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 SOUTHWEST QUARTERFINAL

Vista Peak Preparatory High School
Saturday, February 5th, 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

In The Buff is the premier men's a cappella group at the University of Colorado at Boulder. If you're looking for the ultimate collegiate singing experience and an unsurpassed sense of brotherhood, look no further (And also sexiness. Lots of sexiness). Established over 28 years ago, ITB caters to students who have an interest in singing and performing bass and tenor arrangements. More than just a singing group, ITB is a family. They plan vacations, ski trips, camping trips, and weekend college extravaganzas, and perform at countless Boulder and Denver community events, weddings, sorority events, and CU Boulder events. They strive to perform and perfect all genres of music, from oldies to hip-hop to folk, jazz, pop, and of course, rock. All of their arrangements are created by current and past members of the group and tailored to fit their voices. When not singing, group members can be found causing shenanigans at the CU bowling alley, tearing up the racquetball court, or chasing geese off the engineering quad. They hope you enjoy their sound. And remember: it's always better In The Buff! 

In the Stairwell has been the United States Air Force Academy's all-male a cappella group since 2004. In the Stairwell was the vision of three cadets from the Class of 2007 who loved to sing a cappella but due to freshmen cadet restrictions, the only place they were permitted to rehearse was in a dormitory stairwell. Over the past 14 years, the group has opened a session for the Colorado State Senate, sung the national anthem at two professional sports games, and performed at the White House. Thanks to ICCA, In the Stairwell was a Semifinalist on Season 12 of “America's Got Talent” in 2017. In the Stairwell members also participate in a number of military activities like flying gliders and jumping from aircraft and will be ultimately commissioned as Second Lieutenants in the United States Air Force and United States Space Force upon graduation. 

Legacy is a group of former students of the Aurora Public Schools in Aurora, Colo. Each member attends a different University or Community College in the greater Denver Metropolitan area. One night a week, the group comes together to make beautiful music, inspiring one another and their audience. Legacy is excited to perform in ICCA and hopes to continue inspiring everyone who hears them. 

Crimson and Blues is the University of Kansas’ premier a cappella group. This co-ed group of 18 students comes from a wide variety of academic and musical backgrounds. Founded and directed by a music student at the university, this mixed ensemble’s primary objective is to perform high-level arrangements from a multitude of genres. They love to perform for people of all ages while having fun exploring new genres and musical opportunities. They enjoy having the opportunity to share their love for music with one another and appreciate the fact that they get to do so every single year. 

Back in 2002, University of Nebraska-Lincoln students Scott Wilson and Aaron Hurlbut gathered a group of their most talented buddies to sing together. Since then, the group has developed into a nationally-ranked a cappella group known as The Bathtub Dogs. While they’re most commonly recognized by their signature jeans-and-necktie apparel and zany persona, their main goal as a performing ensemble is simply to entertain. The group currently consists of 18 members who come from various majors outside of music, ranging from biology and actuarial science to civil engineering and business management. They are excited to perform for a large audience again in 2022! 

Boots and Cats is the first all-treble a cappella group at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Established in 2011, the group consists of 17undergraduate singers from all areas of campus. The Cats sing a variety of styles, ranging from jazz to top 40 music. In their free time, they enjoy beatboxing lessons and indulging in a slice of pie or two. 

Pitch Please is the premier co-ed a cappella group at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. They are in their ninth year on campus and are continuing to grow their presence within the a cappella community. Just like the array of musical genres that they perform, the members come from a variety of majors including but not limited to music education, business, engineering, architecture, and forensic sciences. The group rehearses two nights a week and is entirely student-led and directed. Each member has their own unique passion for the group and music as a whole and that passion, combined with meaningful friendships, motivates the group to move forward. They are incredibly thankful for each opportunity to perform and share all of their hard work. This year, Pitch Please will perform a set about negative relationships that leave you wanting to go back and dwell in nostalgia. Pitch Please has many plans in store for the coming year, including community shows with local artists, working with arrangers from across the country, and producing their first album in five years! 

