2023 ICHSA Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinal @ St. Charles 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

St. Charles High School
Saturday, February 11th, 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

Severn School's Breakwater was founded in 2018 by five kids who didn't know what they were doing, but knew they loved to sing. After five years of singing, going remote, then hybrid, then masked, and finally unmasked and together again, the group is now composed of 15 kids who sort of know what they’re doing and still love to sing. They’re so glad to be here and singing with so many talented people.

Hailing from Chesapeake High School in Pasadena, Md., Evolve was founded in 2017 by former CHS Director Michael Brisentine and quickly burst into the a cappella scene, placing 4th at ICHSA Finals in 2019 with an award for Outstanding Choreography. In 2021 and 2022, with current director Robby Napoli, they advanced to Mid-Atlantic Semifinals and won special awards for Outstanding Soloist and Outstanding Vocal Percussion. In 2020, Evolve was featured on BOHSA, singing “Just Like Me” by Betty Who. You can find Evolve's EPs on your favorite streaming services worldwide!

The Screechin' Eagles is North Point High School's mixed a cappella group, (not to be confused as a heavy metal rock band.) The group includes students ranging from grades 9 through 12, each bringing their own unique contributions to the “table.” One member even brought a delicious breakfast casserole, but that’s a whole other story! While there are many a cappella influencers currently in mainstream media, these fierce students have not become leeches and enjoy performing a variety of musical styles. In addition to their passion for a cappella, many members of Screechin' Eagles are also a part of the choral music family at North Point High School. Many of them have also been selected for regional and state-wide honor ensembles. While the group is still quite young, they have enjoyed performing at elementary and middle schools in our district. This is their small way of thanking those who have helped the group grow up and they hope to inspire young students to do great things themselves.

Sol is a group from Severna Park, Md. and was formed in the fall of 2021. Sol, by definition, means sun and a pitch on the solfege scale, but means so much more to this group. For them, Sol means joy, pride, acceptance, family, and a bright passion for music. They believe that their group’s close-knit relationship and soulful connection is the key to creating amazing music. They hope that their musical selections convey that something as small as a bunch of choir kids can make a true family.

Formed in 2016, The Spartones from St. Charles High School have been seen performing on various stages, including ICHSA, Singstrong D.C., and the Gaylord National Resort. They have worked and performed with groups including Blue Jupiter, Pitches Be Crazy, Ball in the House, Resound, and members of Pentatonix. The Spartones are excited to be back on stage performing their high-energy music!

Takin' Charge, Lackey High School's one and only a cappella group, is excited to be back competing at in-person ICHSA for the first time since the 2018-2019 season. This relatively small group is made up of dedicated members who participate in all facets of the performing arts. Whether it’s band, theatre, choir, or whatever else, these singers are always ready to perform. They would like to thank their friends, family, and other loved ones for supporting them and they hope you enjoy the show!

The Acatonics is the premier all-gender a cappella group from Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, Md. The group includes vocalists from a range of backgrounds who all share a common passion for making music.The Acatonics have been fortunate to attend and place at ICHSA Quarterfinals and win the High School Competition at SingStrong New York. Aside from competitions, The Actonics perform at events around their school community and the greater Washington, D.C. area. In addition to performing together, The Actonics love being together and will take any chance to celebrate their group’s community.

The Foxy Jukebox hails from Moorestown Friends School in Moorestown, N.J. This group is composed of athletes, artists, actors, and student entrepreneurs who share a passion for singing! Over the last five years, The Foxy Jukebox has been honored to perform at several ICHSA Quarterfinal and Semifinal rounds since their inception in late 2018. They have also been featured on Philadelphia radio, as well as charity events for the Samaritan Hospice in southern New Jersey. The students would like to thank all of their family and friends for their support and encouragement!

Fourth Dynamic is composed of four friends from Friends’ Central School who met in an a cappella group and bonded over their shared passion for music. The group members are all part of the FCS Vocal Music Program, as well as theatre, jazz band, and other arts programs. They’ve been singing together as an a cappella group for two years and are excited to push themselves musically with this opportunity.

Vox Blue is Delaware Valley Regional High School's premier competitive a cappella group, led by Mr. Adrian Camano, Director of Choral Activities at Del Val. Made up of sophomores, juniors, and seniors at Del Val, these 18 students were handpicked through a competitive audition process and represent the best vocalists in the choral program. Last year, Vox Blue competed in the ICHSA Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinal and took home a special award for their all student-created Outstanding Choreography.

GUEST PERFORMERS

Off Track is a co-ed group from Towson University formed by a group of friends in the fall of 2021. In their few years of existence, Off Track placed 2nd in ICCA Semifinals last year, received special awards for Outstanding Vocal Percussion and Soloist, and they have plans to release their music on Spotify and other streaming platforms later this year. Many of the members have fond memories of competing in the ICHSA Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinals during their high school careers and hope that tonight's talented young competitors enjoy this as much as they did. Thanks to Varsity Vocals and St. Charles High School for the opportunity to perform this evening and they hope you enjoy the show!

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Neil Aaronson is a professor of physics and acoustics at Stockton College. A founding member of The TCNJ Trentones, Neil continued working with a cappella ensembles in graduate school at Michigan State University. Since 2008, he has helped the a cappella community grow from one ensemble with 10 members to three ensembles with over 45 singers, all working together to foster musical growth at their campus. He is the executive director of the ASTA/NJ Chamber Music Institute, assistant conductor of the Stockton Oratorio Society, and vice president of the Board of Directors for the Philharmonic of Southern New Jersey.

DJ Godinez is a graduate of James Madison University with a Bachelor of Music in vocal music education. He is in his second year of teaching choral music in the northern Virginia area and currently teaches chorus and guitar in Arlington Public Schools at Swanson Middle School. DJ was in JMU's premier all-male a cappella group, The Madison Project, and currently directs Forest Park High School's all-male a cappella group, VoiceMale. DJ is a freelance trombonist and bari-tenor and currently resides in Alexandria, Va.

A 2012 graduate from Berklee College of Music, Nadia Sosnoski earned a bachelor’s degree dual majoring in professional music and songwriting and a minor in acoustics and electronics. While attending college, Nadia acted as soprano and tour manager for the international award-winning a cappella group, Pitch Slapped, and was proud to be part of the winning group at 2011 ICCA Finals. She went on to perform on cruise ships and music-direct for theme parks. Nadia eventually landed in Nashville where she was a soprano in the Nashville Symphony Chorus for two seasons, as well as lead singer for a Motown band called The Soul Searchers and for the rock band, JGX. Her original music has been featured on daytime television shows and her voiceover work can be heard in both television and radio commercials. Nadia has performed with Alison Krauss, David Burnham, Susan Egan, and “Weird Al” Yankovic. She now resides in Washington, D.C. where she is a soprano for the official chorus of United States Air Force, The Singing Sergeants, and the lead singer of the new Air Force pop band, Supersonic.

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank Tammika Little, St. Charles High School Principal, Dr. Maria Navarro, Charles County Public Schools Superintendent, Timothy Bodamer, Charles County Public Schools Fine and Performing Arts Specialist, Andrew Blumhardt, Charles County Public Schools Fine and Performing Arts Specialist Danielle Carpenter, tonight's emcees Shaneha Harvard-Lamb and Timothy LaBelle, St. Charles High School auditorium manager
St. Charles High School parent and student volunteers; 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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