THE INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP OF COLLEGIATE

A CAPPELLA

DEAR FRIENDS,

Welcome to Varsity Vocals’ 26th season! Our enthusiasm for the art of a cappella is greater than ever after more than a quarter century of presenting the best student groups on stage and in the studio.

Our tournaments have grown from a handful of events to the massive showcase they are today, this year featuring more than 578 groups and 8,772 singers at 77 events across North America and the United Kingdom.

Our original tournament inspired the hit movie "Pitch Perfect", based on the nonfiction book documenting the true story of rival groups competing against each other in our very own ICCA. The "Pitch Perfect" franchise remains the highest-grossing musical series of all time.

Despite the incredible growth and mainstream popularity we’ve enjoyed, our focus remains sharply on the promotion and development of the talent that crosses our stage. We believe competition fosters growth, as groups work together toward a specific goal and cultivate lifelong skills and relationships.

We provide insightful feedback from our highly qualified judges – but more importantly, our singers get to connect with a larger audience from across the country, learning from their peers and finding inspiration in other groups.

Two years ago, our 2020 tournament was sidelined mid-season by the pandemic, and we were unable to crown champions for the first time. In 2021, as a cappella groups were unable to gather to rehearse or perform, we adapted our program by challenging groups to create 4-minute music videos, recorded and edited remotely. The astonishing artistry and skill in these videos is a testament to the adaptability, ingenuity, and determination of our competitors, and we couldn’t be prouder.

This season, we are again challenged by the pandemic, as we attempt to present live events across thousands of miles in an ever-changing COVID landscape. Although some of our events have been postponed or converted to virtual, we are determined to see the season through. Many groups haven’t been able to compete live since 2019 – some students for their entire high school or college career. We are humbled more than ever by the importance of our role in setting the stage for the creation of so much magic.

We have seen a cappella make great strides from where it began on our stage 26 years ago, and we can’t wait to see how our 2022 competitors push the envelope. Committed to promoting our singers and energized by the incredible music they create, we look forward to another memorable season. Thank you for joining us!

Sincerely,

Amanda Newman
Executive Director

ICCA MID-ATLANTIC SEMIFINAL

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ABOUT VARSITY VOCALS

Since 1996, we have encouraged students worldwide to sing a cappella throughout their lives. Our programs include the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA), the International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA), and the International Championship of A Cappella Open (The Open). We also annually produce The Best of College A Cappella (BOCA) and The Best of High School A Cappella (BOHSA) compilation albums.

Our a cappella competitions give top-notch a cappella groups the opportunity to showcase their talents for an international audience and to take home valuable feedback from our qualified judges. This year, competing groups will appear in venues all around the world, offering their energetic musical performances for your enjoyment.

The college tournament takes place from January through April in nine regions across the country and around the world. Each region holds anywhere from four to five Quarterfinals, and the top groups from each Quarterfinal advance to the Semifinal. The winning group at each Semifinal is named Regional Champion and advances to the ICCA Finals at The Town Hall in New York City on Saturday, April 23rd.

The high school tournament is now in its 17th year. The winners of each of seven Semifinal rounds will advance to the ICHSA Finals at The Town Hall in New York City on Saturday, April 22nd.

The Open Tournament celebrated its third year in summer 2019 and featured six Semifinals that lead to the Open Finals featuring those six Regional Champions, two Wild Card Champions, and our 2019 ICHSA and ICCA Champions. Those 10 groups competed in October 2019 at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

 For a full tournament schedule, visit us at www.varsityvocals.com/events

ABOUT TONIGHT'S SHOW

The performance order was determined by random draw this afternoon and will be announced from stage.        

Tonight’s performers will be evaluated on elements of their vocal and visual performance, which carry numerical weight. The highest and lowest score from the individual judges will be dropped for each group. Our judges may recognize exceptional performances with special awards as they see fit.

There will be a 15-minute intermission. After the final group has performed, a guest performer will entertain you while the scores are tabulated.

