a cappella - Fourth Avenue

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group bio
Fourth Avenue is an a cappella group that entertains and engages audiences with concerts that feature a variety
of familiar favorites from different eras, as well as catchy original music performed with their unique high-energy
approach. Incredible harmony, audience participation, outrageous humor and a fully choreographed stage
show are all part of the musical extravaganza. Since their start in 1993, they have shared the stage with such
national acts as the Beach Boys, The Temptations, Styx, Three Dog Night, and Blessed Union of Souls.
In 1996, they competed in The Harmony Sweepstakes, a competition that took place in Chicago. Not only did
Fourth Avenue win first place, they also walked away with the award for audience favorite. Fourth Avenue went
on to the National Harmony Sweepstakes in California, and two of their songs were chosen to appear on an internationally distributed album produced by the Harmony Sweepstakes Organization.
Their debut, self-titled CD was released in September of 1997. The song, In the Midnight Hour, that appears on the
CD won a 1998 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award for Best Doo-Wop/R&B Song of the Year.
Fall of 1998, Fourth Avenue began touring with the Muse Machine, an organization which brings professional
artists into the secondary school system of Ohio's Miami Valley. After giving a preview to Miami Valley's Muse
Machine teachers, Fourth Avenue set a new record by being booked in over seventy schools their first year with
the organization. Later that same year, Fourth Avenue was selected to be on the Ohio Arts Council Fee Support
Roster, a program providing federal funding to preferred Ohio touring artists.
Fourth Avenue’s ability to connect with audiences of all ages was put to use full time at Paramount's Kings Island
amusement park for five years. After completing their fifth year there, they were nominated for the 1999 International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Variety Entertainer of the Year Award.
Because of high standing with the Ohio Arts Council, Fourth Avenue was selected in 2000 to be part of the Heartland Arts Fund Community Connections Fee Support Program (now called the Performing Arts Fund). This
program allows artists to receive fee support from the National Endowment for the Arts and fifteen partner state
arts agencies in the Heartland region of the United States (Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan,
Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin).
Since their Tenth Anniversary in 2003, the group continues to be acknowledged for artistic excellence and to
perform nationally and internationally. In 2003, Fourth Avenue was nominated again for a Contemporary A
Cappella Recording Award for Best Pop/Rock Cover song for their rendition of Fade to Grey, which appears on
their album, Scrapbook. They performed in the Netherlands for Holland America Cruise Line's 130th Anniversary,
and enjoyed commercial success with a regional ad campaign for Safe Auto Insurance in 2003, 2004 and 2006.
Fourth Avenue’s latest CD, high energy harmony, was picked as one of the TOP 25 LOCAL CDs of 2007 by the
Dayton Daily News. In 2008 and 2009, Fourth Avenue was invited to perform for Michigan’s Governor.
The group will celebrate its Twentieth Anniversary of entertaining audiences in 2013.
For information contact: Scott Dawson, (937) 902-6793, or http://www.fourthavenue.com
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quotes
"Fourth Avenue is a vocal group in every sense, even using the human voice to provide
instrumental accompaniment. The group’s secret weapon is ‘percussionist’ Maurice
‘Mo’ Harris, who performs some of the best ‘human beatbox’ I’ve ever heard.”
- Tony Peters, Impact Weekly
"Fourth Avenue is a legend in the a cappella universe."
- Deke Sharon, Founder/President of The Contemporary
A Cappella Society of America (CASA)
"You guys were absolutely amazing!"
- George Voinovich, Senator of Ohio
"You guys have IT...I'm passing the torch."
- Sean Altman, Founder and former member of the internationallyrenowned a cappella group "Rockapella"
"...one of the premier a cappella groups of the country!"
- Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science
"...absolutely fantastic! They had the audience clapping and singing in their seats."
- Edinboro University (Pennsylvania)
"...a must hear musical extravaganza!"
- Cayuga Community College (New York)
"They were humorous, and they interacted with the audience. I think this makes them
better performers than many other bands today..."
- New England College (New Hampshire)
"It was good to look around and see everyone having a good time..."
- Penn State Harrisburg
"I wondered where this incredible music was coming from...they were the big hit."
