THE INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP OF HIGH SCHOOL

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

ICHSA MID-ATLANTIC QUARTERFINAL

Neptune 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

The RHS Acabellas is the all-female competitive a cappella group at Ridgewood High School. The group is composed of 13 dedicated members ages 15 to 18 and they love singing together everyday. They were founded in 2011 and annually compete in the ICHSA. They also perform at school and community functions including sporting events, a cappella concerts, and more! 

Varsity Vocals is the premier a cappella group at Carteret High School. Varsity Vocals has performed locally, regionally, and statewide in venues such as Carteret Borough Town Hall, Charity Events, Robert Wood Johnson, New York City- Bryant Park, on the field for the Trenton Thunder, and more. This will be Varsity Vocals’ fourth year competing in the ICHSA. Previous accolades include the title of 2020 ICHSA Quarterfinal Champion, as well as Outstanding Choreography and Outstanding Vocal Percussion. They are thrilled to finally be returning to the stage alongside their peers and to see all of their music programs revitalized. 

Highlands Voices is from Northern Highlands Regional High School in Allendale, N.J. The Voices, as they’re often called, have made ICHSA Finals as Mid-Atlantic Champions seven out of the past 10 years. You can see them in the movie “Marry Me” starring Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson (in theaters Valentine’s Day 2022) and on the Lifetime TV show “Pitch Slapped.” They have performed workshops for NAfME, NJMEA, AEA, ACDA, Bergen Teen Arts, and host the annual Highlands A Cappella Festival. which attracts some of the biggest a cappella coaches in the world as instructors. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube @highlandsvoices. 

LumeNAtion is from Newark Academy in Livingston, N.J.  This is the group’s eighth year in the ICHSA!  They loved taking part in the virtual competition last year, advancing to Semifinals, but are even more excited to be back on the stage, performing live for an in-person audience! They wish all the groups well and hope that you enjoy their set. Let’s hear it for Newark Academy’s LumeNAtion! 

The Maroon Men is a competitive all-male a cappella group from Ridgewood High School. The group was established in the fall of 2010 mainly to get more guys involved and interested in joining the choir program and has since become an RHS staple. They are proud to compete in the ICHSA every year alongside their sister group, The AcaBellas. All members, past and present, have always proudly carried their tradition of singing that good ole harmony, soul to soul and brother to brother. Catch them singing at various events and concerts for the rest of the season and beyond, and as always, "that a cappella sounds good to me"! 

Remix A Cappella hails from the Montclair Kimberley Academy in Montclair, N.J. These 18 singers approach music and singing with vocal clarity and energy and absolutely have the best time singing together! Since their start in September, this group has organized performances around their school community and are so happy to return to singing in person. They are so excited to be competing in the 2022 ICHSA!   

Scarlet Sound is Neptune High School's premier vocal ensemble. They have been accepted as a competitor in the ICHSA for five years in a row and earned a spot in the Semifinals for the past two years. Additionally, the group has been nominated to the N.J. State Teen Arts Festival four times, each time garnering a "Distinguished" rating. Scarlet Sound has been a featured performer at the NATO Parade of Nations and performed twice in Disney World. The Scarlet Sound's mission is to challenge the young students of NHS to achieve the highest level of musicianship that they can and make a few amazing memories along the way. 

Soulfege A Cappella is Millburn High School’s student-led a cappella group. The group performs throughout the township and greater community, holding various fundraisers and events. This past year, Soulfege placed 1st in their ICHSA Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinal, 2nd in ICHSA Mid-Atlantic Semifinals, and 1st place in the A Cappella for Autism competition. They also earned awards for their choreography, arrangements, audio-mixing, videography, soloists, and video production. In 2020, Soulfege received 3rd place at both their ICHSA Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinal and Singstrong N.Y. Soulfege was the 2019 Champion at SingStrong N.Y., winning awards for Best Soloist, Vocal Percussion, and Arrangement. Also activists, they are proud to have raised over $6000 for Music Unites, the leading nonprofit supporting music education. Amid the pandemic, Soulfege recorded and released music videos entirely in quarantine and organized their first-ever virtual competition where they raised nearly $3,000 for autism awareness. Soulfege first began recording singles with The Vocal Company in 2017 and their version of "Take Me to Church" was selected to the 2019 BOHSA album. Their newest single, "Fall in Line," joins the others on iTunes and Spotify. Soulfege is thankful for its success and eager to see what the future holds! 