Because each group only has ten minutes to perform, we ask you to keep your applause to an enthusiastic minimum between songs. Please feel welcome to applaud as much as you want after each group has finished its set.

Videotaping and non-flash photography for personal use is permitted during the concert, so long as you do not disrupt our performers or other patrons. Due to licensing regulations, we do not provide a video or audio recording of this performance.

TONIGHT'S COMPETITORS

West Chester University's High Street Harmonix is a gender-inclusive a cappella group created in 2013. The group consists of students who come from all different majors, but are brought together by their love of music. Performing in the ICCA every year is one of High Street Harmonix’s most highly anticipated events. They are thrilled to be back onstage and hope you enjoy their performance! 

LiaChorus is a gender-inclusive, contemporary, and competitive a cappella group, dedicated to bringing high-level performances to the general public and Temple and Philadelphia community. LiaChorus prides themselves on their unique blend, musical versatility, and competitive history. They have competed in the ICCA three times, made it to Semifinals twice, and earned the title of Quarterfinal Champions in spring 2020. 

The Johns Hopkins Vocal Chords are thrilled to be returning to the ICCA. They are proud to come from a school with so many talented a cappella groups and are excited to compete alongside them, along with amazing groups from other schools. Founded in 1995 by seven students, The Vocal Chords have enjoyed a 26-year tenure as Hopkins’ “friendly neighborhood a cappella group.” They have performed in various settings, including a Washington Wizards halftime show and at the opening of Apple’s flagship store in D.C.’s Carnegie Library. While these off-campus experiences are a blast, their most meaningful performances are on campus surrounded by their community. They earned their “friendly neighborhood” title through energetic concerts which bring equally great measures of music and fun. The pandemic brought challenges for them, but the group persisted with dedication, passion, and patience. During this time, The Vocal Chords collaborated with The Notes of Ranvier to record and release an arrangement of Beyoncé and Arrow Benjamin’s “Runnin’ (Lose it All)” on Spotify and Apple Music. They have also released singles through their YouTube channel (JHU Vocal Chords), where you can also watch their 2020 ICCA set, which took 3rd place at Quarterfinals. 

Off Track is a freshly formed co-ed a cappella group from Towson University, established in fall 2021.This small but mighty group has come together through a shared love of music and includes singers of various experience levels, from ICCA veterans to those brand-new to the competitive a cappella scene. This group of creative and eclectic minds is united with a common goal to find joy in every note, phrase, and color that they sing.

Chromatic, from Millersville University & the Tell School of Music, is a 100% student-led group. As the only a cappella group on campus, Chromatic is open to all majors, genders, and walks of life. Previously a jazz group, they turned a cappella in 2016 and never looked back. They perform in events, concerts, and showcases on and off campus. This will be their fourth year competing in the ICCA. Last year, they took home the title of Quarterfinal Champions! Since that win, they have released music on Spotify and Apple Music (under MU Chromatic) and even went viral on TikTok! They are so glad to be back in person! 

The Supernovas is Villanova’s oldest co-ed a cappella group. Villanova does not have a music major, so the group members come from a wide variety of undergraduate focuses including nursing, military science, engineering, neuroscience, and more, while also being dedicated to music. Since being founded in 1999, The Supernovas have grown in size and sound, developing a truly unique style of a cappella. Singing music from artists such as Yebba, MUNA, Sam Smith, Florence and the Machine, Whitney Houston, and Ariana Grande, The Supernovas honor the truth of each artist's original sound while incorporating their Supernova style in every arrangement. Throughout the year, The Supernovas perform at a variety of events on and off Villanova’s campus, from basketball games to Villanova’s Special Olympics Fall Festival. In the past, The Supernovas have performed at benefit concerts, toured the Northeast with other a cappella groups, and were invited to audition for NBC's “The Sing-Off.” The Supernovas have been performing competitively in the ICCA for the past six years.

