2023 ICHSA Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinal @ Cherry Hill East High School

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

ICHSA MID-ATLANTIC QUARTERFINAL

Cherry Hill East High School
Saturday, February 4th, 2023

WE'RE SOCIAL

We're talking about this event, and all of our events around the world!

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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 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.

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.

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 Ridgewood High School Acabellas is an all-female a cappella group made up of passionate and independent musicians from the choral department. They were founded in 2011 and annually compete in the ICHSA. They perform at school functions including sporting events, assemblies, and notably Valentine's Day when they serenade students with singing grams. They enjoy performing songs performed and arranged by women from all eras. You can support them at their school a cappella concerts and check out their live performances on Spotify.

Varsity Vocals is the premier a cappella group at Carteret High School. Varsity Vocals, under the direction of Mr. Kason Jackson, was founded in 2015 and has performed at many venues locally, regionally, and statewide. Varsity Vocals has received high praise and positive feedback from adjudicators in recent competitions, notably winning Outstanding Vocal Percussion and Outstanding Choreography in the 2019 ICHSA and winning 1st place at their 2020 Quarterfinal. They are extremely thankful for their supportive faculty, student body, parents, and administrators! CHS Varsity Vocals is proud to represent Carteret Public Schools and return to compete in ICHSA with their fellow artists.

Tamanend Middle School’s Gold’n’Blues is a lively group of 7th, 8th, and 9th Grade students from Warrington, Pa. who love to sing. They do, however, have a dirty little secret: they are not truly an a cappella group, but rather a chamber choir with an a cappella habit. Over the years as a choir, they have been selected to perform at the Pennsylvania State Music Educators Annual Conference each time they have applied, have won multiple Grand Sweepstakes Awards from their spring adjudication with Music Showcase Festivals, and are yearly participants in the Central Bucks Save the Music Charity Concert, the largest scholastic fundraiser for the Save the Music Foundation. They have been commended for their engaging, energetic, and sometimes humorous performances. Past performance highlights include opening for Vocalosity at the Bucks County Playhouse and participating in the Highlands A Cappella Festival and Central Bucks A Cappella Festival, where they have worked with highly respected a cappella clinicians. Gold’n’Blues is active in their local community and beyond, performing at school functions, charity events, festivals, senior centers, shopping centers, and sports games. They are thrilled to compete in the 2023 ICHSA. Gold’n’Blues is directed by Mr. Ian Sanchez.

This treble-powered group, Highlands Belles, makes their home at Northern Highlands Regional High School in Allendale, N.J. The Belles are proud to follow in the footsteps of the musicians who have come before them and share in their legacy. Over the years, Highlands Belles has competed at SingStrong Chicago, the National A Cappella Convention (NACC), Boston Sings (BOSS), and ICHSA. Their recordings have been featured on BOHSA. Belles are excited about their new repertoire and are grateful to be singing together and forming the bonds that make ensemble singing so amazing and unique.

The Ridgewood High School Maroon Men is a competitive all-male high school a cappella group from Ridgewood, N.J. Throughout their 12 years at RHS, The Maroon Men have continued to spread joy around Ridgewood by performing at many gigs, celebrations, and events year-round. Since 2012, The Maroon Men have competed annually in the ICHSA and most recently placed 2nd in the 2022 Quarterfinal. You can catch these good-looking and hard-working men performing at various events around Ridgewood and on Spotify, singing soul-to-soul, brother-to-brother!

Scarlet Sound is Neptune High School's premier vocal ensemble. Scarlet Sound has been accepted as a competitor in the ICHSA for six years in a row and earned a spot in Semifinals for three years in a row. Additionally, the group has been nominated to the NJ 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 was chosen to perform in Disney World twice. 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.

Since their inception in 2012, Stay Tuned from Cherry Hill East High School, created and directed by Heather Lockart, has experienced widespread success. They were selected to be featured on an eight-week Lifetime docuseries, “Pitch Slapped,” which aired during the winter of 2016. During this time, they were coached by music director and arranger of the “Pitch Perfect” movies, Deke Sharon. Since then, Stay Tuned has performed at the Kimmel Center, Lincoln Financial Field, The Town Hall, Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall alongside the cast of the Pitch Perfect movies. Most recently, Stay Tuned has competed in two ICHSA Finals competitions amongst the top groups from across the nation in New York. While the group has enjoyed such great national success, serving their community by sharing their love and passion for music with local friends and supporters has always been their number one priority. The members of Stay Tuned are thankful for every performance opportunity they are given and are always striving to inspire and bring joy to their audiences.

