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 WEST QUARTERFINAL
Downey Theater
Saturday, February 12, 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
Bruin Harmony is the only all-male a cappella group at UCLA. They sing all types of music, from the classics to pop, rap, and jazz (and yes, even yuletide christmas jingles). More importantly, Bruin Harmony is a talented, fun-loving group of musicians who genuinely enjoy performing and who work hard to make a cappella fun at UCLA. In 2019, Bruin Harmony competed in their first ICCA and had an absolute blast. After competing virtually last year and exploring the new challenge of making a music video, the group is ecstatic to be back in person. Bruin Harmony balances their fun and encouraging atmosphere with hard work. If you were to ask any member what their favorite part about the group is, they would probably say the connection they share with the rest of the members. This bond strengthens their music and performance and they are excited to showcase that energy on the ICCA stage. Bruin Harmony works hard to represent a fresh and new image of all-male a cappella. They are so excited for what this year will bring and are grateful to be singing together again!
Chapman SoundCheck is Chapman's first a cappella group on campus. They are a co-ed group of passionate individuals who perform contemporary a cappella arrangements on campus, around the community, and nationally throughout the United States. Their performances have included annual showings in the ICCA (winning 1st place at Semifinals in 2016), SweeTARTS ACAPPELLOOZA with Brittany Snow, and advertisements for CoverGirl's “Pitch Perfect 2” makeup collection. They have 15 years of alumni music connections and their alumni have provided background vocals for such artists as Childish Gambino.
First established in 2005, Circle of Fifths stands out as one of the oldest a cappella groups at UCI. They are the only all-male-identifying, student-run a cappella group that combines the best of camaraderie and music. As a collegiate group, they understand that college challenges young adults with an increased amount of overall responsibility, but that challenge comes with a gift of increased freedom. As a group, their goal is to alleviate students of said responsibilities by using their freedom to sing and perform! They are different from other a cappella groups, because they have developed a unique energy and spirit in performing that is singularly theirs. Now in their 17th generation, they can’t wait to jump back into the competitive scene and bring that energy to the ICCA!
Dynamix is Moorpark College's competitive a cappella group. They have enjoyed performing throughout Southern California and competing throughout the state. They are proud to represent the California Community College system and are excited to present their hard work tonight.
Pitch, Please! was founded in the winter of 2017 and is a co-ed, competitive a cappella group at UCLA. Their music varies widely, from indie ballads to upbeat experimental-pop hits, most of which is arranged by the group’s own members. In 2018, they released their first single, "My Heart With You" (opb. The Rescues). In 2019, they competed in ICCA, released a music video, and recorded their debut album, Made To Fly, which was nominated for three Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs). Most recently, they competed in ICCA for the second time and won 2nd place at their 2020 West Quarterfinal, also receiving special awards for Outstanding Arrangement, Outstanding Vocal Percussion, and Outstanding Choreography. They love sharing their music and love for what they do with others, and hope to continue performing, competing, and releasing music in the future. Catch them releasing content on Instagram, YouTube, and Spotify!
Founded in 2012, Resonance began as a quintet that quickly grew in both size and sound, establishing itself as a vibrant a cappella group with a high level of musical excellence. In the last year, Resonance has competed in both the Los Angeles A Cappella Festival (LAAF) and ICCA, placing 1st at their Southwest Quarterfinal, 1st at Southwest Semifinals, and sailing through to the 2021 ICCA Final, winning awards for Outstanding Arrangement at all levels. Resonance also released their first studio album, In This Light, which is available on iTunes and Spotify. Their first single, “In The Name Of Love,” is even featured on Voices Only 2017, a highly selective a cappella album that showcases the finest tracks from collegiate and high school groups across the world. Guided by their passion for performing and friendship, Resonance hopes to share their music with their community and make a lasting impact. As such, Resonance can be found performing at a number of philanthropy events and concerts across California, the greater Los Angeles area, and on their school campus.
The ChapTones is a fun-loving and award-winning co-ed a cappella group from Chapman University in Orange, Calif. One of five student-run a cappella groups at Chapman, they perform frequently on campus, around Orange County, and across the West Coast! They recently released an EP and an album that is available on streaming platforms and YouTube. The Chaptones pride themselves on including members with many different backgrounds and interests who all love to sing and want to be part of a performing family. The Chaptones have competed in multiple ICCA Quarterfinals and Semifinals in the past and have even performed original material on the ICCA stage. They are very excited to be back on that stage again this year.
Established in 2009, Vermillion Vocalists, also known as VeVo, is a co-ed a cappella group at the University of California, Irvine dedicated to musical excellence. These diverse and talented individuals are united by a shared passion, dedication, and love for music-making. Likewise, they have a similarly diverse taste in repertoire, ranging from classic hits to today's chart-toppers in genres such as pop, hip hop, and R&B.
TONIGHT'S JUDGES
Will Lagos (he/him) is a Los Angeles-based singer, actor, and vocal arts educator with over 20 years of singing experience. Will attended the University of Southern California’s School of Theater, where he performed with four-time ICCA champions The SoCal VoCals, winning the title of ICCA Champions in 2008. He is also an active barbershop harmony singer, and currently serves as the music and performance director of The Westminster Chorus, which holds titles such as 2009 Choir of the World and International Barbershop Chorus Champions in 2007, 2010, 2015, and 2019. As a member of The Westminster Chorus, Will has given concerts all around the United States, as well as in Canada, England, Germany, Holland, The Netherlands, and New Zealand. He is a sought-after clinician and coach, teaching barbershop performance and singing technique here and abroad, whether on the faculty at Harmony University in Nashville, Tenn., as a guest clinician at the LAAF, or as a candidate judge in the Performance Category for the Barbershop Harmony Society. Will can also be heard as a vocalist on film scores, international albums, children’s music education materials, and even croaking out alien drinking songs at Galaxy's Edge at both Disney resort properties. Will currently serves on the faculty at the California School of the Arts - San Gabriel Valley, where he teaches musical theater repertory, vocal technique, and theater history.
Evan Linsey is a freelance producer and engineer based in San Francisco. He music-directed The Boston University Treblemakers from 2013-2016, and continues to arrange for the group. Upon graduation, he became a member of Birdland Avenue and produced their four-time CARA-winning album, Come Around. Since February 2017, he's co-hosted the “Head/Voice” podcast with Kayla Pichichero and has led clinics and workshops at festivals and schools around the country.
Jim Raycroft holds a master’s degree in voice from the California Institute of the Arts and has performed all over North America and in Europe. He is a 33-year member of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and sang with the Los Angeles Opera for 12 years. He has soundtrack credits for movies including “Home Alone,” “Jurassic Park,” “A.I.,” “Lady in the Water,” “Godzilla,”and more. He appeared as a singing pirate in “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” in numerous television shows, and has performed at the Grammys, for the President of the United States, and the Queen of England. He founded and sings with the vocal jazz group, Pacific Swingline, the barbershop quartet, The Nickelodeon, and The Singers Elite Vocal Big Band. He is a published arranger and orchestrator, choral director for the Los Angeles Lawyers Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, music director at First United Methodist Church of Redondo Beach, and has prepared choruses for the Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra. His singer referral service, Singers Elite, has entertained Southern California audiences for more than 30 years, and in 2002, he founded the annual “Choral Taste of Los Angeles,” a reading session of choral music by area composers.
SPECIAL THANKS
Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank Bri Decerio, emcee Aaron Jung, Pete and Trina Yoakum from Yoakum Sound and Light, and all the Downey Theatre staff; 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 West 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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