Tin Pan Alley Quartet Contest (TPA) is Voices of Gotham's annual novice quartet contest, which brings new quartets to compete in front of both an audience and a panel using the Barbershop Harmony Society's adjudication standards. TPA fosters choral excellence by:
Encouraging barbershop quartetting
Developing quality quartet singers
Educating our contestants and spectators about the history of barbershop in New York City
Tin Pan Alley draws its name from the historic New York City alley where popular musicians and music publishers largely worked from the late 19th century into the early 20th century. Barbershop draws many of its songs from music produced in this area on 28th street between 5th and 6th ave during this era.
History of Tin Pan Alley Quartet Contest
The contest was started in 2010 and has been held annually with the exception of 2013 and 2017 for calendar shifts and to align better with Mid-Atlantic District Division schedule. As the contest developed, a few changes have been implemented:
Starting in 2014, VoG partnered with Sirens of Gotham (the New York chapter of Sweet Adelines, Intl) on the contest and removed any gender requirements allowing mixed and non-male quartets to compete
Originally started as a "novice" contest only, an "open" division was added in 2015 to encourage more individuals and quartets to compete without the more stringent requirements around being "novice". Called the Flat Foot Four Award, this award was named in recognition of the quartet that won the 1940 BHS International Competition held at the World's Fair in New York City that year
Starting in 2016, an award category was created for the top Mixed Quartet (featuring more than one gender identity) - the Grand Central Red Caps Award. This award is named after the winners of the 7th Annual NYC Parks Barbershop Quartet Contest in 1941. Featuring four black railway workers, this quartet was barred from competing at the SPEBSQSA Contest in St. Louis later that year due to their race despite the NYC Parks Contest winner being guaranteed a spot. This snub and blatant racism resulted in NYC Parks Commissioner Robert Moses and former New York State Governor Al Smith resigning their vice presidencies of SPEBSQSA.[1] In 2023, this award was repositioned as the Collaboration Award to better reflect the intent of encouraging quartets featuring members from both Voices and Sirens of Gotham.
Champions
Flat Foot Four Award - Open Quartet Champion
Year
Quartet
Tenor, Lead, Bari, Bass
Remarks
2026
Strong Suit
Meredith Rich, Adam Bock, Abby Duginski, Dan Krackhardt
2025
B-side
Brett Watanabe, Nick Roberto, Chris Granger, Braden Lynk
2024
Smokelynaires
Becca Eckes, Steph Taglianetti, BJ Hillinck, Adam Bock
2023
Smoke Ring
Becca Eckes, Steph Taglianetti, Alexander Ronneburg, Gabriel Spector
2022
BQ
Ian Wolfe, Katie Macdonald, Rafi Hasib, Michael Cawley
2021
Everybody Loves My Gabey
Max Mellman, Alexander Ronneburg, Spencer Wight, Gabriel Spector
2020
Madhattan
Max Mellman, Alexander Ronneburg, Spencer Wight, Richard Townsend
2019
The Brooklynaires
BJ Hillinck, Alex McCoy, Adam Bock, Jared Graveley
2018
Park Slope Four
BJ Hillinck, Alex McCoy, Rafi Hasib, Braden Lynk
2016
Pitching Staff
Alex McCoy, Rob Weber, John Maderazo, Jeremy Weissmann
2015
The Creepers
Rafi Hasib, Gus Curry, Ben Hokamp, Dylan Lupo
Tin Pan Award - Novice Quartet Champion
In order to be considered a "novice" quartet, no more than two members may have done any of the following:
Competed in ANY quartet at a BHS District-level (fall) contest and only one of those two may have advanced to or sung at the International level, whether by the route of Prelims or District-level contests. Collegiate Internationals is not considered “International Level”.
