DC
Audience Favorite	Catch 22
Best Original Arrangement	"Rock Medley" - Scott Feldman - Catch 22
Best Original Song	"Life Rearrange” - Kelly Green - West Side Five

2016 Participating Groups

Catch 22
Catch 22 is a vocal band that specializes in "your dad's favorite rock songs." The members met through their work in other vocal groups in the North Carolina area and began singing together in 2012. Catch 22 focuses on fun, entertaining songs - songs you would find yourself singing along to on the radio.

Members: Scott Feldmann, John Hanna, Ashley Trantham, Mike Masinick, Ken Purchase, Ken Matz

Trolley Stoppers
The Trolley Stoppers are four guys who are passionate about singing a cappella. No musical genre is off-limits for us. We do a little doo-wop and a little Billy Joel; some folk songs and some madrigals from the 16th century. We'll try anything, as long as it has a good tune, appealing harmonies, interesting lyrics-and we enjoy singing it. We chose the name "Trolley Stoppers" in honor of the trolley that runs down the middle of the main street of our town (Media, Pennsylvania).

Members: Wayne G. Harvey, Bob Yarbrough, Jeff Busa, George Alexander

Vox Pop DC
Vox Pop is a mixed-voice vocal band based in Washington, DC. Using only their voices to produce high quality a cappella music, each member brings their own unique sound and style to enhance your listening enjoyment. Our mission is to entertain audiences with soulful melodies, tight harmonies, and a beat that can't be denied.

Members: Anna Lee, Brian Brandler, Kirsten Babin, Kara Christ, Christopher Little, Anderson Wells, Amy Wesolek, Benjamin Parker

West Side 5
West Side 5, an award-winning vocal jazz ensemble based in New York City, is known for its refined sound and sophisticated approach to jazz. Inspired by greats like Manhattan Transfer, New York Voices, and The Real Group, WS5 has crafted its own unique sound, characterized by highly original arrangements, complex harmonies, and outstanding musicianship.

The group formed in the summer of 2009, bringing together five old college friends on the west side of Manhattan. They immediately garnered acclaim, winning the Mid-Atlantic Harmony Sweepstakes while being voted Audience Favorite and winning Best Arrangement for "Pure Imagination". They went on to be featured artists at the SingStrong A Cappella Festival, and have performed alongside groups including Blue Jupiter, Streetcorner Symphony, and The Bobs, as well as for Mayor Michael Bloomberg at Gracie Mansion in New York.

Members: Eric Hughes, John Mcmahon, Kelly Green, Artemisz Polonyi, Dylan Pramuk

Young Men of Faith
We are Young Men of Faith of Savannah Ga. , A Young Gospel Soul a cappella group, we were blessed with many gifts, to sing acapella, harmonize, sing with music, write & Arrange songs, we all are cousins & we come from a singing family, we do a lot of traveling ministering at gospel events, churches & Tv shows in different cities & states, we have a great bond with each other & we have a lot of Fans with a great following, we have been on The Bobby Jones Gospel show, Atlanta Live, America's Got Anointing, & The Apollo,

Members: Jamal King aka Molly Mal, Ricky Coleman aka Ricky C, Marlon Bryant aka LB, DeAndre Allen aka Dre Day

2016 Judges TBA

Complete list of 2016 participants

National Finals Recordings

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 :

Amanda Cornaglia (Mid-Atlantic) Amanda Cornaglia is the manager for Acaville Radio, a 24/7 streaming service for a cappella music. Amanda is also co-owner of Clear Harmonies, a full service studio and management company for a cappella groups. She got her start in contemporary a cappella with Special K, an all-female ensemble at Hamilton College. She has since performed and directed groups around the globe. She is business director and primary arranger of the multiple CARA nominated group Euphonism. She also founded Snowday, a professional quintet that incorporates contemporary vocal music into education, visiting close to 100 schools each year. She has served in various capacities at the Contemporary A Cappella Society of America (CASA) & turned the Contemporary A Cappella League into its own non-profit organization. Amanda has been a CARA nominator and judge since 2010.

amanda (at) clearharmonies.com

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The Birchmere

Many careers have been launched from this internationally recognized music hall. On any given night, a star may be born. Mary Chapin Carpenter, Lyle Lovett, Shawn Colvin, Jerry Jeff Walker, Dave Matthews, Vince Gill, John Prine, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, and k.d. Lang are just a few of the artists counted as good friends of the Birchmere. The Birchmere is committed to the presentation of the highest quality music in a comfortable and intimate atmosphere. Yelp reviews -Photos

Saturday, February 25, 2016 - 7.30pm

THE BIRCHMERE

Box Office: 703-549-7500

Primarily A Cappella - Your Source For Vocal Harmony Music

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