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 NORTHEAST QUARTERFINAL
Berklee College of Music
Saturday, February 26, 2022
WE'RE SOCIAL
We're talking about this event, and all of our events around the world!
varsityvocals
@varsityvocals
@varsityvocals
Follow us @varsityvocals on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat, and join the conversation using #ICCA and #ICHSA.
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
The Dynamics is the premier a cappella group on Boston College’s campus. Their diverse repertoire of high-powered pop anthems and alternative and underground artists makes The Dynamics a fresh voice on the a cappella scene. The Dynamics have been singing together since 1998, creating new and dynamic a cappella for the greater Boston community. Coming out of a COVID school year, this generation of Dynamics is thrilled to be competing in their first in-person ICCA. In 2020, The Dynamics self-recorded and produced their album, Rough Cuts, and released it the following year, finding remote ways of bringing music to campus when it seemed impossible. Be sure to follow the Dynamics @bcdynamics to hear all of the amazing things they are working on this year!
Distilled Harmony is one of Northeastern University’s all-gender a cappella groups. Their passion for music has led them to place at Quarterfinal and Semifinal ICCA competitions in recent years, as well as numerous a cappella recording nominations and awards for their two albums and recent EP. This past semester, they released their EP, Embers, and one of the songs was even featured on the Voices Only 2021 compilation album! You can listen to Embers on all major streaming platforms. Outside of rehearsal, the members of DH spend way too much time hanging out at each other’s houses and get out of the city on retreats together at least twice a year. To learn more about Distilled Harmony and stay up to date with their adventures, follow them on Instagram @DistilledHarmonyNU
Founded in 1985 by a group of undergraduates (including Oscar Winner Mira Sorvino), The Harvard-Radcliffe Veritones is one of Harvard College’s oldest contemporary, co-ed a cappella groups. The Veritones are known for their innovative spirit, focus on musicality, diverse repertoire, and high-energy performances. They employ a democratic song selection process in order to keep their sound current and representative of each group member. The shiniest group on campus (silver is The Veritones’ main group color!), they perform in on-campus jams, at local gigs, on national and international tours, as well as in competitions (including ICCA), where they have won awards for their arrangements, soloists, and choreography. Notably, the group placed and won Outstanding Soloist in their 2020 ICCA Quarterfinal. In 2018, The Veritones produced the first virtual reality a cappella music video, with a cover of “Gemini Feed” by Banks, receiving a perfect score from RARB (the Recorded A Cappella Review Board) and A Cappella Video Award (AVA) nominations, ultimately winning runner-up for Best Mixed Collegiate Video. They have also been featured on multiple BOCA compilations, including BOCA 2020 for their cover of “Say It First” by Sam Smith, also featured on their most recent EP, REVIVE.
For 25 years, Kol Echad has been the premier Jewish a cappella group at Boston University. In Hebrew, Kol Echad means "one voice" or "all as one." This fall, they transitioned into a multicultural a cappella group and have been arranging new songs that reflect the cultural backgrounds of their members. Kol Echad performs cultural music and partakes in community activities with Jewish and pluralistic roots. With their diverse membership and practice of fusing various languages and song types, Kol Echad combines the fun elements of their different cultures with the exciting world of collegiate a cappella.
The University of New Hampshire’s Not Too Sharp has been performing since 2002 but has only recently shifted from an all-male group to a tenor/bass group. On campus, the group is more frequently called NTS and unsurprisingly nicknamed "UNH SEXY A CAPPELLA." They love to busk around campus, travel to perform at various events, and produce recordings and music videos for their new repertoire. They strongly believe in the importance of audience interaction and aim to make all crowds sing, dance, and/or feel a deep connection to the music in their own way. NTS is very excited to take the ICCA stage and perform for such a fantastic audience!
The Harvard LowKeys, founded in 1999, is Harvard's award-winning, premier contemporary gender-neutral a cappella group.
As Tufts University's oldest all-female-identifying a cappella group, The Jackson Jills have maintained their traditions of strong musicianship and women’s empowerment since 1963. Their repertoire covers numerous genres, including pop, jazz, folk, and many more. The Jills are so excited to be a part of this year's ICCA! You can listen to their most recent album, Eve Awaits, and their most recent single, "Light On," on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. They would like to thank Varsity Vocals for hosting this event and wish the other groups good luck!