The Deaftones is Westminster Choir College's premier co-ed auditioned a cappella group. These students all come from musical backgrounds, with many of them in the prestigious choral programs at our school. This choral emphasis sets The Deaftones apart in the a cappella world, creating a unique and complex blend of styles. 

Vocal Point is a co-ed a cappella group from the University of Delaware. The group was founded in 1998, with an ‘80s music focus. Since branching out from its ‘80s origins, VP currently sings songs by Ariana Grande, Panic at the Disco!, Jon Bellion, Martin Garrix, Rihanna, and many others! Today, they are a fun-loving group of college students with a passion for singing. Vocal Point has competed in the ICCA for many years. They are excited to meet the many talented groups here and get back to competing in person. VP loves traveling to collaborate with other groups. In the past, Vocal Point has traveled to North Carolina to attend SoJam, up to Boston to attend BOSS, and to countless venues in the Mid-Atlantic region. Vocal Point has an album called Momentum and three EPs, Fragile, Phoenix, and Dream, all of which are available on Spotify and Apple Music. Please follow their social media accounts (@VocalPointUD ) to stay up to date on all of Vocal Point’s upcoming releases and performances. 

Ramifications was founded in 2010 and is the premier, internationally recognized a cappella group at Virginia Commonwealth University. Over the years, The Ramifications have only grown in talent and notoriety, establishing themselves as a force to be reckoned with on campus and in the greater collegiate community. For two consecutive years, The Rams have been featured on the BOCA compilation albums for their tracks "Bellyache" and "Freedom." Ramifications host Richmond Rhythm, Virginia's very own annual collegiate a cappella invitational. You can find Rams' music on all streaming platforms, as well as music videos and live sets on their YouTube channel. 

No Ceiling is an all-gender a cappella group established in 2015, from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va. They aim to represent the vocal talents of their school on a national stage and to provide opportunities for students to engage in positive competition with talented groups from other schools. No Ceiling’s dynamic sound comes from their wide-ranging repertoire, from lesser-known songs to radio hits with their own spin on it. You could say there's no ceiling to their sound!

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

An instrumentalist for most of his early life, Christopher Hoffman found his calling in vocal music as a member (and eventual president) of Hofstra University's Sigma'cappella. He helped bring the group to ICCA Semifinals twice in its first three years of competition, and earned individual awards on the way for Outstanding Arrangement. During this time, he began arranging for and collaborating with various professional, collegiate, and high school groups, and has continued in this work since graduation. Christopher helped SingStrong coordinate collegiate talent for its inaugural New York festival, and has worked with The Vocal Company’s marketing team. He currently lives on Long Island where he spends his free time working with high school a cappella groups. 

Ricky Jabarin is thrilled to be judging again for Varsity Vocals! A musician and producer, Ricky is known as “RickyJab” on TikTok for creating pop-punk and metal remixes of pop songs. His TikTok videos have collectively garnered over 20 million views and received nods from notable artists such as Charlie Puth, Lil Nas X, Natasha Bedingfield, and Willow Smith. He currently runs his own home studio business as a freelance session guitarist, producer, and mixing engineer. With over 10 years of experience in performing a cappella and an Outstanding Arrangement award from Varsity Vocals, Ricky continues to contribute to the community as an arranger, producer, and educator.

Chris Little graduated from James Madison University, where he was a member of the premier co-ed group, The Overtones, and served as assistant music director and music director for successive terms. At JMU, he also sang in the University Chorus and the select all-male choral a cappella group, KOR. With the latter, Chris had the opportunity to participate in masterclasses with Chanticleer and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Currently, Chris sings with and is president of Vox Pop, an award-winning vocal band hailing from the Washington, D.C. area. These days, he is a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to a cappella, including group and vocal coach, performer, master clinician, and arranger. Chris received two 2016 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (CARA) nominations for his arrangements (for Vox Pop and The JMU BluesTones), and has supplied arrangements to CARA-winning albums in past years. Chris is extremely excited to see everyone’s hard work come to fruition onstage tonight! 

