Patricia Gerdes is a University of Alaska Southeast graduate who currently works for the university as a Math Specialist/Testing Coordinator. She became involved with Alaskapella in her Junior semester as a member of the Alto section. When not working or singing, she enjoys volunteering with the High School Academic Decathlon team as an assistant coach and the local fire department as a Firefighter/EMT. She is currently considering graduate school options.

Alaskapella began with four University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) students who loved music. Over four and a half years, the group has grown into an a cappella group that is proud to represent Alaska. Don't let the fact that UAS has no music program fool you. We are an amalgamation of the vast talent pool from our community, with singer's backgrounds ranging from folk to pop, drama & musicals, and instrumental. Alaskapella has performed for state functions, university events, and concerts across the community in an effort to share our love of music through all that we do. 

Katherine Girvin, a native of San Diego, attended the University of Missouri, Columbia where she received a Bachelors of Art and Science (2004), a Bachelors of Science in Middle School Education (2005) and a Masters in Education with a focus on Curriculum and Instruction (2006). Katherine has been teaching choral education for seven years and has been working with Chamber Bravura for the last five years. Katherine is also an Adjunct Professor at San Diego Christian College, where she teaches current teachers, Education majors, and supervises college students in their student teaching assignments in both San Diego and Orange Counties. Katherine has been named Choral Educator of the Year by CMEA Southern Border division (2012) and in the same year received the Mackenzie-Haney award, an Outstanding Choral Educator Award voted on by her colleagues throughout the San Diego Unified School District. Katherine has an administrative credential and has plans to pursue leadership in Education as well as continue directing Chamber Bravura in the years to come.

Chamber Bravura is an extra-curricular vocal performance organization comprised of 30 vocalists from various middle and high schools in the San Diego area, with the average age being 13 years old. These students perform rigorous choral music through a program of regular rehearsals and concerts. They strive to study and perform challenging and interesting music in a variety of genres. Chamber Bravura began as an a cappella group from a local middle school after they performed in a national middle school choir concert in Carnegie Hall. Since their original performance in Carnegie Hall in 2012, Chamber Bravura performed a Mass in Saint Peter's Basilica in June 2013. These students were invited back to perform in Carnegie Hall twice in 2014 as part of a national and international choral performance. These students performed a concert tour of Austria and Prague in July, 2014 as well as a concert tour of Ireland, Wales, and England in July of 2015. Chamber Bravura will return to perform a Mass in St Peter's Basilica in August, 2016. Chamber Bravura was honored to work with Deke Sharon in a Master Class in San Diego last August and were thrilled at the opportunity to work with him again! A huge thank you to Deke Sharon and the DCINY team for providing this amazing opportunity for the kids!

Jennifer Davis is a vocal and general music teacher at Chautauqua Lake Secondary School in Mayville, NY. She directs 3 vocal ensembles in addition to teaching general music, guitar, songwriting and piano/theory. A native of Rochester, NY, Davis earned a Bachelor of Music degree from SUNY Fredonia (1995) and a Master of Music Degree from the Eastman School of Music (2000). Davis is also active in the New York State School Music Association, serving on the Curriculum Committee and as a presenter for both winter and summer conferences.

The Chautauqua Lake Chorus is made up of singers in grades 9-12 who attend the Chautauqua Lake Secondary School in Mayville, NY. Select singers are participating in the Total Vocal experience who are interested in a cappella singing.

Michele Zuckman has teaching Middle and Upper School vocal music at Friends’ Central School since 2011. Over the past five years, choral students at FCS have performed for community events throughout the Philadelphia area, including the Electrical Spectacle in Franklin Square, Main Line A Cappella Festival, and our annual Singing Valentines event, which raises money for local charities and scholarships. Ms. Zuckman is a member of the Chestnut Street Singers and Healing Presence Singers in Philadelphia, where she loves making music with and for others. She holds and a BFA in Voice Performance/Music Education from Carnegie Mellon University and an MM in Choral Conducting/Music Education from Westminster Choir College of Rider University.

Friends’ Central School is a Quaker, independent, co-educational, college preparatory day school for students in nursery through grade 12. Located on 41 acres across two campuses in Wynnewood, PA., Friends’ Central cultivates the intellectual, spiritual, and ethical promise of our students. Guided by our Quaker values, since 1845, we have been educating for excellence, inspiring tomorrow’s leaders, honoring each individual, and encouraging our students to peacefully transform the world.

