2019 LeadAC and HU Deadline Extended!
2019 LeadAC and Harmony College schedules now available!
For more information on 2019 LeadAC and Harmony College, go to the event on the District Calendar HERE
To download a copy of the schedule for LeadAC CLICK HERE
To download a copy of the schedule for Harmony College CLICK HERE
2019 LeadAC & Harmony College
Hey, Sunshine District do you know what time it is……………….?
It is time to sign up for the new, revamped, exciting, and educational Sunshine District Leadership Academy and INTRODUCING OUR VERY OWN Harmony College. We have an exciting line up for everyone this year as we continue to try to grow our chapters, give our singers skills and knowledge to use on and off the risers, and be the society that truly has “Everyone in Harmony.” If that isn’t exciting enough we have also moved to The Rosen Plaza on International Drive in Orlando, FL and are offering the ability to sign up using Eventbrite. We hope to have a large turnout of excited, enthusiastic, energized members join us this year. If you have any questions, please reach out to me and let me help you and your chapter get engaged.
In Harmony,
Matt Crisostomo
VP District Education/CSLT
Fall Convention Competitor Draw is here!
The competition order draw has been completed and there are 19 Quartets and 6 choruses set to sing for the various contests. We will be crowning the District Quartet Champion and the District Mixed Harmony Quartet Champions. In the quartet competition, we will also be selecting our International Seniors Preliminary Quartet Qualifier as well as awarding the Sunshine District Gene Cokeroft Most-Improved Quartet Award.
In the Chorus contest, we will be selecting our International Preliminary Chorus Representative, as well as the choruses will be competing for the Most Improved Chorus Award and Chorus Grade Level Improvement Awards.
It is going to be a great contest, so come and support your District competitors!
| Quartet Draw | ||
| 1 | On Point | SUN |
| 2 | Orange Avenue | SUN |
| 3 | Back Street 4 | SUN |
| 4 | Slice! | SUN |
| 5 | Dewey, Singum, and Howe | SUN |
| 6 | Rare Blend | MBHA |
| 7 | Easy Street | SUN |
| 8 | Old Gold | NEXT |
| 9 | Facts Only | SUN |
| 10 | Harmony Grits | NSC |
| 11 | Bourbon Brothers | SUN |
| 12 | Lock and Ring | MISC(Mixed) |
| 13 | Wee Small Hours | SUN |
| 14 | Headline | SUN |
| 15 | In-A-Chord | SUN |
| 16 | Rolling Tones | SUN |
| 17 | 4 for 4 | SUN |
| 18 | Baytowners | SUN |
| 19 | Bioluminescent | SUN |
| Chorus Draw | ||
| 1 | Heralds of Harmony | |
| 2 | Orange Blossom Chorus | |
| 3 | Emerald Coast Chorus | |
| 4 | Orlando Harmony | |
| 5 | THX | |
| 6 | Capital Chordsmen |
Big Changes for 2019 LeadAC!
Hey, Sunshine District do you know what time it is……………….?
It is time to sign up for the new, revamped, exciting, and educational Sunshine District Leadership Academy and INTRODUCING OUR VERY OWN Harmony College. We have an exciting line up for everyone this year as we continue to try to grow our chapters, give our singers skills and knowledge to use on and off the risers, and be the society that truly has “Everyone in Harmony.” If that isn’t exciting enough we have also moved to The Rosen Plaza on International Drive in Orlando, FL and are offering the ability to sign up using Eventbrite. We hope to have a large turnout of excited, enthusiastic, energized members join us this year. If you have any questions, please reach out to me and let me help you and your chapter get engaged.
In Harmony,
Matt Crisostomo
VP District Education/CSLT
Sunshine District Well Represented at International Convention!
The 2018 International Convention in Orlando was a great success. With two quartets winning medals, Signature 2nd place Silver medals & Throwback 3rd place Bronze medals, Rooftop Records finishing in the top 10 at tenth place and The Simple Life in 27th place, Sunshine District was well represented in the quartet contest. In the Chorus contest, the Heralds of Harmony placed 6th and Big Orange Chorus placed 15th in a very tough chorus competition.
Sunshine District adds Two more Qualifiers for International!
Two more quartets have qualified for International Quartet Competition at the BHS International Convention July 2-8, 2018 in Orlando at the Orange County Convention Center. The Quartets qualified out of district for various reasons.
- Signature – 92.0%
- Rooftop Records – 84.3%
Previous qualifiers, Hot Shots have withdrawn from competition for personal reasons.
Board of Directors and House of Delegates approve new Mission Statement
Sunshine District Mission Statement
The Sunshine District of The Barbershop Harmony Society brings men together in harmony and fellowship to enrich lives through singing in the state of Florida. To work in this direction, we will strive:
- To support the vision statement of the Barbershop Harmony Society.
- To perpetuate the old American institution, the Barbershop quartet, and to promote and encourage vocal harmony and good fellowship among our members throughout the state of Florida by the formation of local chapters composed of members interested in our style of harmony.
- To provide an all-inclusive environment across cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual orientation, gender, social, economic and generational lines.