-Wright State University (Ohio)
For information contact: Scott Dawson, (937) 902-6793, or http://www.fourthavenue.com
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appearances
Colleges/Universities
Albion College • Albright College • Ball State University • Bridgewater College • Carnegie-Mellon University •
Cayuga Community College • Cedarcrest College • Chowan College • Clark State Community College • College of
DuPage • College of Wooster • East Stroudsburg University • Edinboro University • Edison Community College •
Fashion Institute of Technology • Fayetteville Technical Community College • Frostburg St. University • Genesee
Community College • Greensboro College • Herkimer Community College • High Point University • Hollins
College • Hope College • Johnson & Wales University • Keuka College • Marietta College • Marymount University
• Miami University (OH) • Monroe Community College • Mount Union College • New England College • Ohio State
University – Newark • Oklahoma City Community College • Orange County Community College • Pace University
• Penn State • Penn St. - Allentown • Penn St. - Beaver • Penn St. - DuBois • Penn St. - Fayette • Penn St. - Harrisburg
• Penn St. - McKeesport • Penn St. - New Kensington • Penn St. - Ogontz • Penn St. Wilkes-Barre • Philadelphia
College of Textiles & Science • Plymouth State College • Princeton University • Raymond Walters College • Saint
Bonaventure University • Saint Francis College • Sinclair Community College • Tompkins Cortland Community
College • University of Cincinnati – Clermont College • University of Dayton • University of North Carolina - Asheville • University of North Carolina - Greensboro • University of Pennsylvania • University of Rio Grande • University of South Carolina - Columbia • University of Southern Alabama • Urbana University • Waynesburg College •
Wells College • Wesleyan College • Wilmington College • Wright State University • York College of Pennsylvania
Community/Performing Arts
Adena Concert Series • AIDS Foundation • Al Koran Temple Shriners • American Cancer Society • American Red
Cross • Antioch Temple Shriners • Arts Partnership of Greater Hancock County • Baum Opera House • Beavercreek
Parks and Recreation • Boy Scouts of America Family Funfest • Boys and Girls Clubs of Cleveland • Cambridge
Concert Association • Centerville Arts Commission • Centerville United Methodist Church • Chase County Area
Arts Council • City of Bellbrook • City of Centerville • City of Cleveland Heights – Cain Park • City of Greensboro •
City of Huber Heights • City of Miamisburg • City of New Carlisle • City of Oakwood • City of Xenia • Clark State
Community College Family Funfest • Columbus Museum of Art • Columbus Music Hall • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation • Dayton Art Institute • Dayton Convention Center • Dayton Museum of Natural History • Eichelberger
Performing Arts Center • Fairborn Parks and Recreation • Faneuil Hall • First Baptist Church • First Lutheran Church
• First Night Columbus • First Night Warren • Fitton Center for the Arts • Franciscan Center at Lourdes College •
Gateway Arts Council • Granville Recreation Commission • Greene County Parks & Recreation • Hamilton County
Parks and Recreation • Hithergreen Senior Center • Jefferson Township • Jobs for Ohio's Graduates • Kettering
Recreation Center • Kettering Senior Center • Make a Wish Foundation • Metro Detroit Bureau of Visitors • Montgomery County Parks & Recreation • Multiple Sclerosis Society • Muscular Dystrophy Association • Muse Machine
Appreciation Concert • New Year’s Fest • Oakwood Community Center • Ohio State Governor's Familiarization
Tour • Pigeon Bandshell • Playhouse South • Prince of Peace Church • Reformation Lutheran Church • St. Helen's
Church • St. Mark's United Methodist Church • Singers for Non-Violence • Southern Ohio Museum • Stubbs
Amphitheatre • United Health Services • Washington Township
For information contact: Scott Dawson, (937) 902-6793, or http://www.fourthavenue.com
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appearances
Corporate
AK Steel • Armco • Bank One • Barley's • Borders Bookstore • Chevrolet • Children’s Medical Center • Cincinnati
Milacron • Cincinnati Reds • Cincinnati Riverhawks • Copeland Corporation • Cresthill Country Club • Dayspring
Health Care • Dayton Board of Realtors • Dayton Bombers • Dayton Power and Light • Delta County Area Chamber
of Commerce • Dental Care One • Elder-Beerman Corporation • Elhart Pontiac • Flagship Financial • Freund, Freeze
and Arnold • Frost & Jacobs • GE Aircraft Engines • General Motors • Grand Traverse Resort and Spa • H&R Block •