The Sirens is an award-winning, Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (CARA)-nominated, and women-centered a cappella group based out of Simmons University in Boston. Founded in 1989, The Sirens are now in their third decade of making beautiful music together. The group currently consists of 17 members from Simmons University, Emmanuel College, MCPHS, and MASSART. Their main music style is alternative pop with other genres sprinkled in from time to time. Over the last year, The Sirens have faced many challenges from leaving the comfort of their schools and adapting to “zoom university”. Many group members, both current and former, have also been working on the frontlines as essential workers in hospitals, grocery stores, and nursing homes. Now, The Sirens are absolutely delighted to be back making music together and with the Boston a cappella community.
The BU Treblemakers was formed in 1996 around three fundamental ideals: fun, love, and music. Since then, generations of Trebs have rallied around these values to become Boston University’s most irresistible all-gender a cappella group. Over the years, dozens of alumni and current group members have produced eight studio albums, and most recently, an EP called Proximity! Trebs have begun to curate live music videos on their YouTube channel, showcasing their energy and musicality for everyone. In 2019, the group recorded a cover of “Old Town Road,” which reached almost 20,000 views on Youtube and was recognized from BU Today, collegeaca.com, News Break, and Reddit. Today, the group is known for its diverse repertoire, energetic performances, talented soloists, and innovative arrangements. The Trebs have also competed in multiple ICCA seasons, most recently advancing to the 2020 Northeast Semifinals. Make sure to follow The Treblemakers on social media to see what’s in store and listen to their new music!
Vocality is one of four a cappella Groups at UMass Lowell, but they are the only all-gender-inclusive group on campus. Their alternative pop sound is cultivated in unique arrangements by past and present members.
TONIGHT'S JUDGES
An established clinician and music educator, Harrison Acosta originally studied orchestral performance and vocal pedagogy at the UCF School of Performing Arts. After completing his capstone thesis, “Capturing Moments in Music feat. The Human Voice,” he began advanced study in the Contemporary Writing and Production program at the Berklee College of Music. Harrison has collaborated to create several vocal groups across the community, including Voicebox, Project V, REMIX, Atlas and Royalty. As an undergraduate in 2014, he created UCF’s Voicebox, leading the group to place internationally and receive numerous accolades for their recorded music, live performances, and arrangements. They have been featured at showcases across the country and have been crowned champions at three national shows: SoJam XIV (2016), SoJam XVI (2018), and BostonSings (2018).
Cassandra “Cassie” Greene Chamoun is an arranger, director, choreographer, and founding member of award-winning a cappella group Business Casual. Business Casual's accolades include winning the titles of 2018 Harmony Sweepstakes National Champions, 2019 VoiceJam Champions, and two-time Varsity Vocals Open Finalists, as well as numerous AVAs and CARAs.
Jessica Chen is the Senior Director of Development and External Relations at the Community Music Center of Boston. Prior to her current role, she received her M.A. in child study and human development from Tufts University and worked in various roles at Tufts, ZUMIX, and the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras. In the contemporary a cappella community, Jessica serves as the Executive Producer for the NE Voices Festival and as the Director of Awards for the Contemporary A Cappella Society of America (CASA). Other interests include video games, Boston sports, and all dogs ever.
Becca Crivello has been involved with vocal groups since her elementary years, eventually going on to receive her bachelor’s degree in music studies (education) from UMass Lowell with a concentration in voice. While attending UMass Lowell, she started a female-identified a cappella group, The Hawkettes, and was their music director for four years. During that time, they performed in numerous concerts and recorded an EP, Lavandula. She went on to get her master’s degree in music education from Boston University, where she remained active in the choral community. She is currently the choral director at Hudson Memorial School in Hudson, N.H., where she directs three grade-level choirs, an audition-based choir, and the annual musical. She recently had the opportunity to direct Tonal Chaos (formerly The Sachimes), a high school a cappella group from Saugus, Mass., in which she arranged two ICHSA sets (one in-person and one virtual). Becca is grateful for the opportunity to further contribute her time to the a cappella community!
As one of the founding members of UMass's The Hexachords, Xander Teplansky was a four-time competitor in the ICCA and a clinician at the BOSS a cappella festival. You can find him featured on Season 2 of "Sing it On" with The Hexachords. After earning a degree in music, Xander has gone on to sing for the Colorado Symphony, Opera Colorado, The Boston Symphony, and The Boston Pops. Xander made his Boston Symphony solo debut in the summer of 2019.
SPECIAL THANKS
Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank 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 Jenson
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 two finishing groups will advance to the 2022 ICCA Northeast Semifinal.
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!
varsityvocals