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 MIDWEST QUARTERFINAL
William Henry Harrison High School
Saturday, February 19, 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
Dynamix is Harrison's co-ed group consisting of students in grades 9-12. They have competed in six ICHSA Quarterfinals and three Semifinals. All of their group members are huge fans of their director's cover of "Creep" by Radiohead and listen to it on a weekly basis. Lastly, they would love to dedicate this performance to their fallen a cappella mascot, Mani Queeb. This is for you, may you rest easy!
Take Note is an all-female a cappella group consisting of students in grades 9-12. They meet every morning at 7 a.m. to rehearse. Most of the group members own more than 20 Squishmallows and love to show them off. They are in love with their director's dogs, Luna and Georgie, and dedicate every performance to them.
Ars Nova is a contemporary pop a cappella group from the Miami Valley School. Ars Nova finds joy in sharing their talents with their community and laughing through early-morning rehearsals. The group has been featured on Voices Only 2021 and is excited to share their love for performance on stage this year.
Polarity is an extracurricular pop a cappella group from Waverly High School in Waverly, Ohio, a small rural town in the southern part of the state. Since forming in 2017, Polarity has achieved many accomplishments. They were awarded 1st place at the 2019 Harmony Sweepstakes Regional Tournament in Chicago and brought home 3rd place and the Audience Favorite award in the National Tournament. Polarity also took 1st place in the 2020 ICHSA Quarterfinals and 3rd place in the 2021 ICHSA Semifinals.
Based in the Cincinnati area, West Clermont Alpha is the competitive vocal a cappella group from West Clermont High School. Through community outreach and performance, their mission is to uplift, support, and entertain everyone who crosses their path! They live out the ideal that each and every person should be able to #FindYourVoice and make a difference from wherever you are! WC Alpha is excited to enter their third official year of competition!
Hailing from Northview High School, From The Top is in its third year as a high school a cappella group. After years of having a thriving choral program, it was time to expand these kids' talent into the contemporary a cappella world. In their very first year as a group, they were thrilled to be crowned Quarterfinal Champs at their first ICHSA! With COVID preventing them from competing in that Semifinal, this group hopes to see that opportunity through this season. From The Top vocalists see ICHSA as an opportunity to define their purpose as musicians, artists, and friends, all while telling beautiful stories onstage. With a quickly-growing repertoire, this group is learning what it takes to put together an unforgettable show.
IMPACT is the Youth Choral Theater of Chicago’s (YCT) contemporary a cappella group. YCT is a Chicago-based nonprofit with a 37-year tradition of bringing choral music to student in grades preK-12 in Chicago’s north and northwest communities. YCT is dedicated to helping children to find their voices and making a difference in the world. IMPACT is an audition-based ensemble composed of singers from all over the North Shore of Chicago. IMPACT is excited to compete in the ICHSA this year.
TONIGHT'S JUDGES
Jake Przybyla began his life in music with piano lessons at age six. He joined the school choir in 3rd grade and continued singing in choirs and musicals through high school. Jake attended Michigan State University where he joined The MSU Accafellas in the fall of his freshman year. Becoming one of the "Fellas" was a pivotal experience for Jake and he went on to lead them as president and music director during his junior and senior years. At the group's 2012 ICCA Quarterfinal, Jake shared the award for Outstanding Arrangement and the group placed 3rd overall. After his first four years of college, Jake took a year off his studies in order to pursue professional music opportunities. He and a few of his fellow Accafellas formed an a cappella quartet and landed a six-month contract with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines singing on the Celebrity Summit. Since coming home and finishing his degrees, Jake works as a chemistry supervisor by day, but carries his passion for music with him by continuing to arrange music for a cappella groups and participating in musical theatre in the Lansing area.
With a Master of Music in Choral Conducting (Kent State University) and a Bachelor of Arts in Music Theory and Performance (Ashland University), Brandy Kay Riha is an a cappella educator and arranger with a special focus on treble repertoire. Her arrangements have been performed by middle school, high school, and collegiate singers around the globe. Brandy Kay teaches voice, theory, and a cappella at Tiffin University. She has founded and directed numerous a cappella groups, in both scholastic and semi-professional contexts, and she has led workshops on arranging, aca-directing, music theory, and vocal percussion. Brandy Kay is the founder, director, producer, and arranger for Zero to Sixty, a yearly-auditioned summer a cappella group centered between Cleveland and Akron.
Selame Scarlett hails from Okemos, Mich. As an undergraduate at Michigan State University, she served as music director, arranger, and vocal percussionist for Capital Green A Cappella. Currently, she is a clinician for high school and collegiate groups in the Great Lakes region. She served as a percussionist and vocalist for the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (CARA)-winning, all-female sextet, Lady Jaye, and the all-female gospel powerhouse group, Traces, which was featured on Season 5 of NBC's “The Sing-Off.” In the summertime, Selame is an instructor and counselor at A Cappella Academy, a Los Angeles-based vocal camp for young adults (ages 13 to 17). Selame has been fortunate enough to record alongside groups such as Naturally 7, The Boxettes, Pentatonix, Duwende, and Traces of Blue (formerly Afro-Blue)! She has led percussion workshops and masterclasses, individually and with her beatboxing colleagues. Alongside a cappella, Selame has a fiery passion for healthcare. As the leading referral coordinator for one of the largest digestive clinics in the Central Michigan area, she facilitates continuation of care for patients with various GI, liver, and pancreatic diseases. She is excited to see and hear some great music tonight!
Jeremy Witt is an educator, conductor, and performer born in Hilliard, Ohio. He graduated with a music education degree from Cedarville University and a Master of Music Education from Kent State University. He is the founder of Cedarville’s first contemporary a cappella group, The Inversions, and served as the group's music director and president for four years. He currently serves as the Director of Choirs at Hilliard Bradley High School and the Tenor/Bass Choral Director at Hilliard Memorial Middle School. Jeremy and Kelsey Burkett oversee the Jaguar A Cappella program which includes four contemporary a cappella groups from 7th through12th grades. He and Kelsey also co-direct the award winning a cappella group, Shades of Blue. Jeremy has also judged for the CARAs, the A Cappella Video Awards (AVAs), and many years in ICHSA and ICCA.
SPECIAL THANKS
Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank Anna Adams and Harrison High School, Sound Station Productions, and Joey Bogdajewicz; 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 placing groups will advance to the 2022 ICHSA Midwest 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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