Aaron Roan, hailing from and residing in the san Francisco Bay Area attended UC Davis (where he was a member of the acappella scene) before joining Google.He founded Googapella, an acappella group consisting of Googlers across the company and the first of many groups to join the Silicon Valley Tech Company acappella craze.While Aaron works as an analyst during the day, his passion projects around acappella includes co-founding the annual Techapella concert, having his group perform around the Google campus, and bringing tech company acappella groups together to sing. He currently is getting an M.S. in Predictive Analytics at Northwestern while working at Google and has aspirations to be a data scientist if this acappella thing falls through.

Googapella began as an a cappella group entirely composed of Google employees! By day we work on products like Android or Gmail. By night we get together to harmonize on all kinds of music, from pop covers to YouTube viral  hits! We've been around since 2012 and have led the way for the burgeoning a cappella scene in Silicon Valley. We hopt to one day see every cutting edge tech company create cutting edge a cappella music and join the "Techapella" movement.

Liane Knapp, though becoming Just Duet's Music Director just this year, has already proven how talented she is in the a cappella
world. She has arranged countless songs for Just Duet, such as Amber Run's "I Found" and Nick Jonas' "Levels", and has had directors
from across the nation asking for her arrangements. She also won "Best Arrangement" for her Civil Wars "Barton Hollow" arrangement
at the Great Lakes ICCA 2015 competition. As a senior music major at Miami University she is set to graduate at the end of this year.

Just Duet is the award winning premier coed a cappella group from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Though only established in 2013,
Just Duet is already making great strides in the world of a cappella. They sing at oncampus functions throughout the academic year as well as at a cappella invitationals, solo concerts, and more. Just Duet has performed for audiences as small as personal serenades or as large as 1,000.

Mr. David C. Phelps has been the director at Mounds View High School since 2014. In his short time there, the program has seen much growth and success that will continue for years to come. David graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN in 2006, where he spent three years singing under renowned composer/conductor René Clausen. From 2007-2010, David performed 120 shows a year as bass for acclaimed contemporary a cappella group Marcoux Corner. David also currently serves as assistant for the Northern Lights Chorale, an 85 voice community choir in the suburbs of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

The Mounds View High School Concert Choir, Arden Hills, MN is a 60 member auditioned ensemble made up of students in grades 10-12. The Mounds View Concert Choir has a tradition of excellence, and musical achievement that continues year after year. Their varied repertoire gives every audience member something to enjoy during their concerts. Mounds View High School has three academic choirs, and three extra curricular ensembles.

Janelle Ellis graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Music from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD. She taught Choirs in South Dakota and Wyoming, with the last 32 years in Newcastle, Wyoming. She has served as clinician for area choirs, adjudicates festivals, and served 3 years as the Wyoming Choiral VP in charge of the All-State Choir. Janelle has been awarded the Northeast District Music Educator twice, the Wyoming recipient of the Outstanding Music Educator through the National Federation of High School Music Associations and the University of Wyoming Weiss Outstanding Wyoming Choral Music Educator.

The Newcastle High Concert Choir members participate in clinics and festivals, sing the National Anthem at every local school activity and many regional and state sports events, as well as participating in the All-State Choir, ACDA and NAfME Northwest Choirs and ACDA National Choirs. They sung with Rene Clausen at Lincoln Center in 2013. This past fall they performed with the University of Wyoming Collegiate Chorale.

David Morton is a graduate of the University of Calgary Music Department, with a degree in theory and composition. As a performer, he has participated in countless concerts, festivals and competitions all over Canada and the world. David has been involved in choral singing for over thirty years, and a director and arranger for almost twenty years. In addition to arranging choral music for all ages and skill levels at YS, David works as a track producer, band leader, guitarist, and currently directs ONCUE - a professional adult vocal ensemble. He currently lives in Calgary with his wife Jennifer and their two children.

The Youth Singers of Calgary have been performing for thirty years, and have built a reputation as a world-class, award-winning show choir for singers ranging from age three to adult. YSC's performances are always energetic, moving, and memorable. Each and every show is a testament to the sheer joy in music that the program instills in our performers. ONCUE, a division of the Youth Singers of Calgary, is a renowned professional ensemble featuring smooth award-winning harmonies and musical theatre blended into a unique brand of top-notch entertainment. Their diverse and versatile repertoire has won them many awards and a strong reputation as a premiere vocal ensemble throughout Western Canada and beyond.

