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 NORTHEAST QUARTERFINAL
Plymouth High School
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
Dobbs 16 hails from The Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., which is where they get the first part of their name. While there are not 16 of them, they have enough enthusiasm for more than 16 people! When not singing, these students are acting, playing soccer, dancing, co-chairing community government, running alumni mentorship programs, playing volleyball, and....still singing.
NOTEorious is North Reading's only a cappella group. Founded over a decade ago, NOTEorious loves to travel, compete, and support the community. More specifically, NOTEorious will flash mob any and everywhere they go, consume more ice-cream than is necessary, and take every opportunity to dance. Later this spring, NOTEorious will feature as a performer at Walt Disney World.
South Avenue is an auditioned, mixed-range a cappella ensemble based at Plymouth South High School in Plymouth, Mass. Founded in 2016, South Avenue has appeared on WGBH's “Sing That Thing!” and competed in Haunted Harmonies in Salem, Mass., as well as in the NE Voices and ICHSA competitions. Most recently, South Avenue released their first music video and accompanying single, "still feel" OPB half•alive. South Avenue seeks to create unique musical experiences for both members and audiences alike by performing fun, relatable, and compelling songs.
Despite being unable to rehearse in person and having a nearly complete turnover of members, Bristol Eastern’s Strawberry Fields is an a cappella ensemble that refuses to go gentle into that good night. Despite their small number, this group has a can-do spirit that will not be diminished. Strawberry Fields is proud to have competed in ICHSA since 2007.
Newtones is Newton South's only student-run a cappella group! They are very proud of their original arrangements, which are all done by students in the group. When they’re not singing, they love spontaneous bubble tea runs, playing laser tag, and rapping about salad. They also enjoy eating burritos and discussing whether or not wearing a Patriots jersey for the Super Bowl will increase the probability of winning.
Voices ReChoired started at Marlborough High School in 2008. Originally called AChoired Taste, they have shared their music across Massachusetts for the past 13 years with audiences young and old. They are excited about the opportunity to compete at ICHSA this year!
WitchPitch is Salem High School’s premier co-ed a cappella group. Known for their energetic music and pushing the boundaries of high school a cappella, WitchPitch is now in its 12th year of existence. The group has performed at various venues including several varsity vocals competitions, on WGBH’s “Sing That Thing,” and at the White House. The group is beyond excited for the chance to perform on an ICHSA stage once again.
GUEST PERFORMER
The Legends A Cappella is a student-run group all the way from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn. This group is made up of non-music majors going into fields such as occupational therapy, medicine, film and media, public relations, international business, and more. They love getting together three times a week to sing and perform for their university and community. They have performed at weddings, hockey games, fundraisers, Relay for Life, and at Madison Square Garden. Overall, they are so honored to perform tonight and support these talented groups!
TONIGHT'S JUDGES
Jill Clark has served as a senior producer and the Director of Live Sound for The Vocal Company for numerous years. She started in a cappella as a member of The UNCG Sapphires from 2006-2010 and has been working professionally in the industry since. She won numerous Vocal Percussion awards during her tenure with The Sapphires and is now dedicated to helping groups win Contemporary A cappella Recording Awards (CARAs, BOCA/BOHSA placements, and achieving their best. She is also the founder and CEO of her new solo production company, Jill Clark Productions. Jill is always excited to return to where it all began: scholastic a cappella competitions.
Brandon Hetherington is a seasoned a cappella professional, having started his first a cappella group in high school, The Spartones. He attended UMass Amherst for voice performance and music education, where he sang in The Vocal Suspects and served as a tenor, arranger, performance director, and choreographer, winning Outstanding Choreography at ICCA. He later joined The Hexachords, advancing with the group repeatedly to ICCA Semifinals, and was featured on Pop TV’s “Sing It On.” He has taught at festivals including BOSS, and has also taught at Uxbridge High School.
Amy Malkoff is one of the producers of the Haunted Harmonies festival in Salem, Mass. She has served as the marketing director for the A Cappella Education Association, as well as the media director of the Women's A Cappella Association (WACA), and on the board and as web content director for CASA. She is a longtime ICHSA/ICCA judge, as well as a certified judge for other vocal events. She is a workshop teacher, master clinician, writer, designer, runner of social media campaigns (www.amymalkoff.com), and a singer/songwriter and studio musician (www.amymalkoffmusic.com). She was a founding member of award-winning groups All About Buford and Deadline Poet and has appeared onstage and in the studio with acts like Wayne Brady, Jonathan Brooke, The Persuasions, Ellis Paul, Vance Gilbert, GrooveLily, Patty Griffin, and Dar Williams. She has a degree in music from Kenyon College, with music studies at Youngstown State University and master’s-level coursework at the New England Conservatory of Music. Amy's music has appeared on both the Rounder Records and Hear Music/Starbucks labels. @amalkoff
Julia McBride is a music and a cappella educator from Plymouth, Mass. After developing her love for a cappella in high school, she studied choral and general music education at the University of Delaware School of Music. During her summers in college, she was a part of the professional treble a cappella group, Cape Harmony. Today, she works for Plymouth Public Schools as an elementary general music teacher and directs PNHS Spectrum A Cappella. She also serves as the co-education manager and as a clinician for the NE Voices A Cappella Festival. Most importantly, Julia really loves her dog, Seamus.
As one of the founding members of UMass's The Hexachords, Xander Teplansky was a four-time competitor in the ICCA and a clinician at the BOSS a cappella festival. You can find him featured on Season 2 of "Sing it On" with The Hexachords. After earning a degree in music, Xander has gone on to sing for the Colorado Symphony, Opera Colorado, The Boston Symphony, and The Boston Pops. Xander made his Boston Symphony solo debut in the summer of 2019.
SPECIAL THANKS
Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank Jason Luciana at Plymouth South High School, along with the Plymouth South High School administration for making this possible; our guest performers, The Legends, from Quinnipiac University, our incredible sound engineer, Caleb Whelden, and our event 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 three finishing groups will advance to 2022 ICHSA Northeast Semifinals.
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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