Placed in the top 5 of an SAI Regional Quartet Competition in any region or qualified for SAI International Quartet Competition as a Wild Card
Won a Harmony Inc quartet competition at any level or qualified for international level competition
Year
Quartet
Tenor, Lead, Bari, Bass
Remarks
2026
The Gaslight Gang
Edwina Lui, Jude Olney, Nick Taber, Peter Kempf
2025
Ella, Bella, & the Fellas
Bella Cruz, Mark Doyle, Ella Freeman, Carson Kientz
2024
Our Dads Might Know Each Other
Brett Watanabe, Nick Taber, Patricia Norcross, Dan Krackhardt
2023
Smoke Ring
Becca Eckes, Steph Taglianetti, Alexander Ronneburg, Gabriel Spector
2022
Nick Sings Bass (again)
Elizabeth Culbertson, Stephanie Taglianetti, Becca Eckes, Nick Taber
2021
Not Second
Nick Taber, Alex McCoy, Eric Blum, Gabriel Spector
2020
Four Bang Boys of New York
Matthew Wells, Tyler Indyck, Jonathan Riviere, Leo Wiggins
2019
Skittles
Haley Cole, Mira Taferner, Robbie Weber, Richard Townsend
2018
Spicy Special
Elizabeth Culbertson, Anna Chelak, BJ Hillinck, Braden Lynk
1st Mixed Quartet to Win Tin Pan
2016
Lung Candy
Max Mellman, Bern Tan, Spencer Wight, Richard Townsend
1st New Voice Quartet to Win Tin Pan; Later renamed "Madhattan"
2015
The Creepers
Rafi Hasib, Gus Curry, Ben Hokamp, Dylan Lupo
2014
Will and the Brown Men
Rafi Hasib, Will Downey, Doug Brown, Ryan Brown
2012
Come On, Braden
Jeremy Weissmann, Rafi Hasib, Chris Granger, Braden Lynk
2011
Bad Apples
Will McCain, Chris Granger, Matt Beals, Braden Lynk
2010
Tiddlies and Beer
Dan Scott, Will McCain, Alex Lorimer, Braden Lynk
Grand Central Red Caps Award - Collaboration Quartet Champion
In order to be considered a Collaboration Quartet, the quartet must be comprised of members from both Voices and Sirens of Gotham.
Year
Quartet
Tenor, Lead, Bari, Bass
Remarks
2026
Strong Suit
Meredith Rich, Adam Bock, Abby Duginski, Dan Krackhardt
2025
Sforzando
Becca Eckes, Gabriel Spector, Paul Harris, Keith Harris
2024
Smokelynaires
Becca Eckes, Steph Taglianetti, BJ Hillinck, Adam Bock
2023
Smoke Ring
Becca Eckes, Steph Taglianetti, Alexander Ronneburg, Gabriel Spector
2022
BQ
Ian Wolfe, Katie Macdonald, Rafi Hasib, Michael Cawley
2021
The Pfishters
Erin Fish, Alexandra Finger, Tyler Fish, Don Pflaster
2020
Deez Notes
Mika Nagashima, Nina Riffaud, Alex McCoy, Eric Blum
2019
Skittles
Haley Cole, Mira Taferner, Robbie Weber, Richard Townsend
2018
Spicy Special
Elizabeth Culbertson, Anna Chelak, BJ Hillinck, Braden Lynk
2016
Do-Si-Do
Emily Whicheloe, Alex McCoy, Bridget McCoy, Ryan Brown
2015
Sharp 4
Artemisz Polonyi, Celia Smith, Adam Bock, Steve Severinghaus
New Voice Award
In order to be considered a "New Voice" quartet, there must be at least two members who newly joined either Voices of Gotham or Sirens of Gotham since the last Tin Pan Alley contest was held
Year
Quartet
Tenor, Lead, Bari, Bass
Remarks
2026
The Placeholders
Elia Rangel, Rachel Graf Evans, Colm Talbot, Peter Kempf
2025
Ella, Bella, & the Fellas
Bella Cruz, Mark Doyle, Ella Freeman, Carson Kientz
2024
Our Dads Might Know Each Other
Brett Watanabe, Nick Taber, Patricia Norcross, Dan Krackhardt
2023
No Quartet Eligible
N/A
2022
Triboro
Brett Watanabe, Nick Roberto, Chris Granger, Braden Lynk
2021
No Quartet Eligible
Sammy Lai
Awarded to an individual
2020
Four Bang Boys of New York
Matthew Wells, Tyler Indyck, Jonathan Riviere, Leo Wiggins
2019
Too Much Pressure
Alexander Ronneburg, Nick Taber, Alan Dai, Gabriel Spector
2018
Men of Manchego
Alex McCoy, Emmett Ingram, Phil Cheasebro, Richard Townsend
2016
Lung Candy
Max Mellman, Bern Tan, Spencer Wight, Richard Townsend
Later renamed "Madhattan"
2015
Ringing Belles
Hannah Gordon, Rachel Livingston, Helen Brew, Debbie Chen
2014
For the Times
Kofi Mills, Rob Weber, Gus Curry, Dylan Lupo
2012
Step It Up
Rafi Hasib, Will McCain, Jeremy Weissmann, John Maderazo