Hope Hotel and Conference Center • Kettering Rotary Club • Longaberger • McAlpin's • Miami Valley Hospital •
Mountaineer Gaming Resort and Casino • NCR Corporation • Nite Owl • Ohio Business Teachers Association • One
Lincoln Park • Opryland Themepark • Paramount's Kings Island • Pinnacle Major League Baseball All-Star Fanfest
• Procter & Gamble • TOPS • Toyota Corporation • Tri-Tech Associates • Wetherington Country Club • WrightPatterson Air Force Base • Wright-Pat Credit Union
Fairs/Festivals
Armada Fair • Augusta County Fair • Barbour County Fair • Bay City Fireworks Festival • Bay Port Fish Sandwich
Festival • Bellbrook Sugar Maple Festival • Brunswick Old Fashioned Days • City of Moraine Heritage Festival •
Clearfield County Fair • Coffee County Fair • Corunna 4th of July Celebration • Crooksville-Roseville Pottery Festival • Cumberland County Fair • Dalton Holiday Festival • Dennison Railroad Festival • Doddridge County Fair •
Euclid Fair • Four Flags Area Apple Festival • Gallia County River Recreation Festival • Geauga County Fair • Geneva
Grape Jamboree • Gibson County Fair • Greene County Fair • Greenfield Wheels of Progress Festival • Hampshire
County Fair • Lake City “Greatest 4th in the North” • Lancaster Festival • Lawrence Ox Roast Festival • McLean
County Fair • Marine City Maritime Festival • Miami County Fair • Monmouth County Fair • Music and Motor Festival • New Castle County Ice Cream Festival • North Ridgeville Corn Festival • Obetz Zucchini Festival • Ohio River
Festival • Ohio Tobacco Festival • Ottawa County Fair • Parade of the Hills • Putnam County Fair • Reynoldsbury
Tomato Festival • Saline Community Fair • Salem Fair • Schoolcraft County Fair • State Fair of West Virginia • Trigg
County Country Ham Festival • Troy Daze • Troy Fair • Tulip Time Festival • Upper Peninsula of Michigan State Fair
• Wayne County Fair • Wellston Coal Festival •Yale Bologna Festival • Yale Bologna Festival
Elementary Schools
Baggeley Elementary School • Batavia Elementary School • Beacon Elementary School • Big Walnut Elementary
School • Britton Elementary School • Darby Creek Elementary School • Darby Woods Elementary School • Evening
Street Elementary School • Granville Elementary • Hilliard Horizon Elementary School • Hilliard Station 6th Grade
School • Hilliard Tharp 6th Grade School • Huy Elementary School • J.W. Reason Elementary School • Koebel
Elementary • Latrobe Elementary School • Mariemont Elementary School • Mountainview Elementary School •
Navin Elementary School • Pickerington Elementary School • St. Dominic School • St. Patrick’s Elementary School
• Scioto Darby Elementary School • Shady Lane Elementary School • Worthington Hills Elementary School
For information contact: Scott Dawson, (937) 902-6793, or http://www.fourthavenue.com
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appearances
Secondary Schools
Anderson High School • Ankeney Junior High School • Anna High School • Alter High School • Arcanum High
School • Arcanum-Butler High School • Arcanum-Butler Middle School • Baker Junior High School • Beavercreek
High School • Bellbrook High School • Bellbrook Junior High School • Belmont High School • Berry Middle School
• Bethel High School • Bradford High School • Bridgeview Middle School • Brookville High School • Brookville
Middle School • Buckeye Valley Middle School • Butler High School • Carlisle High School • Celina Middle School
• Centerville High School • Chamberlain Middle School • Chaminade-Julienne High School • Cincinnati Hills
Christain Academy • Coldwater High School • Colerain Middle School • Colonel White High School • Covington
High School • Covington Middle School • Crestview High School • Dixie High School • Elida Middle School • Esther
Dennis Middle School • Fairborn High School • Felicity-Franklin High School • Felicity-Franklin Middle School •
Ferguson Junior High School • Finneytown High School • Franklin High School • Granville Middle School • Greenview High School • Hillel Academy • Houston High School • Jefferson High School • Jones Middle School • Kettering Middle School • Kettering-Fairmont High School • Kings High School • Kings Junior High School • Kiser Middle
School • L T Ball Middle School • Lebanon High School • Leipsic Middle School • Madison High School • Magsig
Middle School • Marion Local High School • Meadowdale High School • Miami East High School • Miami Trace
High School • Miami Valley School • Miamisburg High School • Middletown High School • Morton Middle School
• National Trail High School • National Trail Middle School • Neff Middle School • New Lebanon Middle School •
Newark High School • Newton High School • Northmont High School • Northmont Middle School • Northridge
