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Coach Tony DeRosa
Tony grew-up singing barbershop harmony, as his dad Papa Joe was an accomplished musician, choral ensemble director and barbershop society member. Tony also has three quartet gold medals. He sang baritone in the 1992 International Champion Quartet, Keepsake and the 2000 Champs, Platinum. He also directed the nationally acclaimed Tampa Heralds of Harmony Chorus for several years. Tony lives in Orlando, Florida and is a studio vocalist and coach of many quartets and choruses around the country. Tony DeRosa has served as director of the Toast of Tampa Chorus since 2007. A resident of Winter Garden near Orlando, DeRosa's work includes vocal director for Celebrity Cruise Lines and music director for the Voices of Liberty at Epcot.
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Coach Judy Pozsgay
Judy is a visual performance and presentation coach, choreography designer, and vocal instructor based in Seattle, WA, USA. She is the Choreographer and an Assistant Director of the award-winning Lions Gate Chorus in Vancouver, BC, Canada. She is a member of the SAI International Faculty, an approved Candidate Judge in the Showmanship category, a Certified Director, and is the past Education Coordinator for SAI Region 26. She is also a 7-time International Quartet Top 10 finalist with the quartets Unplugged and Mojo.
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Coach Dale Syverson
A keen ear, a wild sense of humor, and the ability to convey a volume of meaning with her little finger are just a few of the talents of our Coach Dale Syverson. The Master Director of the Rich-Tone Chorus of Richardson, Texas, Syverson has led her chorus to multiple International Gold Medals as well as winning the International Quartet championship with two of her quartets, The Tiffanys in 1973 and Rumors in 1998. She is a certified Expression Judge as well as a member of the Sweet Adelines International music faculty. Harborlites looks forward to Dale's every visit to benefit from her expertise.
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In Memory of Coach Joni Bescos
Coach Joni Bescos was a legend in the world of Sweet Adelines — she did it all and wrote the book on it, too. She was an International Quartet Champion with her quartet, 4 for the Show. She won three International Chorus gold medals while singing with the Rich-Tone Chorus in Richardson, Texas. She directed the Verdugo Hills Chorus from 1966 to 1989, leading them to eight regional championships and five international medals. She was not only a judge in three of four categories — Music, Sound, and Expression — but actually wrote the manual used to train every judge in the program. She also discovered the link between barbershop music and Pythagorian tuning and wrote the text, "How to Arrange Barbershop Harmony," that is utilized by musical arrangers worldwide.
She also served Sweet Adelines International as an administrator, on many committees, and as a member of the International Board of Directors.
In honor of her many achievements and contributions, Bescos was presented the Sweet Adelines’ Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999, the highest honor awarded by the International organization.
We were honored that "Mother Joni" brought all of her talents and skills to us as a frequent coach of the Harborlites and she is sorely missed.
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Coach Erin Howden
One of the Harborlites' trademarks is the energized showmanship and unique choreography that we put on stage — and this choreography is, more likely than not, created by our visual coach Erin Howden.
At a young age, Howden has already gained international renown in the barbershop world for her innovative and clever choreography. She first came to the spotlight as a member of the North Metro Chorus in Toronto where her choreography helped launch that chorus to three gold medals.
Howden now travels across North America and around the world, helping both women's and men's barbershop choruses add dance, movement, and emotional portrayal to build a connection with their audiences.
A member of North Metro since she was 13, Howden learned barbershop under the leadership of her mother, North Metro Director June Dale. She is now expanding her many skills toward directing; she and Dale directed the Family Chorus at Sweet Adelines International Convention in Nashville to acclaim from around the world. She also serves as a faculty member of Sweet Adelines International and teaches at music schools throughout Canada and the United States.
With Erin’s every visit, the Harborlites Chorus knows we're going to laugh, we're going to cry, we're going to sweat, and we're going to learn yet another way to add dimension to our music.
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Coach Jeff Baker
If the definition of an ideal barbershop coach would be someone who's reached the pinnacle of competition — and has the knowledge and talent to show you the way to achieve those heights — then Jeff Baker is an ideal coach.
Baker began barbershop singing at age 12 alongside his father in the SPEBSQSA chapter in Olean, NY., and at that young age joined his first quartet. He fell in love with performing and was involved in musical theater and summer stock in the New York area for many years, then moved to Los Angeles to attend the Lee Strausberg Theater Institute in Hollywood and pursue acting. He works today as the Manager of Broadcast Operations for Warner Brothers.
But Baker had not left behind barbershop music. He continued to sing in quartets, winning international competition in 1996 with his group, Nightlife. Baker has also won five SPEBSQSA international chorus championships as a member of the Masters of Harmony. He has performed in 42 of the 50 United States as well as Australia, Fiji, England, Ireland, and Germany.
Sharing his expertise with barbershoppers from around the world, Baker has been coaching choruses and quartets in both the men's and women's organizations. The Harborlites chorus looks forward to Jeff's insights, his empathy, and his insistence on excellence with every coaching visit.
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