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 SEMIFINAL
Mechanics Hall
Saturday, March 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
The Crescendos is Chelmsford High School's treble-voiced a cappella group. Currently in their sixth year, The Crescendos take pride in a group culture that encourages authenticity and self-expression. They have previously appeared as ICHSA Semifinalists and taken home awards for Outstanding Arrangement and Outstanding Vocal Percussion. The Crescendos are thrilled to return to live performance this year.
Falconize is one of three a cappella ensembles from Danvers High School in Danvers, Mass., and has placed at and received awards at numerous ICHSA Quarterfinals and Semifinals. Falconize's recordings have been featured on many BOHSA compilations and nominated for Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs). When not competing, they enjoy singing at school and community events.
For Good Measure is the a cappella group from Mohonasen High School in Schenectady, N.Y. Since 2012, they have been performing at local school and community events. The members of this group are all highly involved in their high school music department including many different instrumental ensembles, several choirs, and their school theatre program. This is their seventh year competing in the ICHSA and they are so excited to be back on stage performing live in person this year!
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.
Rhythm On Rye is the premier student-run a cappella group of Rye High School. They arrange and choreograph their own music and primarily sing pop songs. They perform throughout the school year at fundraising and entertainment events. They have attended ICHSA for many years and placed 3rd in their 2020 Quarterfinal. They are so excited to be back this year!
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.
The Thursdays is Chelmsford High School's original a cappella group. They are thrilled to return for their seventh season in the ICHSA, where they have proudly represented the Northeast region on the Finals stage and earned awards for their soloists, vocal percussionists, and choreography. They love the challenge of storytelling through their competition set and celebrating all of the competitors’ hard work.
South Glens Falls High School’s Vocal Point hails from Upstate New York and is returning to the ICHSA for an eighth season. A cappella accomplishments include a handful of pre-pandemic performance tours and multiple professional recording studio projects. You can find their latest EP, Elevator Pitch, on several streaming platforms. Be sure to follow VP on social media @sgfvocalpoint or email them at SouthHighVP@gmail.com for booking information.
Voices of Steel is the advanced mixed voice group at Wakefield High School, directed by Ana Morel. Formed in 2009, they have collaborated with groups such as The Exchange, Musae, and The Nor'easters, and have worked with Shams Ahmed, Deke Sharon, and Caleb Whelden. They love to make music almost as much as they love their red Converse. In 2018, they placed 2nd in their ICHSA Northeast Quarterfinal. In 2014, 2015, and 2016, they won the NE Voices competition, and in 2015, they won the Salem Pitch Trials. Members have won awards for student arranging and outstanding soloists. They are so excited that live a cappella is back and thrilled to be performing and singing together again! Follow them on social media @VoicesofSteel.
Voices ReChoired started at Marlborough High School in 2008. Originally called A Choired 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!
GUEST PERFORMER
Nina Pelligra is best known for her a cappella looper covers and solo a cappella recordings. With a background in vocal jazz and musical theatre, her vocals are dynamic and bright and her arrangements infuse the complexity of her jazz and musical theatre roots with the power and structure of pop/rock hits. Her songwriting style is inspired by great poets with a similar vocal style, such as Sarah Bareilles, John Mayer, and Ingrid Michaelson. Nina's a cappella recordings are entirely self-recorded, arranged, and produced. Her debut single earned a CARA nomination for Best Song by a Solo Performer. Her a cappella arrangements are performed by student groups across the country.
TONIGHT'S JUDGES
An established clinician and music educator, Harrison Acosta originally studied orchestral performance and vocal pedagogy at the UCF School of Performing Arts. After completing his capstone thesis, “Capturing Moments in Music feat. The Human Voice,” he began advanced study in the Contemporary Writing and Production program at the Berklee College of Music. Harrison has collaborated to create several vocal groups across the community, including Voicebox, Project V, REMIX, Atlas and Royalty. As an undergraduate in 2014, he created UCF’s Voicebox, leading the group to place internationally and receive numerous accolades for their recorded music, live performances, and arrangements. They have been featured at showcases across the country and have been crowned champions at three national shows: SoJam XIV (2016), SoJam XVI (2018), and BostonSings (2018).
Dr. Kevin Badanes is founder and artistic director of the professional vocal jazz octet, Avante. He has been leading a cappella and jazz groups in a three-decade career at the collegiate and professional levels. An active composer and clinician in small-ensemble singing, he is the co-creator of the nationally touring production, “STEM: the Musical.”
Matt Chastain-Rittue, formerly of The Hexachords from Umass Amherst, is a three-time ICCA Northeast Semifinalist. After graduating from UMass, Matt received a Master of Music from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is now a music instructor and performance manager at the Berkshire Hills Music Academy in South Hadley.
Alexander Koutzoukis is co-owner (among other titles) of Plaid Productions, a full-service a cappella production studio based in Boston. While attending Tufts University for computer science, he spent five years in The Beelzebubs, two of them as music director. He got his start in a cappella production with Ed Boyer and Bill Hare on two award-winning Bubs albums (Pandaemonium and Play the Game) and went on to help record and edit BATTLE and Helix, as well as about half of The Warblers’ tracks from season 2 of “Glee.” He won a 2010 Best Male Collegiate Arrangement CARA for “All the Love In the World,” was runner-up in 2012 for “Kings and Queens,” and was also runner-up for Favorite Vocal Percussionist in the 2010 A Cappella Community Awards (ACAs). He currently executive produces BOSS and graphic designs for BOSS and SoJam.
Allie Spurling has been involved with a cappella since 1994. At James Madison University, Allie started the school's first co-ed a cappella group, The JMU Overtones. The group appeared on BOCA in 1998. After graduating, Allie started The Flint Hill Major Minors, a co-ed high school group in Fairfax, Va., and directed them from 2001-2005. The group appeared on BOHSA for multiple years. When Allie returned to her New England roots, she co-directed an all-female group at the Wheeler School for three years, and directed and advised a co-ed group at the Moses Brown School for three years. In addition, Allie runs workshops and arranges for high school and college groups up and down the East Coast and mentors high school groups through the process of recording an album.
SPECIAL THANKS
Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank Maria Schrader at Mechanics Hall, along with the Mechanics Hall staff for making this possible; our guest performer, Nina Pelligra; 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 placing group will advance to 2022 ICHSA 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!
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