- To encourage and promote the education of our members and the public in music appreciation.
- To promote public appreciation of Barbershop quartet and chorus singing by publication and dissemination of information about chapter and quartet shows and programs.
- To support music scholarships and charitable foundations on the local and international level and to initiate, promote and participate in other charitable projects.
- To initiate and maintain a broad program of musical education, particularly in the field of vocal harmony and the allied arts.
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To hold semi-annual district contests in quartet and chorus singing.
Vision Statement of the Barbershop Harmony Society
Sunshine District Qualifies 3 Quartets for 2018 International competition in Orlando!
Another great Sunshine District Convention is in the books. In the International Quartet Preliminary Contest, three quartets won the right to represent the Sunshine District at the 2018 International Quartet competition in July right here in Orlando.
- Throwback placed in the top of the rankings with 2153 points or an average of 89.7%.
- Second was The Simple Life with 1867 points or an average of 77.8%.
- Third was HotShots after a 10 year hiatus from competition with a score of 1860 points or an average of 77.5%
In the District Chorus Championship competition, first place honors went to the Big Orange Chorus with a score of 982 or an average of 81.8%
In the Seniors Quartet Championship, Gloryland Way took top honors with a score of 789 or an average of 65.8%.
In Mixed Quartet Competition, Pink Flamingo took first place and won the honor of being mic testers for the Quartet Finals on Saturday. Mixed quartets were singing for score/eval only and scores were not published.
Scoresheets are HERE
Tony De Rosa wins 2017 Sunshine District BOTY!
One of the great moments of the Sunshine District Spring 2018 Convention was the announcement of Tony De Rosa as our 2017 Barbershopper of the Year (BOTY).
Tony DeRosa IS the face of the Sunshine District to the rest of the barbershop-ping world. In our hobby, Tony’s legendary status as the most decorated barbershop singer in history is an amazing tribute to his continuing contributions to the Sunshine District. He’s instantly recognizable to nearly every barbershopper in the world as a Sunshine District performer and competitor and NEVER fails to give credit to the support received from the Sunshine District. He continues to be a true ambassador for the Sunshine District in his many roles as competitor, director, master musician, coach and mentor. His four gold medals, with Sunshine District Quartets: Keepsake Platimum, MaxQ and Main Street are a testament to his talents as a singer…plus as the lead in Main Street and the 2017 Gold Medal Quartet, he was a top 5 competitor for 5 of the last six years! His record of achievement is unmatched!
Tony is much more than a competitor.
- As a Chorus Director, he led the Herald of Harmony to 9 straight International competitions in 1994- 2002, and has returned the Heralds to even loftier heights in his current engagement (2012 to the present) having led them to their highest International qualifying score in their history in 2017. He also directs the current 3rd place Sweet Adelines Chorus (Tampa) – The Toast of Tampa, and was previously a Director for the Jacksonville Big-O chorus from 1997 – 2016. He also directed the 2017 District Past Champion Quartets Chorus, and was the AIC International Chorus Director in 2014, 2016, and 2017.
- Tony is a much sought after vocal coach and clinician for quartets and choruses around the world. He’s taken personal interest in helping other Sunshine District quartets to excel and represent the district. Tony volunteered his considerable coaching skills to two notable Sunshine District quartets: Signature (2017 International Quartet Silver Medalists) and Easy Street (2018 Senior International Quartet Silver Medalists.) He’s a master performer and is nearly always seen on the Sunshine District stage as a performer with one of his quartets…including his newest quartet: Backstreet 4, with his son Joseph DeRosa! Tony also earned the prestigious Master 700 Director designation with SAI in 2017. He helped coach both Vocal Majority and Master of Harmony to the 1 — 2 finish in the 2017 International Chorus Competition. In addition, as a music support technician he created learning materials for 2017 International Chorus Medalist quartet, Throwback and 11th place International Quartet and “mic tester” –Rooftop Records, providing further testimony for his support of Sunshine District competitors.
- Tony has been a role model and mentor to many youth in the District. He’s been an HX Facilitator for 10 Plus Years, and served as male music clinician in 2017. He also volunteered his time to coach a new young quartet, in Tampa – You Bet – to a 4th place finish in the 2017 District Competition. He also volunteered as coach to work with Debbie Cleveland’s Gaither High School Chorus who received a Superior Rating and was voted “Audience Favorite” at the 2018 Midwinter in Costa Mesa, CA.
- As an entertainer, Tony’s innovations with Main Street, in particular have seen his contributions to the image of the Sunshine District soar. His concept development and recording of “These Will Be the Good Old Days, Twenty Years from Now” has generated over 2.6 MILLION views of Main Street! Tony was also instrumental in experimenting, in Sunshine District, with chorus combinations to bring more singers to the International competition experience. In 2016, the combination of Tampa with Jacksonville resulted in a 9th place finish in the International Chorus Competition. Tampa is currently competing in combination with the Atlanta Vocal Project, under the Heralds of Harmony and Sunshine District banner.
Tony is highly deserving of the Sunshine District Barbershopper of the Year because of his decades of service as THE consummate master of our craft that is known, and loved, by barbershoppers everywhere.