Brian Farrell - Artistic Director - He’s as unique as the artists and projects he has collaborated with. Brian Farrell has built arts programs, written curriculum and conducted choirs in schools and in churches. He collaborates with Parkinson’s Alberta conducting a Parkinson’s choir, coaches singers performing on the world’s stage and hosts unique music workshops. Brian Farrell Music Inc. focuses on vocal coaching and artistic mentorship. He’s the founder of Turntable Creative – showcasing talented artists performing their signature music. In his 21st year as Artistic Director of Revv52, the group is established as a unique Canadian entity.

REVV52 - Calgary, Alberta's Revv52 is one of Canada's longest-running ensembles. Led by Brian Farrell, and ranging in age from 18 to 70, our over 50 plus members share the commitment to entertain, inspire and energize our audiences with innovative and original arrangements of popular music. Accompanied by our band, we love singing multi-layered big production pieces, and then switch it up, move in close and sing acapella. We stage two major shows annually as well as fundraising and corporate events. This year we are performing an acoustic and acapella show at Calgary's new Bella Concert Hall in mid-January (Unplugged: The Road to Carnegie Hall) ...and then we're on the road to Total Vocal!

Ryan Perrotte is president of In Tune With the Arts Studios, Inc. near Pittsburgh, PA. He is also department head and High School choral director at Peters Township School District in McMurray, PA. Ryan is known for his wide range of vocal performance styles that consist of barbershop, sacred, secular, contemporary a cappella, jazz, and musical theatre. His college quartet placed 3rd at the National Collegiate Barbershop Competition in 1997 and in 2009, he played the role of J.C. Squires in The Music Man concert with Marvin Hamlisch and Shirley Jones, at the Kennedy Center in D.C.

Peters Township High School’s “Rowdy Rhythm” is an energetic, a capella chorus who has recently gained local and international acclaim through the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS). This past summer, they were selected to perform at the Barbershop International "Saturday Night Spectacular" at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, PA. They have also gained notoriety for their video entry of the Macy’s All School A Cappella Challenge this fall. Some of the performers of Rowdy Rhythm have participated in the PMEA District, Region, and State choral festivals as well as the BHS and Sweet Adelines International Chorus and Quartet Contests.

Songbirds is Twitter's co-ed flock of a cappella singers, harmonizing since 2014. They have been known to perform impromptu "flashapellas" in Twitter's San Francisco headquarters, as well as open for company gatherings. For the last two years, they've had the thrill and honor of performing with other a cappella groups in Silicon Valley at the annual Winter Techapella concert.

Rohan Shirali is a graduate student at Washington University in St. Louis studying statistics. He received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Mathematics from Washington University in St. Louis in 2015. In addition to serving as co-music director (with Lawrance Lee) of The Stereotypes, he is an active singer-songwriter who released his most recent album, From Another Time, in November 2014. 

The Stereotypes are a versatile, energetic, and talented all-male a cappella group from Washington University in St. Louis.  Founded in 2001 as a fresh take on “stereotypical” a cappella, we sing everything from Top 40 to rock, rap, choral, musical theater and more. In addition to well-tuned singing and original vocal arrangements, we approach each song as a comprehensive performance,   engaging our audience and communicating its individual message. Beyond the stage, you can find us eating lunch together, harmonizing in a resonant stairwell, or tossing a frisbee on the weekends.

Anthony Boucher has been an active member of the High Point University Toccatatones since 2012 and currently holds the president position. He constantly works towards finding performing opportunities for the group, who adopted the name "Toccatatones", now a well known name in the a cappella industry. 

The High Point University Toccatatones are one of the most popular all-male a cappella groups in North Carolina. Founded in 2001 in memory of the late Todd Owen Carter, the gorup began to grow and develop in pursuit of Carter's dream to have an all-male a cappella group on High Point University's campus. The group consists of 13 students and is governed, and directed entirely by students attending High Point University. 

The Vocal Network consists of members who work at Facebook. They've been singing together since 2012 and have been very involved in the Bay Area tech-company a cappella scene; capping the last three calendar years with the Winter Techapella concert! (Yes, one "p")

Jim Boardwine has been a teacher/director/coach at Streetsboro High School in Ohio for 20 years. He was named the school district's "Teacher of the Year" in 2007 and the city's "Citizen of the Year" in 2015. In 2006, Boardwine started a dynamic and unique "Songwriting, Theater & Production" program at the school that has garnered multiple state and national awards and teamed students with community members and performing arts professionals. As a writer and performer, Boardwine has appeared on national television (CBS), local radio, and significant regional stages including Akron Civic Theatre and The Kent Stage.

