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 SEMIFINAL

Herberger Theater Center
Saturday, March 19, 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

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. 

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! 

Amplified is a 17-member, mixed-voice, student-led a cappella ensemble from the University of Arizona. They don their signature ampli-colors in every performance: black and La Fonda turquoise. The group was founded in 2012 to create a fun, close-knit community of people who love to sing, create, and perform. Together, they and their sound are Amplified. 

The Northern Arizona University Axecidentals is an all-treble a cappella group established in 2013 and they’ve been rocking black and gold ever since! They sing music from artists ranging from Radiohead to Little Mix to Katy Perry. They are all-gender-inclusive and cater to all voices on the treble clef! In past years, they have placed 1st in ICCA at Quarterfinals, advanced to Semifinals, and won special awards, including Outstanding Choreography and Outstanding Soloist. Former group members have gone on to develop their own groups, such as Unaccompanied and Red Letter Daze, who you can find on Spotify and Apple Music. The Axecidentals sing at events such as holiday fundraisers, student commencement ceremonies, and sometimes even professional sporting events at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix. They also tour high schools throughout the Southwest to spread their love for the a cappella community! For the first time ever, they will be showcasing their new talent at the 2022 NAU Jazz/Madrigal Festival, which hosts over 3,000 high school students every year. You can find The Axecidentals' first-ever EP on Spotify, titled 2020. Once you go Axee, you NEVER go baxee! 

The Horned Tones is the only (and therefore the premier) all-male a cappella group at Texas Christian University, although they do a lot to ensure that this title is more than honorific and that that premier status is earned. They have always encouraged eclecticism and diversity and include a mix of students studying not only music and theatre, but also finance, nursing, entrepreneurship, and more. Since the group was founded in 2015 by TCU alumnus Ray Shideler, they have dedicated several hours each week to arranging, rehearsing, polishing, and recording their music. Recording, in particular, has been a new development and a testament to the group's adaptability throughout COVID-19. They also value group camaraderie and brotherhood and take care to support one another. They host social events, decompress and communicate at the end of rehearsals, and much more, which has established a group bond that has strengthened over the years. After an in-person hiatus for a large portion of the 2020-21 academic year, The Horned Tones are pleased to be back in full throttle this season.

The Rice Philharmonics is a co-ed a cappella team proudly representing Rice University! Since their humble beginnings in 1994, The Phils have found creative ways of sharing music with the Rice/Houston community through gigs, “singing valentines,” tours, competitions, and studio albums. Check out their latest project, Philos, on Spotify and iTunes! Service is also a central part of their identity. Over the last decade, The Phils have cultivated a unique relationship with Houston’s Music Therapy Center and organized numerous fundraisers to support their cause. The Phils take great pride in arranging all of their own music and being open to any musical genre, from pop, rock, funk, R&B, country, and even EDM! Above all, The Phils are one big phamily. They represent diverse identities and pursue various majors, but come together over a shared passion for a cappella. Each Phil has a unique vocal skillset, but every rehearsal, they challenge themselves to create a cohesive sound that is stronger than any one of its parts. They hope you can “pheel” their love while they perform! 

SoundWave is the first and only co-ed a cappella ensemble at San Diego State University. This ensemble was founded with goals of expressing individual talent, encouraging creativity, fostering teamwork, embracing diversity, and dedicating to the performing arts. They frequently perform around the SDSU campus, throughout the greater San Diego area (including with a cappella groups at other universities), and have even participated in the Los Angeles A Cappella Festival (LAAF). They have competed in the ICCA for the past two years and progressed to Semifinals both times! SoundWave aims to splash the audience with a wave of sound in the form of all the best guilty pleasure songs from the past, present, and future! 

Sitaare is UCSD’s premier award-winning and all-inclusive South Asian a cappella team. Since its inception in 2006, Sitaare has taken pride in its diverse vocal talent, continuing to explore ways to showcase variety and creativity in their repertoire. Sitaare enjoys performing different genres of both Indian and Western music, from Bollywood and Indian classical, to R&B and pop. In addition to UCSD’s cultural events, Sitaare has had the opportunity to perform at community events, weddings, and corporate events in San Diego, the Bay Area, and beyond. Sitaare always looks to push the boundaries of desi a cappella and reach for the stars. 

Established in 1992, The ASU Pitchforks are proud to celebrate their 30th year. They are not only the first group established at Arizona State University, but in all of Arizona! This girl gang stands for female empowerment and diversity, consisting of a wide variety of majors and ladies from all walks of life. The Pitchforks are involved in a variety of different activities, such as recording EPs, performing on Arizona Midday, winning ASU Got Talent, and various philanthropic events. As an all-female group, these ladies span all voice parts, ranging from soprano to lady bass. This allows members to explore their full ranges as they grow and flourish in the group, all while developing that unique angelic blend. Furthermore, The ASU Pitchforks stand for female empowerment and show just how powerful women can be. These ladies rehearse for three hours on Tuesday and Thursday nights, learning original arrangements by their very own group members. Beyond that, however, The ASU Pitchforks are proud to nurture an environment for forming lifelong friendships, all while pushing one another to grow in their musical and personal lives. Although the group members come from all different majors, they all love coming together to sing. 

HardChord Dynamix is one of Texas A&M's premier competition a cappella groups. HardChord Dynamix has had a variety of majors, ranging from wildlife and fisheries to aerospace engineering Ph.Ds. Striving to be a center of a cappella in Texas, HardChord DynaMix runs a yearly acappellooza event that brings together groups all around Texas. Without a music school at A&M, HardChord has been a completely student-run and funded organization since 2007. Even without a music school or professional music directors, HardChord Dynamix placed 2nd in ICCA 2017 Southwest Semifinals, was Southwest Quarterfinal Champion in ICCA 2021, and went all the way to Finals in ICCA 2019. They have won numerous awards in ICCA, including Outstanding Soloist at Finals in 2019!