The Ridgewood Rhapsodies is the newest 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 to sing SATB arrangements. As the group continues to evolve, the 2022-2023 Ridgewood Rhapsodies look forward to singing SSAA music for you in genres like pop, folk, indie, and R&B. They are excited to bring a new energy and style to the a cappella space in Ridgewood and beyond. They hope you enjoy!

The Spartones was founded in the fall of 2019 at Steinert High School in Hamilton, N.J. by their new choir director, Miss Madelyn Curtin. Since then, Spartones has become an unbreakable musical family. They take every opportunity they can to perform and are excited to be back at the ICHSA this year. In the past they have performed at the National Jazz Fest and A Cappella at the Rock. They also started their own a cappella invitational in Central Jersey this spring. They are excited to be here and to share the stage with so many other great groups! Enjoy the show!

Vocal Resolution is the first a cappella group established at Highland Regional High School in Blackwood, N.J. The organic art form of a cappella music is more than just a hobby, club, or form of entertainment for members of VR, but a therapeutic component of their well-being. This tight, diverse group is stoked for any opportunity to perform with their aca-fam. They are so grateful for this chance to sing on the same stage as others who share a similar passion for music. Above all, Vocal Resolution is resolved to share the joy of singing throughout this musical journey!

GUEST PERFORMER

Created in 2016 by Molly McDonald and Danny Logan Eyerman, Rowan Vocals (RoVo) has been Rowan University's select SATB competitive a cappella group. RoVo advanced to ICCA Semifinals in its debut year and participated ever since. RoVo placed 3rd at ICCA Quarterfinals for three consecutive years, receiving Outstanding Vocal Percussion in 2021, due to the excellence of current vocal percussionist, Frank Ziegler, and Outstanding Choreography in 2022, thanks to the creative genius of soprano Maddie Herquet. Since its creation, RoVo has grown tremendously and has performed in various venues off and on campus. One of RoVo's greatest gigs on campus is RAHcappella, a night of a cappella co-hosted by RoVo and Profecy, Rowan University's tenor/bass group, also featuring neighboring a cappella groups. RoVo performs a variety of genres including funk, pop, rock, and alternative. When not performing, RoVo enjoys goofing around and sharing laughs together.

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Jenna Camacho is a passionate music educator in the School District of Philadelphia, with a specialization in a cappella and vocal performance. Jenna graduated from Temple in the spring of 2022 with a B.M. in music education and a minor in American Sign Language. She continues to share her love of a cappella and vocal music with her students. She has an expansive musical background, most recently serving as the music director of Cape Harmony, Cape Cod’s professional female a cappella group from 2020-2022. Jenna is excited to give back to Varsity Vocals, since this organization helped inspire her love for a cappella. She has competed in the ICCA with Singchronize, Temple University’s female a cappella group, as well as the mixed group, LEGEND which placed 3rd in the Open Semifinal. Jenna is a known arranger in the Mid-Atlantic region for high school and collegiate level a cappella groups. She also participated in the Varsity Vocals production assistant program where she had the chance to experience the Mid-Atlantic ICHSA from a different perspective.

Joshua Singer served as music director and arranger for two-time ICCA Finalists, University of Maryland Faux Paz. In 2016, he was awarded Outstanding Arrangement for the Mid-Atlantic region. Additionally, Josh arranged the winning 2017 BOSS Scholastic Competition set for Faux. His work has been nominated for multiple Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs), including a 2016 nomination for Best Electronic Song for his arrangement of "Our Own House" by Misterwives. Josh won the CARA for "Best Mixed Collegiate Arrangement" for Faux Paz's single, "Where Are Ü Now" by Justin Bieber, Skrillex, and Diplo. Josh was a featured director on the second season of Pop Network's “Sing It On," which followed his group's ICCA journey to Finals. Josh continues to engage with the a cappella community through his arrangements, collaborations, and workshops, and actively works to inspire groups across the country to take their music and performance to the next level.

Ian Wolfe is a Pennsylvania State University graduate and self-proclaimed a cappella nerd. At Penn State, he spent four years singing in a co-ed a cappella group, The Coda Conduct. He served as music director for Coda and helped them release an EP, Out of the Dark, and a full album, SPECTRUM. Ian competed in ICCA twice with The Coda Conduct, winning several Outstanding Arrangement awards. He also competed in the 2018 BOSS Scholastic Competition in Boston, Mass. Ian currently sings with the international 3rd place medalist barbershop chorus, Parkside Harmony, is a percussionist, and works with the Contemporary A Cappella Society of America (CASA) as a nominator and judge for the CARAs.

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank Jack Tremper for emceeing, our sound crew, East student Jason Adams on lights, the Cherry Hill East students for hosting, our maintenace staff, Principal Dennis Perry for his support in East hosting the event; 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 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!

VIEW ALBUMS

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