The Ridgewood Rhapsodies is the newest and first co-ed a cappella group at Ridgewood High School! This ensemble originated in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, combining two former RHS a cappella groups together and singing all types of SATB a cappella arrangements, from “Creep” by Radiohead to “Ain’t it Fun” by Paramore. With members spanning across every grade at RHS, The Rhapsodies built a wonderful virtual community that brought together their various musical backgrounds. However, unlike many ensembles that existed before the quarantine, they never heard what the group sounded like in-person until the end of the 2020-2021 school year! Now that Zoom rehearsals are (hopefully!) over and done with, they are excited to bring a new energy and style to the a cappella space in Ridgewood and beyond. This year, with members old and new, the 2021-2022 cohort of Ridgewood Rhapsodies look forward to singing SSAA music in genres like pop, folk, indie, and R&B. Enjoy the show!

Vocal Resolution is the first a cappella group established at Highland Regional High School in Blackwood, N.J. Formed in 2013, they started participating in ICHSA in 2016 and are thrilled to have an opportunity to compete again after a challenging pandemic year. The members of Vocal Resolution love finding new ways to make music with just their voices. The organic art form of a cappella music is more than just a hobby or form of entertainment for this group, but a therapeutic and essential part of their lives. Above all, Vocal Resolution is resolved to share their joy of singing in their performance. They are so grateful for this chance to perform on the same stage as others who share their passion for music!

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Neil Aaronson is a professor of physics and acoustics at Stockton College. A founding member of The TCNJ Trentones, Neil continued working with a cappella ensembles in graduate school at Michigan State University. Since 2008, he has helped the a cappella community grow from one ensemble with 10 members to three ensembles with over 45 singers, all working together to foster musical growth at their campus. He is the executive director of the ASTA/N.J. Chamber Music Institute, assistant conductor of the Stockton Oratorio Society, and vice president of the Board of Directors for the Philharmonic of Southern New Jersey. 

Ashley Mathews is the Director of Choral Activities at Hillsborough High School, conducting the select Treble Chorale, select Mixed Chorale, and the 30-voice Concert Choir. In addition to the curricular program, Ashley founded the 30-member extracurricular ensemble, Cardinal Voices, and the 12-voice select Chamber Ensemble. Her ensembles have placed in Superior and Gold ratings at festivals and choral competitions throughout the country and her students have received individual recognition at the Region and All State levels. Aside from choral singing and conducting, Ashley has been a featured soloist and vocal percussionist on five studio albums, as well as BOCA, Voices Only and Voices Only Forte, and performed for Massachusetts Congress, the NYC Pride Parade, and at Carnegie Hall. Her varied expertise has her in demand as a clinician, choreographer, and adjudicator throughout the a cappella community. Ashley holds a bachelor's degree in choral music education from the University of Delaware and a master’s degree, summa cum laude, in music education with a conducting concentration from Montclair State University. She intends to pursue her doctorate in music education at Teachers College of Columbia this summer. Her professional memberships include the American Choral Directors Association, New Jersey Music Educators Association, and Central New Jersey Music Educators Association. In her spare time, she serves as the musical director for the Hillsborough Theater Department and Associate Director of Music for the Presbyterian Church of Chatham Township. Ashley currently resides in Morristown, N.J. with her husband and their three-year-old golden retriever, Buddy.

Alycia Scott, Psy. D., has loved to sing since she memorized the theme song to "The Nanny" in 1994, sang it nonstop for an entire summer, and has never looked back. Alycia has trained with various vocal coaches in South Carolina and New Jersey, was musical director/arranger/recording producer of Shades of Yale, one of Yale University’s top a cappella groups, and has sung and arranged for Treble NYC since 2013.

Arvin Zabalerio is a vocal percussionist and musician who loves a cappella at his core! He has competed in the ICCA with both Rutgers Casual Harmony and The OrphanSporks from 2011 to 2015. During his tenure in collegiate a cappella, Arvin garnered multiple ICCA awards for Outstanding Vocal Percussion and advanced to Semifinals numerous times. Arvin is currently the ICCA Central Producer and has been with Varsity Vocals since 2017. Prior to becoming a producer, he was in the inaugural class for Varsity Vocals' Production Assistant Program and was fortunate enough to shadow in the ICCA and ICHSA Mid-Atlantic regions. When Arvin is not producing ICCA shows, he is a Senior. Manager of Supply Chain with PepsiCo and enjoys soaking up all the beautiful things NYC has to offer.

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 three finishing groups will advance to the  2022 ICHSA Mid-Atlantic 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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