2023 ICCA West Quarterfinal @ Pomona College

DEAR FRIENDS,

Welcome to Varsity Vocals’ 27th 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 610 groups and over 9,100 singers at 85 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 cinematic 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.

We have seen a cappella make great strides from where it began on our stage 27 years ago, and we can’t wait to see how our 2023 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

Pomona College
Saturday, March 4th, 2023

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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 29th.

The high school tournament is now in its 18th 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 28th.

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

Acamazing is a co-ed a cappella group which seeks to foster a fun and engaging environment for singers of all experience levels to create music without instruments. They aim to nurture the musical talents of students at UC San Diego and to entertain themselves, the UCSD community, and the general public. Acamazing hopes that each member uses their time in the group to enrich their musical knowledge and skill sets while building lasting friendships with their fellow members.

The After School Specials hails from the Claremont Colleges, a consortium of liberal arts colleges in the Southern California area. Characterized by their upbeat attitudes and green attire, they sing their own arrangements that cover an expansive range of music. In their last appearance in the ICCA, they made it to the 2018 Finals, taking home the Outstanding Soloist award! Their members are as diverse as the music they sing, with members from all corners of the country and world. The group believes in creating a space for passionate individuals who share a love for making music, regardless of their backgrounds or levels of experience. The After School Specials have had the privilege of performing and recording at exciting locations including The Beacon Theatre, The Fonda Theatre, Diane Warren's recording studio, and the White House. Most recently, they appeared on season 16 of “America's Got Talent”!

SoundCheck was Chapman's first a cappella group on campus. This co-ed group of passionate individuals performs contemporary a cappella arrangements on campus, around the community, and throughout the United States. Performing for countless on-campus and off-campus events, they thoroughly enjoy spreading their love of music to every audience! Highlights include ICCA, notably winning 1st place at 2016 ICCA West Semifinals, SweeTARTS ACAPELLOOZA with Brittany Snow, and advertisements for CoverGirl's “Pitch Perfect 2” makeup collection. They have 17 years of alumni music connections and their alumni have sung background vocals for artists such as Childish Gambino. Last January, they released their quarantine EP, momentum! Last season, SoundCheck competed in ICCA and won Outstanding Arrangement under the musical direction of Jovanni Ferrer. With award-winning arrangements, SoundCheck is ecstatic to perform for ICCA!

Dynamix is the official a cappella group for Moorpark Community College. Formed in fall 2017 by Moorpark College alumni David Stuart, the group specializes in pop, with hints of R&B and jazz. The group was later advised by Dr. Brandon Elliott. Dynamix started out with just 10 members from different backgrounds and majors. Dynamix went on to represent the Ventura Community College District at ICCA Quarterfinals. After the performance, Dynamix was recognized by the Moorpark College school board and later went from a club to an official class, labeled as Contemporary Vocal Ensemble with student-led directors and faculty as advisors. Since 2018, Dynamix has gone strong as a class, even during the pandemic. In 2020, Dynamix held rehearsals at the school's parking structures to sing while following the school's Covid protocols, posting performances on YouTube while staying socially distanced. Dynamix now continues to perform, sing as a class, and proudly represent Moorpark College and the choral program.

Naya Zamaana is UCLA's premier South Asian a cappella team. Created in 2006, this group celebrates the diversity of talent among South Asian youth in America. Their singers bring a variety of musical backgrounds, from South Asian styles such as Hindustani and Carnatic music to Western styles such as pop, R&B, and rock. Their arrangements exemplify the distinct fusion of these cultures by blending classical and contemporary South Asian music with modern Western music to create their signature blend. Naya Zamaana’s repertoire strives to represent the diverse cultures of the South Asian diaspora by singing in languages such as Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, and Telugu. They believe that their unique style of arranging helps them achieve their goal of exposing the vast world of South Asian music to a wider audience, providing them with a truly one-of-a-kind musical experience.

