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 NORTHEAST QUARTERFINAL
Bellport Middle School
Saturday, February 18th, 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 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
Chock Full of Notes is from Plainview Old-Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School in Plainview, N.Y. Established in 2003, this SATB group performs music from the past 40 years. With each set list, they strive to pick songs that draw from a variety of styles, including pop, pop-rock, modern movie musicals, and timeless classics, and adapt them to Chock’s unique sound. They perform show-stopping numbers with complex and addicting harmonies, strong bass lines, and catchy rhythms. They combine the power of Imagine Dragons, the emotion of Sam Smith, and the energy of OneRepublic to produce impactful and unforgettable performances. Some of their favorite songs to perform include “No Roots” (Alice Merton), “Love Runs Out” (OneRepublic), “Hold Back the River” (James Bay), and “It’s My Life” (Bon Jovi). With each performance, they aim to create an infectious energy that wows audiences and leaves them begging for more. They would like to thank their incredible staff advisors Adam Paltrowitz and Nicky Brenner for their support and inspiration. They also want to recognize their amazing student managers, Monty Boxer and Sarah Fitzgerald, assistant manager Garen Feisel, musical manager Ava Samba, and secretary Amanda Fabiano for carrying on the beloved Chock legacy.
Established in 2006, Drastic Measures is the second-oldest treble a cappella group from Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School. They perform many songs about female empowerment and confidence. Many of their song selections come from artists like Christina Aguilera and Demi Lovato. Their a cappella concert attire isn't traditional girly clothing, but vests and combat boots. Their motto is Drastic Girls For Life, or as they like to say it, DG4L!
Noteworthy was the first soprano and alto group established at Plainview John F. Kennedy High School in 2002. Noteworthy is one of the eight student-run a cappella groups at Plainview JFK High School. They are most known for their iconic pink look representing their bright and fun personalities and feminist pride. Everyone in the group is so different, yet they bond over a shared passion for singing. They mainly sing pop songs centering on self-love and empowerment. Members of Noteworthy love their tight-knit, familial relationships. They would like to thank their incredible staff advisors, Adam Paltrowitz and Nicky Brenner, for their support and inspiration. They would also like to recognize Their amazing student managers, Abby Salwen and Emma Shackman, and assistant manager Amanda Federmann for their undying dedication to the group.
On A High Note from Plainview Old-Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School in Plainview, N.Y., is a soprano/alto group established in 2006 that performs pop music from the past 20 years. They choose a mixture of well-known and more obscure songs to keep their performances interesting and unpredictable. Their song selections combine the heartbreak of Olivia Rodrigo, the effortlessness of Sara Bareilles, and the confidence of Ariana Grande to create classy and engaging performances. Some favorite songs that they have performed include “Take a Hint” (Victoria Justice and Elizabeth Gillies), “No Tears Left to Cry” (Ariana Grande), and “Because of You” (Kelly Clarkson). They focus on their blend to deliver dynamic performances and compelling harmonies. Each arrangement emphasizes the original features of the song while reflecting the group’s own unique style. With each performance, they include striking choreography that highlights their laid-back confidence and strong personalities. They would like to thank their incredible staff advisors, Adam Paltrowitz and Nicky Brenner, for their support and inspiration. They would also like to recognize their amazing student co-managers, Sarah Fitzgerald and Ava Samba, assistant manager Amanda Fabiano, and musical manager Sammie Tesoriero, for their undying dedication to the group.
Under A Rest is one of the eight student run a cappella groups at Plainview Old-Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School. Established in 2014, they are a mixed group with a repertoire of music from the early 2000s to the present day. Some of their favorite songs to perform are “Misery” by Maroon 5, “Valerie” by Amy Winehouse, and “Counting Stars” by One Republic. They arrange, select, and teach all of their music and recently updated their look to better reflect their style, with casual jeans, white tees, and stylish blue flannels. Under A Rest’s traditional song is “I Lived” by One Republic. They love to sing this song because it fits their group’s vibe and shares a good message about living life to the fullest and being together. This is how they feel about one another and their tight-knit bond as a group. They love to host activities outside of rehearsals like movie and game nights and having themed rehearsals. As the last group established at their high school, Under A Rest has worked incredibly hard to be where they are today.
The Valkyries is Valley Central High School's treble-voiced a cappella group. Formed in 2020, The Valkyries focus on contemporary pop a cappella, performing at various events in the community.
Vocal Forte is Peekskill High School's only pop a cappella group with members from 9th to 12th grades. They sing a variety of past and current popular songs. Formed in 2019, this is Vocal Forte’s first ICHSA competition. The group performs at various events throughout the year, such as school sports games, local cafes, and the Westchester Chordsmen A Cappella Festival.
The Voxtones is Valley Central High School's co-ed a cappella group. Formed in 2016, The Voxtones focus on contemporary pop a cappella and perform at a variety of events in their community.
GUEST PERFORMER
The South Country Singers is an after-school group of 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students from Bellport Middle School who love to sing and perform. This a cappella group was founded in 2018 and hosted its first ICHSA competition in Feb 2020, just days before the world shut down. They have been working tirelessly over the past few months to show how a cappella can be integrated at the middle school level and share their love of music with the world. The South Country Singers are excited to host this fantastic event again on Long Island and hope to host and/or compete in the future!
TONIGHT'S JUDGES
Alex Green is a recording engineer, producer, and arranger from New York City. He is a graduate of Tufts University with a dual degree in music and archeology. There, he was a member of The Tufts Amalgamates, with whom he sang, directed, and recorded 2011′s Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (CARA)-winning Hands Off The Mannequin. He is a co-owner and producer at Plaid Productions, a full-service a cappella production company with dual home bases in Brooklyn, N.Y. and Somerville, Mass. Alex shares two RIAA-certified Platinum and Billboard-charting albums with Ed Boyer and Ben Bram for his work with Pentatonix, while other clients of Plaid Productions have had songs featured on SING, BOCA, and Voices Only, garnering over 100 CARA nominations. Since graduating in 2010, he has regularly served as a masterclass leader and instructor at a cappella festivals nationwide, sung with Overboard (Boston), and written for the Recorded A Cappella Review Board (RARB).
An instrumentalist for most of his early life, Christopher Hoffman found his calling in vocal music as a member (and eventual president) of Hofstra University's Sigma'cappella. He helped bring the group to ICCA Semifinals twice in its first three years of competition, and earned individual awards on the way for Outstanding Arrangement. During this time, he began arranging for and collaborating with various professional, collegiate, and high school groups, and has continued in this work since graduation. Christopher helped SingStrong coordinate collegiate talent for its inaugural New York festival, and has worked with The Vocal Company’s marketing team. He currently lives on Long Island where he spends his free time working with high school a cappella groups.
Evan Linsey is a producer and engineer based in New York. He co-hosted the “Head/Voice” podcast, interviewing over 150 vocal musicians from around the world. His work with neo-vocal pop band Birdland Avenue (@birdlandavenue) helped the group to four CARAs and an Independent Music Award for Best Debut Album for Come Around. He’s currently songwriting and producing for upcoming artists, editing podcasts for Whetstone Radio Collective, and telling everybody to watch “How To with John Wilson.” Learn more and get in touch at www.linsey.me
SPECIAL THANKS
Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank our host Kyle Sherlock, at Bellport Middle School, along with the Bellport Middle School staff for making this possible; our incredible sound engineer, Nelson, and all of 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
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 Northeast 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!
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