Take Note is the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's newest a cappella group, formed in 2018. The group strives to provide another outlet for treble singers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. They typically sing pop or rock songs that represent values of empowerment and inclusion. They want all members of the group to feel powerful onstage and nurtured by a strong ensemble bond offstage. In addition to trust and friendship, Take Note focuses on individuality in personality, unity in ensemble, and cohesiveness in sound. They aim to provide that outlet through group practice, bonding events, and performances. Take Note is composed of many different majors and students from Nebraska and other states as well. Recent accomplishments include ICCA Quarterfinals in 2021 and they are thankful to be back sharing their music with others. 

Noteworthy, one of BYU’s top a cappella ensembles, is composed of nine powerhouse female vocalists. With a varied repertoire including pop, rock, jazz, hip-hop and spiritual genres, Noteworthy has something for everyone. In 2007, Noteworthy was crowned champion of the prestigious ICCA, becoming only the second all-female ensemble to win the competition in its near 35-year history. Noteworthy has since appeared on NBC’s hit show “The Sing-Off,” released seven albums, and become a YouTube sensation with over 70 million views and counting. Above all, Noteworthy strives to empower women and young people to discover their own unique identities and divine nature through the power of vocal music. 

Business Casual is here to promote the social well-being of students and to expand the amateur music scene at the University of Utah through accessible performances, entertaining concerts, and competitive endeavors.

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Nick Froelich is a singer-songwriter, music producer, composer, audio engineer, and arranger. Trained in both classical and jazz studies, he has 17 years of experience as a pianist and has recorded and mixed two full-length albums of original music. In the a cappella world, Nick has performed as a vocal percussionist, singer, music director, and arranger, competing with the acclaimed Limited Edition at ICHSA three times and advancing all the way to Finals. He spent two summers at A Cappella Academy, studying with Ben Bram, Rob Dietz, Avi Kaplan, and others. While at University of Michigan, Nick sang with The Michigan G-men and served as the group’s music director for three years. A prolific arranger and director, his leadership led them to ICCA Finals his first year in the role and he also received the Outstanding Vocal Percussion award at ICCA Semifinals. Nick completed his time at Michigan with a degree in performing arts technology and currently works in Denver as a piano teacher and audio engineer. 

Jessica Glime has a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. While in school, she served as music director, a featured soloist, and arranger for The UNCG Sapphires, an award-winning female a cappella group, and managed production on two of their albums. She currently teaches vocal music at Ragsdale High School and sings professionally in the Triad area. 

Alex Ochs is excited to be judging his fourth season for Varsity Vocals. He is a 2014 graduate of Elizabethtown College, where he studied social work and music, with concentrations in piano and vocal performance. While in school, he served as music director for the all-male a cappella group, Phalanx, and was also a member of the co-ed group, Vocalign. Under his direction, Phalanx advanced to ICCA Semifinals for the first time in its 20-year history. He is an experienced accompanist for choirs, instrumentalists, and vocalists. He is currently a Ph.D. student at the University of Denver. 

Nina Sypolt began singing a cappella in 2010 at Elizabethtown College, where she minored in music. There, she sang in choirs including the show choir, Illumina, and served as a singer, vocal percussionist, and arranger for the all-female group, Melica, and the co-ed group, Vocalign. Nina served as Melica's music director and led them to the ICCA,helping the group advance twice to ICCA Semifinals. 

Nic Widhalm has been an active member of the Colorado a cappella scene for over 25 years. He has judged for ICHSA, ICCA, and the Rocky Mountain Regional Harmony Sweepstakes, and has provided lectures for CSU, CU, and UNC on vocal percussion. As a performer, Nic is the founder and tenor/beatboxer for Regional Harmony Sweepstakes champs, Curious Gage, as well as the winner of the Wes Carroll award for Outstanding Vocal Percussion. When he's not performing, Nic is vice president at a local software company, an amateur woodworker, and a full-time dad to two amazing kids.

Mister Tim is a singer, composer, arranger, teacher, and a cappella freak. He has created award-winning a cappella groups, including International Harmony Sweepstakes champions, Plumbers of Rome. He performs solo with his all-vocal live-looping show and classic crooning show, music directs for the entertainment company, YearRound Sound, runs the 80s a cappella band, Rubix, and travels the country as a choral and a cappella clinician. He was a guest artist in residence at Denver School for the Arts, has a published choir song about pirates, is famous on a dark corner of YouTube for his Metallica kazoo performance, and has won multiple Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs).

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 placing groups will advance to the 2022 ICCA Southwest 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!

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