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 MIDWEST SEMIFINAL

Washington University in St. Louis
Saturday, March 26, 2022

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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

Based out of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Dhamakapella is a South Asian fusion a cappella group. They derive their influences from Indian classical, contemporary Bollywood, pop, dubstep, and electronic genres. Since they began competing in 2011, they have accrued 17 national titles and 20 individual awards at competitions across the United States.

Rhythm and Roos is The University of Akron's only co-ed  a cappella group. Composed of 14 members across all majors, they love to have fun onstage and make connections together and with their audience. Their mission is to tell a story, share a connection, and grow together as a family, all while making great music. 

The Ohio State of Mind is The Ohio State University's premier co-ed a cappella group. Originally founded in 2010 as The Key of Gee, the group currently consists of 17 talented students from various educational backgrounds who share a passion for a cappella music. They specialize in adapting modern pop and R&B songs to a fresh contemporary a cappella style and are a close-knit group of friends who enjoy hanging out, playing games, and making music together. 

Remedy is a co-ed contemporary a cappella group from the University of Dayton. In their nine years of existence, they have been able to travel, compete, and achieve several awards. They were the ICCA Midwest Quarterfinal Champions in 2019 and 2020 and Chicago Harmony Sweepstakes National Finalists in 2020. Remedy loves sharing their passion for a cappella and are honored to have had opportunities to do so on stages all over the country. 

Astha a Cappella is Saint Louis University’s premier co-ed fusion a cappella group. “Astha” means faith in Hindi. Established in 2006, the group was formed by six students who came together to sing Indian fusion music, hang out, and jam. They had faith in music and Astha a cappella was born. Astha has grown from casual jam sessions to complex compositions. The singers come from a variety of backgrounds, but all of them are interested in singing a mixture of melodies that combine Western and Eastern musical influences. They compete annually in South Asian A Cappella Bid Competitions and their most notable achievement is placing 2nd at two bid comps and being ranked in the top three nationally among the top seven South Asian a cappella teams. 

It was the year 2000 when The Bare Naked Statues, SLU’s premier all-male a cappella group, first revealed themselves and every day since has been a journey. Performing songs by anyone from Frank Sinatra to Twenty One Pilots, Beyoncé to Franz Biebl, The Statues have made a name for themselves in the Midwest and beyond. They traveled to New York to compete at ICCA Finals in 2014 and to Indiana for ICCA Semifinals just a couple of years ago. They revel in pleasing a crowd, shattering barriers, and setting new standards for the art form. So take a seat, hold onto it tightly, and experience The Bare Naked Statues! 

Based out of Springfield, Mo., The Beartones is Missouri State University's all-male a cappella group. Founded in 2000, The Beartones have always been focused on musical excellence, brotherhood, and having a good time. The group is renowned for their “polished” and “memorable” sets and they have performed in cities including Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago, New York, and more! There are currently nine members in The Beartones and they come from various backgrounds. Just because it is a singing group, doesn't mean you have to be a music major to join! As much fun as they are, The Beartones also have a competitive streak. They frequently compete in the ICCA and have consistently placed at Quarterfinals and Semifinals. Many times, they are fortunate enough to take home special accolades, such as Outstanding Choreography for the past three years. In 2009, the group took 1st place at Semifinals and moved on to compete at Finals in New York, placing 3rd internationally! The group repeated their success in 2018, winning their Midwest Semifinal yet again. In 2019, The Beartones competed in VoiceJam and placed 3rd in this prestigious international competition. 

The Hibernotes is the first and only co-ed a cappella group at Missouri State University. Founded in 2012, they are so excited for their 10-year anniversary this year! Over the past decade, they have performed numerous times, competed and placed at the ICCA, and released two albums! Every year, they focus on community engagement and interaction through meaningful and powerful pieces. In addition to their own concerts, they strive to participate in charity events, fundraisers, and other performances that create awareness. They pride themselves on being a group that allows students interested in all areas of study to come together in wonderful harmony. The current group is composed of freshmen through seniors and includes majors in hospitality, religious studies, dietetics, theater education, film, dance, political science, marketing, and fashion merchandising! Last year, they released a virtual concert entitled, “One Bright Moment.” They found that even in uncertain times, music has the power to bring people together and spread joy. This year, they are so excited to be back performing in person and seeing everyone face to face. 

New Chords on the Block is a mixed a cappella group based out of Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Founded in 2010, New Chords has evolved into a competitive group that strives for diversity in music and its members, emphasizing high performance and fun. The New Chords family has grown to 18 members this year, ranging from business and psychology majors to students majoring in music and vocal performance. New Chords was honored to be named an ICCA Midwest Semifinalist in 2020 and they’re elated to be returning to the ICCA stage this year. 