High School • Northwestern High School • Oakwood High School • Piqua High School • Piqua Junior High School
• Portsmouth East High School • Precious Blood School • Queen of Angels School • Ridgeview Middle School •
Roth Middle School • St. Henry Middle School • St. Joseph’s School • St. Paul’s School • Shawnee High School •
Sidney High School • Sissonville High School • Smith Middle School • Springboro High School • Springfield Shawnee High School • Stebbins High School • Stivers Academy of the Arts • Studebaker Middle School • Summit View
Middle School • Talawanda High School • Tecumseh High School • Tippecanoe High School • Tower Heights
Middle School • Tri-County North High School • Tri-Village High School • Trotwood Madison High School •
Trotwood Madison Middle School • Troy Junior High School • Twin Valley South High School • Twin Valley South
Junior High School • Valleyview High School • Valleyview Middle School • Van Buren Middle School • Van Wert
High School • Van Wert Junior High School • Wantz Middle School • Wapakoneta Middle School • Warner Junior
High School • Washington Court House High School • Watts Middle School • Wayne High School • Waynesville
High School • Waynesville Junior High School • Weisenborn Middle School • West Carrollton High School • West
Carrollton Junior High School • Wilder Junior High School • Xenia High School
For information contact: Scott Dawson, (937) 902-6793, or http://www.fourthavenue.com
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press release
For Immediate Release
(937) 902-6793
Contact: Scott Dawson
Nationally Acclaimed A Cappella Group
Performs At (Place)
CITY, STATE (Month, Day, Year) -Take high performance energy, combine it with a dynamic contemporary a
cappella sound, and you have the makings of Fourth Avenue. The nationally acclaimed a cappella group will be
performing at (time) on (day, date) at (place).
Since their start in 1993, Fourth Avenue has shared the stage with such national acts as The Beach Boys, The
Temptations, Styx, and Three Dog Night. The group was hailed "absolutely amazing" by Ohio's Governor after
performing special music for the Jobs for Ohio's Graduates celebration at the governor's residence.
In 1996, Fourth Avenue placed first at the Chicago Regional Harmony Sweepstakes and was awarded "Audience
Favorite." They went on to perform at the National Harmony Sweepstakes in San Francisco where they were
named one of the top eight a cappella groups in the nation. Two of the group's songs from the competition
were featured on the internationally distributed album produced by the Harmony Sweepstakes Organization.
"Fourth Avenue is a legend in the a cappella universe," says Deke Sharon, founder and president of The Contemporary A Cappella Society of America (CASA).
Fourth Avenue has released four CDs that have received critical acclaim. Their arrangement of In The Midnight
Hour won a Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award for Best Doo-Wop/R&B Song of the Year.
The members of Fourth Avenue include Scott Dawson, baritone; Jim Brown, bass; Ryan Holway, tenor; and Maurice Harris, tenor and vocal percussion.
Since their Tenth Anniversary in 2003, the group continues to be acknowledged for artistic excellence and to
perform nationally and internationally. The quartet was featured at Kings Island amusement park in Cincinnati,
Ohio for five years and was nominated for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions
Variety Entertainer of the Year Award. They also performed at Holland America Cruise Line’s 130th Anniversary
Celebration in the Netherlands and were featured in a regional ad campaign for Safe Auto Insurance in 2003,
2004 and 2006. In 2008 and 2009, Fourth Avenue was invited to perform for Michigan’s Governor. They continue
to tour throughout the country with their special blend of high-energy harmony.
This event is sponsored by (sponsor). Admission is (price). Tickets are available at (location).
For more information, contact (name) at (phone number).
For information contact: Scott Dawson, (937) 902-6793, or http://www.fourthavenue.com
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funding options
Ohio Arts Council
Fourth Avenue is in the Ohio Artists on Tour Directory sponsored by the Ohio Arts Council. Artists are selected for inclusion in the directory through a rigorous panel review and
are chosen only if they show excellence in artistic quality, management, ability to work
with presenters and high quality promotional materials. Ohio presenters may request
funds from the Ohio Arts Council to pay for up to a third of our fee including travel, lodging and outreach activities.