GUEST PERFORMER

Side Note A Cappella is a post-collegiate group based in the Phoenix area. They pride themselves on their musical prowess and inventive, bold arrangements. This seven-person group performs professionally and takes every opportunity to engage with and promote the a cappella community, as with tonight's deliberation performance. During their college days, the members helped foster the explosive growth of the Arizona a cappella community and several of them played integral roles in the formation of groups that perform in ICCA each year. Side Note is composed of Aubrey Chaston (soprano), Leslie Fields (mezzo), Celine Durney (alto), Zach Gray (tenor), Adam Kent (baritone), Bryant Mitchell (bass), and Max Foster (VP).

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Dr. Adrienne Goglia was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta and came to study at Arizona State University in 2001. She has since been awarded three degrees in music performance, earning her D.M.A. in voice performance in 2018. Adrienne performs as a freelance musician and has a variety of experiences working with theatres, choirs, and vocal ensembles in the valley, in addition to solo performances. She also teaches private voice lessons from her home studio in Tempe and is the Business Operations Specialist Senior for ASU's School of Music, Dance and Theatre. 

Sague Molina is a singer, teacher, and arranger born and raised in Arizona. Sague graduated from Northern Arizona University with a degree in music education with a choral emphasis, where he had the privilege of music-directing and singing with the tenor-bass a cappella group, The Highlanders, while also producing and arranging their first studio EP. Sague has sung with the Shrine of the Ages choir under Dr. Edith Copley, High Altitude Vocal Jazz ensemble, Chamber Singers, Men’s Chorale, and student-conducted the University Singers at NAU. Onstage, he has performed in a handful of operas and oratorios, in roles such as the bass soloist in Handel’s “Messiah” and Carrisimi’s “Jephte.” Currently, Sague is a first-year teacher and director of choirs at Camelback High School, as well as a singer in the Canto Vivo Chorale.

Catherine Ricafort is an eight-time Broadway actor, singer, and dancer. She has appeared on Broadway in “SpongeBob Squarepants” as villainess Karen The Computer, “Mamma Mia!,” “Cinderella,” “Honeymoon in Vegas,” “Allegiance,” “Disaster!,” “Holiday Inn,” and “Miss Saigon.” As a lead singer and award-winning a cappella vocalist, she performed on NBC's “The Sing-Off” (featured soloist of "The Backbeats," Season 2), was part of The USC SoCal VoCals (first group to win the ICCA Champion title five times), and has performed for service members all over the world with The USO Show Troupe. Catherine is also a software engineer and co-founder of Artists Who Code, a volunteer organization which has helped 300+ artists learn to code and land jobs in the tech industry during the pandemic. Originally from Arizona, Catherine is excited to be back in Phoenix and bring her stage experience full-circle to the local community as a performer, adjudicator, and coach. @cattricafort

Fabián Rodríguez Castro is a multidisciplinary artist and educator. Their performance career has taken them throughout the United States and abroad in concert tours and recording projects, including performances at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Radio City Music Hall, the Dolby Theatre, and Jazz at Lincoln Center. They have enjoyed working as a clinician and adjudicator for various groups in the ICCA, workshops with Contemporary A Cappella Society of America (CASA), and more. A leader in diversity and inclusion, Fabián was nominated as co-chair for the Life Gets Better Together Conference at Syracuse University in 2013 and 2014. Since graduating in 2015, Fabián has worked as a primary and assistant conductor to educational and professional ensembles in Los Angeles and New York. They have also served as an educator at K-12 schools, while also providing lessons for voice, instruments, arranging, composition, orchestration, and production. Their performing credits include Volta Vocals, Top Shelf Vocal, Metropolitan Master Chorale, and the Sterling Ensemble. Fabián completed their Master of Music in conducting at Azusa Pacific University, where they performed with various ensembles, including the Choral Scholars, University Choir, Symphony Orchestra, Gospel Choir, Masterworks Chorale, Jazz Band, and the Chamber Singers. Since 2015, Fabián has continued studying at Northeastern Conservatory of Music’s Acoustic Vocal Pedagogy Workshop, the National Center for Voice and Speech Summer Vocology Institute, John Henny’s Contemporary Voice Teacher Academy, Kodály Association of Southern California’s Level III Certification, and earned certification in therapeutic crisis intervention. Fabián continues to work as an artistic and creative consultant in the fields of audio engineering and production, visual graphics and web design, and music education. They are currently in their Doctor of Musical Arts program with Dr. Elizabeth Schauer at the University of Arizona and reside in Tucson, Ariz. with their puppy and kitten. 

Nason Werth has been known to travel the country for a good a cappella show, and currently resides in Phoenix, Ariz. Originally from the great state of Michigan, Nason studied vocal performance at Michigan State University, where he served as music director and bass with MSU’s first co-ed a cappella group and ICCA fixture, Capital Green. He gained broad ensemble experience as a student with the university chorale, chamber choir, jazz octet, and section leader in the Okemos Presbyterian Church. Nason relocated to the Mid-Atlantic after college and has performed with the Handel Choir of Baltimore and the Bach in Baltimore ensembles. He currently serves as a nominator and judge for the A Cappella Video Awards (AVAs) and Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs) and is looking forward to a great show! 

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 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!

varsityvocals