Jonathan Sears began singing a cappella in 1996 at Elizabethtown College with the all-male group, Phalanx. In his senior year, he led Phalanx to its first-ever ICCA showing. After graduating in 2000, he performed with a number of professional a cappella groups at shows and festivals throughout North America. He is a two-time CARA nominee, first in 2000 in the Best Male Collegiate Arranger category, and again as a professional in 2005 in the Best Contemporary Pop/Rock Original Song category. He is a five-year veteran of RARB, where he adjudicated over 70 a cappella albums submitted by both collegiate and professional groups. Jonathan lives in the Philadelphia suburbs with his beautiful wife, Kelly, and their two girls, Molly and Emma. 2020 marked Jonathan’s 15th year as an ICCA/ICHSA adjudicator, capping almost 25 years as an active member of the a cappella community. 

Joshua Singer served as music director and arranger for two-time ICCA Finalists, University of Maryland Faux Paz. In 2016, he was awarded Outstanding Arrangement for the Mid-Atlantic region. Additionally, Josh arranged the winning 2017 BOSS Scholastic Competition set for Faux. His work has been nominated for multiple CARAs, including a 2016 nomination for Best Electronic Song for his arrangement of "Our Own House" by Misterwives. Josh won the CARA for "Best Mixed Collegiate Arrangement" for Faux Paz's single, "Where Are Ü Now" by Justin Bieber, Skrillex, and Diplo. Josh was a featured director on the second season of Pop Network's “Sing It On," which followed his group's ICCA journey to Finals. Josh continues to engage with the a cappella community through his arrangements, collaborations, and workshops, and actively works to inspire groups across the country to take their music and performance to the next level. 

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize our judges, hosts, competitors, volunteers, partners, and producers; and you, the audience, for supporting Varsity Vocals programming.

Amanda Newman
 Executive Director

Dave Rabizadeh
 ICCA Director

Elise Hackl-Blumstein
ICHSA Director
ICHSA Great Lakes Producer
PA/MA Program Coordinator

Andrea Poole
 ICHSA Co-Director

Lucy Jacobs
The Open Director
 ICCA West Producer

Andrew Poole
 Director of Digital Media

Erica Tackett
 Director of Marketing & Social Strategy

Emily Flanders
Director of Adjudication
 ICCA Great Lakes Producer

Emily Sucher
 Director of Publications

Patty Floyd
 Accountant

Virginia DeMoss
 Album Production Coordinator

Sara Yood
Senior Producer

Holli Kitching
ICCA Mid-Atlantic Producer

Lindsay Howerton-Hastings
 ICCA South Producer

Leah Alrutz
 ICCA Midwest Producer

Bronwyn Jensen
 ICCA Southwest Producer

Gemma Davies
 ICCA United Kingdom Producer

Christopher Witham
 ICCA United Kingdom Producer

Emily Benjamin
 ICCA Northeast Producer

Arvin Zabalerio
ICCA Central Producer

Jillian Kimberlin
 ICHSA Mid-Atlantic Producer

Danielle Sutherland
 ICHSA Midwest Producer

Jake McVey
 ICHSA Northeast Producer

Donald Paradis
 ICHSA South Producer

Cameron Clemens
 ICHSA West Producer

Courtney Jensen
 Associate Producer
Emcee

Ben Garza
 ICHSA Southwest Producer

Katherine Mosher
 ICHSA South Day-Of Producer

Bri Decerio
 ICHSA West Day-Of Producer

Jake Yoakum
 ICHSA West Day-Of Producer

OUR TEAM

We have an amazing team of people who work tirelessly to make our programs so valuable for our singers and audiences alike — and they all do it while holding down full-time day jobs, too! 

The top placing group will advance to the 2022 ICCA Finals.

BRING THE HARMONY HOME

Find your favorite groups on The Best of College A Cappella (BOCA) and The Best of High School A Cappella (BOHSA), available for purchase on Apple Music and Amazon Music!

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The Grand Opera House
Saturday, March 26, 2022