Nu Aria is an all-gender pop a cappella group from Mt. San Antonio College, located in the beautiful city of Walnut, Calif. The group formed in the fall of 2022 under the direction of Michael Engelhardt. Nu Aria is a collection of music-loving, culturally diverse singers, with amazing choreography and beautiful chords that will make you want to sing and dance right along with them.

Founded in 2012, Resonance started out as a quintet that grew in both size and sound, quickly becoming one of UCLA's premier a cappella groups. These undergraduate and graduate students come from all majors and fields of study, but are united through a shared love of music and goal to create and compete at the highest level possible. Over the years, Resonance has participated and earned high rankings in numerous events such as the ICCA, the Los Angeles A Cappella Festival (LAAF), and Spring Sing, UCLA's largest and most competitive musical showcase. Their first studio album, In This Light, is available on iTunes, Apple Music and Spotify. Since then, they have also released various singles and they are currently recording their second studio album. Guided by their passion for performing and friendship, Resonance hopes to share their music with their community and make a lasting impact.

Sitaare is UC San Diego's premier award-winning South Asian a cappella team. Since its inception in 2006, Sitaare has taken pride in its diverse vocal talent and continues to explore ways to showcase variety and creativity in their repertoire. Sitaare enjoys performing different genres of both Indian and Western music, from Bollywood and Indian classical, to R&B and pop. In addition to cultural events at UC San Diego, Sitaare has had the opportunity to perform at community events, weddings, and corporate events in San Diego, the Bay Area, and beyond. Sitaare looks to push the boundaries of a cappella and reach for the stars.

The ChapTones is a fun-loving and award-winning co-ed a cappella group from Chapman University in Orange, California. 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 of many different backgrounds and interests, all of whom share a love for singing and a desire to be part of a performing family. The ChapTones have competed in multiple ICCA Quarterfinals and Semifinals and have even performed original material on the ICCA stage. They are very excited to be back on the ICCA stage again this year.

The Trebles is UCSD’s newest soprano-alto a cappella group. Established in 2010, they’ve always been driven by the connection and sisterhood inherent to making music. They value kindness, inclusivity, and unity, which reflects in their music, completely arranged by current or previous Trebles members. They are ecstatic to be in this year’s ICCA and have their very first in-person competitive performance! They hope you are ready, because they are about to make some serious treble!

Founded in 1994, Uniting Voices has grown from a cultural club choir to the premier all-gender a cappella group at UCI. Inspired by the power of storytelling and diversity, their talent and hard work have taken them far beyond their humble roots. In just the last five years, the group has been a three-time Best A Cappella Group winner in UCI's annual talent show, Soulstice, a two-time competitor in the Los Angeles A Cappella Festival (LAAF), and the first group to advance to the ICCA Semifinals in UCI aca-history. The group's virtual performances have earned them Best Overall Performance and People's Choice at Soulstice, as well as a spot in the ICCA Semifinals. As they reach new heights, Uniting Voices continues to captivate audiences with their diverse strengths and shared passion for creating art through a cappella.

GUEST PERFORMER

Groove Nation Dance Crew is a 5C student-run hip-hop dance crew. Although members come from different dance backgrounds (including ballet, b-boy, jazz, tap, popping, street, and lyrical), they focus on showcasing hip-hop pieces. GNDC strives to become a space for dancers to grow through other opportunities such as freestyling, choreography, and off-campus workshops.

Originally founded in 1876 as "Lucy's Band," with members hailing from all corners of the globe, Songs In The Key Of Claremont brings the funktastic flavor of Stevie Wonder straight to your doorstep. Musical magic materializes whenever they roam, paired with endless charm and a host of stories, they make the perfect backdrop to pompous parties, raucous restaurant events, and even freaky funerals. Strap in, buckle down, and have fun: no batteries included.