THRIVE was birthed in the summer of 2015 when Streetsboro Theatre director, Jim Boardwine, and his creative team, and Streetsboro Theatre Booster Club president, Michelle Madden & her members, desired to take their excellent and unique high school/community performing arts program to the next level. Having won numerous state and national awards, designed cutting-edge curriculum, teamed students, schools, businesses, communities, and performing arts professionals, Boardwine, Madden and the group took the leap and formed their own 501c3 theater, modern music, and film company.

Benjamin Hall is a junior at the University of Rochester pursuing a Bachelors of Science degree in physics and applied math. He is the Musical Director of the Midnight Ramblers and has been a part of the group since his freshman year. From his stellar arrangements to innovative ideas, he has certainly pushed the Midnight Ramblers in a new direction. He has absolutely loved working the rest of the Ramblers in his inaugural year as Musical Director and is looking forward to what the rest of the year has to bring.

Since their establishment in 1998, the University of Rochester Midnight Ramblers have been rocking their way through the world of collegiate a cappella. They have made a name for themselves both on and off campus. In the past, they have brought their talent to Los Angeles, New York, New Orleans, Boston, Miami, London, and more. Their recorded work has been recently placed on the BOCA, Sing, and Voices Only compilation albums, as well as receiving nominations for various Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards. You can check them out on YouTube, or on iTunes with their latest studio album, Déjà Blue. For more information, take a look at their Facebook page or website at www.midnightramblers.org!

Heather Lockart teaches vocal music at Cherry Hill East High School, where she conducts several choirs including Vocal Workshop (freshman choir), Concert Choir (select mixed choir), Chansons (select women’s choir), Casual Harmony (male a cappella ensemble), The Key of She (female a cappella ensemble), and Stay Tuned (a mixed a cappella ensemble).   Ms. Lockart studied voice and music education The College of New Jersey, serving as a soloist and student conductor of the Women’s Choir and Chorale, under the direction of Dr. Michael Mendoza.   Ms. Lockart served as Director of Vocal Music at Hackettstown High School (NJ) until relocating to the Cherry Hill area.  Recently, Ms. Lockart has served as the conductor for the 2010-2011 All South Jersey Junior High Honor Choir, and the 2016 New Jersey Region II Honor Treble Choir.  She has both presented at, and her choirs have been selected to perform at NJMEA conferences.  Ms. Lockart is active with MENC and ACDA, served as Women’s Choir R&S chair for NJACDA and was a coordinator at the 2010 ACDA Eastern Division Conference in Philadelphia.  Since the growth of her A Cappella program at Cherry Hill East HS, Heather has been asked to workshop many a cappella groups in the tri-state area, and leads conference sessions on how to build, grow, and maintain high school a cappella ensembles.  The daughter of two professional music educators, Ms. Lockart lives in Marlton, NJ with her daughter and fiancée.  

Cherry Hill East High School presents “Stay Tuned”, directed by Ms. Heather Lockart.  Stay Tuned performs throughout the tri-state area, recently having performed at Lincoln Financial Field and the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia.  Since its inception in 2011, Stay Tuned has received many awards including first runner up in two Varsity Vocals ICHSA competitions with additional awards for best soloist and choreography.  They took first place in two additional competitions, “A Cappella at the Rock” and “A Cappella for Autism,” winning best choreography and best soloist at each of these events. In 2015, Stay Tuned was selected as one of two a cappella groups nationwide to be featured in the Lifetime Network docuseries, ‘Pitch Slapped’, which aired in the winter of 2016. For the series, Stay Tuned worked with a cappella sensation, Deke Sharon, as they prepared for weekly competitions against some of the east coast’s best high school a cappella ensembles. The members of Stay Tuned are grateful for the endless opportunities that have come their way as they continue to work joyfully and tirelessly at their art.

Highlands Voices are from Northern Highlands Regional High School in Allendale, NJ. The “Voices” as they are called around the school, are featured on the Lifetime TV show Pitch Slapped. They were the winners of the first-ever National A Cappella Convention Competition in 2015, the ICHSA High School A Cappella National Champions in 2014 and ICHSA Mid-Atlantic Champions in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2015. Their first album Decades (available on iTunes) was a CARA runner-up for high school album of the year, and their second album is expected out soon. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube @highlandsvoices.