Go to http://www.oac.state.oh.us/grantsprogs/guidelines/OAOTPresenters.asp to
find out more.
Arts Midwest
Fourth Avenue is also supported by the Arts Midwest Touring Fund, a program of Arts
Midwest. If you are a presenter in Arts Midwest’s nine-state region (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota or Wisconsin), you can request
funds from the Arts Midwest Touring Fund to assist with fees associated with Fourth
Avenue.
Go to http://www.artsmidwest.org/programs/paf to find out more.
For information contact: Scott Dawson, (937) 902-6793, or http://www.fourthavenue.com
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residency activities
Fourth Avenue provides a wide variety of residency activities for students. In addition to the programs
below, customized presentations may be created with input from administrators, teachers and faculty
in order to further address the specific curriculum elements of a particular program. Using the principles of ensemble performing, Fourth Avenue teaches valuable skills that are applicable to students of
any concentration. These hands-on activities are motivating, enjoyable, and appropriate for all ages.
Educational Concert: The History of Vocal Music
Approximate Length: 45 minutes
Fourth Avenue's music history concert presentation shows through discussion and live listening
examples how a cappella music developed in the high church of early Western Civilization. The history
covers the advent of secular vocal music starting with the Madrigal, continuing on to the barbershop
tradition of the early twentieth century and ending with the pop sounds of the twenty first century. A
study guide for this special educational concert presentation is available.
Workshop: Vocal Technique
Approximate Length: 45 minutes
This activity for music students discusses the Alexander Technique of body alignment and the italian
bel canto school of breath management. Students will learn the steps to achieving the proper posture
for singing, and then experience the principles of the bel canto technique through breathing exercises
and various vocalises. In addition, a description of the physiological process of inhalation and exhalation will be covered. Fourth Avenue emphasizes that good vocal technique is important for performing any style of vocal music.
Masterclass: Ensemble Singing
Approximate Length: 45 minutes
Fourth Avenue's masterclass on ensemble singing includes working directly with choral groups and
the ensemble's concert literature. As the group performs, Fourth Avenue gives suggestions on how to
achieve the optimal balance, blend and tuning. The ensemble may be divided into smaller groups or
sections to more effectively address the problems of individual chorus members in a more personal
manner.
For information contact: Scott Dawson, (937) 902-6793, or http://www.fourthavenue.com
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references
Fourth Avenue performs for a wide variety of clients including performing arts presenters, colleges, fairs and festivals, corporations, high schools, middle schools and elementary schools. The reference letters attached provide some insight into what you can
expect when you book Fourth Avenue for your venue.
References are from:
Scott Staelgraeve
General Manager
Upper Peninsula of Michigan State Fair
Escanaba, MI
Dena McKinley
Public Performance Committee Chair
Granville Recreation District
Granville, OH
Kent Hansher
General Music Teacher
Hilliard Tharp Sixth Grade School
Hilliard, OH
For information contact: Scott Dawson, (937) 902-6793, or http://www.fourthavenue.com
Re:
Fourth Avenue
To Whom It May Concern:
My name is Dena McKinley, and I am the chair of the Public Performance
Committee for the Granville Recreation District in Granville, Ohio.
Our concert series has been in place for 29 years; I have been involved with the
committee for the past nine years and chaired the committee since 2007.
I can vividly recall the first time I saw Fourth Avenue at an Ohio Arts Presenters
Network Showcase in Springfield, Ohio. They completely electrified the audience
and the entire room was abuzz when they concluded their showcase.
We immediately planned to add them to our performance schedule, which we were
able to do for summer 2009. They were easy to work with from scheduling
through the contract process.
When our concert date came around they were prompt, courteous, and a pleasure
for our sound tech to work with. Their performance, as expected, wowed our
audience which called for many encores. Fourth Avenue graciously visited with the
audience during intermission and again at the conclusion of their show. We
definitely plan to bring them back to Granville in the future.
In my opinion, there is no doubt that Fourth Avenue is one of the very best in their
field, and will continue to excel in providing the public with wonderful music and
thrilling performances.
May 15, 2010
PO Box 483
Granville, OH 43023
www.granvillerec.org