UC Avocalypse has been empowering people with powerful voices since October 2017 as the University of Cincinnati's first treble a cappella group. They are a passionate group of students from almost every academic college at UC. Avocalypse performs at a cappella showcases and competitions, as well as community and athletic events in the Cincinnati area. Their mission is to highlight treble voices in the collegiate a cappella community and give more opportunities for talented young artists to sing at the competitive level.

GUEST PERFORMER

Mosaic Whispers, founded in 1991, is the oldest all-gender a cappella group at Washington University in St. Louis. The Whispers compete internationally, with a recent 1st place finish at the 2020 ICCA Midwest Quarterfinals and a performance on Broadway's Beacon Theater in the 2016 ICCA Finals. The group performs on and off-campus at community and private events, biannually tours nationwide, and hosts an annual concert, Splash of Color, every spring, as well as a smaller concert every fall. The Whispers' 11 studio albums have received praise from a cappella critics, including five Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (CARA) nominations for their 2015 album, Wavelength, and two Recorded A Cappella Review Board (RARB) Track of The Year awards for their most recent release, Oasis (2018). Along with making music, the Whispers value their relationships with other a cappella groups at WashU and around the nation, and are, more than anything else, a group of close friends.

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Graeme Allen is a music educator from St. Louis, Mo. He holds a Master of Arts in education and a Bachelor of Arts in vocal performance from Truman State University, where he sang with the all-male a cappella group, True Men. He currently teaches choir at Parkway Northeast Middle School, and serves as the children's music and ministry director at Trinity Lutheran Church, where he also performs with their choir. Graeme has sung with various a cappella groups in the St. Louis area, including Vocal Edge, One Too Many A Cappella, and the Ambassadors of Harmony. He is a passionate judge and coach for numerous groups in the Midwest a cappella community. 

Daniel Fister (he/him) began singing a cappella at age 15 and has been enthusiastically involved ever since. He is a proud original member of Wilsonville High School's Soul’d Out and alumnus of Chapman University SoundCheck. In both groups, he sang bass, arranged, served as music director, and competed regularly in Varsity Vocals events, including the 2010 ICHSA Finals and 2011 and 2013 ICCA West Semifinals. Daniel now judges Varsity Vocals and other a cappella events, writes reviews for RARB, and teaches masterclasses including at Boston Sings (BOSS). His time singing and judging a cappella inspired him to pursue a doctoral degree in musicology and his forthcoming dissertation explores the links between community formation and race in contemporary scholastic a cappella. He is thrilled to return to judging in person for his eighth year with Varsity Vocals and wishes the best to all the competing groups! 

Kristine Gage received her B.A. in music from Saint Louis University and her B.M.E. in choral music education from Webster University. Her love affair with a cappella began in 2009 when she joined Beyond All Reason, an all-female group at SLU that she eventually directed. Not long after, Kristine co-founded the co-ed group, Decadence, and also served as its music director. At Webster, she sang and toured with The Chamber Singers, a group featured at state and national conferences and in an instructional DVD produced by GIA Publications. After graduating, she spent a year singing with the all-female, semi-professional a cappella quintet, Jaded. She now teaches elementary music to students in grades pre-K through six at Patrick Henry Downtown Academy. Kristine currently represents the Contemporary A Cappella Society of America (CASA) as the ambassador to all high school, collegiate, and post-collegiate a cappella groups in the state of Missouri, and teaches musical theatre classes at COCA. 

Jamie Perkins received a B.A. in music from Washington University in St. Louis, where he sang for four years as a member of The Amateurs, as well as Wash U's concert and chamber choirs. Jamie served as The Amateurs' music director for his final two years with the group before graduating in the spring of 2013. After graduating from Wash U, Jamie spent two years at Webster University, and earned a master's degree in choral conducting. At Webster, he sang with the Webster University Chamber Singers and worked as the assistant conductor for Webster's choirs. Jamie currently works for the Washington University Department of Music, and he is happy to be back in the a cappella community as an ICCA judge. 

Antonio Rodriguez graduated in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in music from Washington University in St. Louis, where he sang with The Amateurs for four years. He also served as arranger and music director of the group. He spent the next five years performing as a stage actor in St. Louis before gaining his union card and moving to Chicago in 2014. Favorite past musical credits include “The Who’s Tommy” (Tommy Walker), “Urinetown” (Bobby Strong), and “Altar Boyz” (Matthew). He was a member of the St. Louis Theatre Circle Award-winning ensemble of the a cappella musical “All is Calm” for three years, and is a four-time nominee and two-time Theatre Circle Award winner for his individual acting work in both musicals and straight plays. In addition to performing in full-length stage works, he has conceived and performed two solo cabarets in both St. Louis and Chicago. Antonio is a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association. 

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank Danielle Sutherland, Viva Voce, Joey Bogdajewicz, 560 Center Staff, and The Mosaic Whispers; 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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