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

New Jersey-born and Nebraska-raised, Tehillah Alphonso is a Nigerian-American vocalist, pianist, music director, and Grammy-nominated arranger based in Los Angeles, Calif. A proud summa cum laude graduate of the University of Southern California, she received her B.M. in popular music performance from the Thornton School of Music and was named 2020 Outstanding Graduate, becoming the first Black woman in the pop program to achieve this award. While a full-time student at USC, Tehillah served as business manager and music director of USC’s premier a cappella group and five-time ICCA champions, The SoCal VoCals. Her time in The VoCals has led her to perform in venues such as the Staples Center, the Rose Bowl, Carnegie Hall, and many historic theaters in Los Angeles and New York. Upon graduating, she quickly made a name for herself in the session music industry, having sung on a number of films and television shows and alongside notable artists, including Lebo M., NIKI, Dan Wilson, Björk, Billie Eilish, and Olivia Rodrigo. She currently directs Pacifica Christian High School’s premier a cappella group and 2021 ICHSA runner-up, Wolf PACappella, and she is a music director and arranger at A Cappella Academy.

Multi-Grammy and Emmy winner Mx. LC Powell is perhaps best known for their extensive work on Disney's
“Phineas and Ferb” as a vocal arranger, voice actor and vocalist. LC is a music producer and music supervisor, with clients including Michael Bublé, Dolly Parton, Englebert Humperdinck, Wayne Brady, and Willie Nelson, to mention just a few. LC has opened for Tony Bennett, Lyle Lovett, Bob Newhart, Howie Mandel, and Josh Groban. She did her first recording session at age seven and has enjoyed over twenty years as a dedicated full-time musician with over 100 film and television credits. Her coloratura soprano voice was recently featured as Amy Adams' character Giselle in Disenchanted. Check out Https://lcpowell.me to learn more about their work. @MxLCPowell.

Felicia François (she/they) fell in love with a cappella when she became a member of The UNCG Sapphires. After serving as director of that group, she graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with bachelor’s degrees in vocal performance and choral music education. They worked as a chorus teacher and private voice teacher for four years and then went on to receive a master's degree in speech-language pathology from Boston University. Felicia is now working as a speech-language pathologist with a specialty in voice rehabilitation and gender-affirming voice at the USC Voice Center. She is thrilled to be an ICCA judge once again and wishes the best to all those competing!

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.

Selame Scarlett hails from Okemos, Mich. and is extremely thankful for this California weather. As an undergraduate at Michigan State University, she was the music director, arranger, and vocal percussionist for the mixed group, Capital Green A Cappella. Post-college, 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.” She is a sought-after clinician for high school and collegiate groups in the Great Lakes region and beyond. 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. She is excited to see and hear some great music tonight!

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank tonight's host group, The After Schools Specials and particularly Zach Fogel; emcee, Aaron Jung; photographer, Sidney Smith IV; volunteers, Bri Decerio, Ian Policarpio, Sammy Shrestha, Jacob Zimmerman, and Emily Rinn, all the staff at Bridges Auditorium, especially Sharon Kuhn and Matt Pavey.; 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
PA/MA Program Coordinator

Lucy Jacobs
The Open Director
ICCA West Producer

Emily Flanders
Director of Adjudication
ICCA Great Lakes Producer

Andrew Poole
Director of Digital Media

Erica Tackett
Director of Marketing
& Social Strategy

Emily Sucher
Director of Publications

Sara Yood
Senior Producer

Holli Kitching
ICCA Mid-Atlantic Producer

Lindsay Howerton-Hastings
ICCA South Producer

Arvin Zabalerio
ICCA Central 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

Jillian Kimberlin
ICHSA Mid-Atlantic Producer

Danielle Sutherland
ICHSA Midwest Producer

Jake McVey
ICHSA Northeast Producer

Cameron Clemens
ICHSA West Producer

Ben Garza
ICHSA Southwest Producer

Luke Thomas
ICHSA South Producer

Adam McNeil
ICHSA Great Lakes Producer

Nicole Kholweiss
ICCA Central Day-Of Producer

Courtney Jenson
Associate Producer
Emcee Extraordinaire

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 placing groups at this event will advance to the 2023 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!

VIEW ALBUMS

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