2023 ICHSA Northeast Quarterfinal @ Plymouth South 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 NORTHEAST QUARTERFINAL

Plymouth South High School
Saturday, February 11th, 2023

WE'RE SOCIAL

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

varsityvocals

@varsityvocals

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

Dachords is a student-led, student-arranged, student-choreographed co-ed a cappella group from Hanover High School in Hanover, N.H. They have competed in ICHSA Quarterfinals several times in the past and progressed on to Semifinals in 2016. Their unofficial group motto is “We love freedom, food, and free food!”

The Gryphtones is The Cambridge School of Weston's only a cappella group. After dissolving in the spring of 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Chloe Maya Funk and Zoe Paley restarted the group in the fall of 2021. The group is now back and better than ever! They are still finding their sound but specialize in indie pop covers of some of their favorite songs. Their group has become a family and they are so excited to share their singing with the world!

Northern Lights, Plymouth North High School's mixed a cappella ensemble, has been bringing their blend of vocal harmonies to audiences around the Northeast since 2012. The group’s repertoire encompasses a wide range of styles, moods, and genres. They're excited to return to the ICHSA after not participating in person since 2015, but they’re even more excited to see what the other groups are bringing to the stage tonight!

Noteworthy is one of Dover Sherborn High School's two a cappella groups. As a student-led and no-cut group, they’re generally known for being laid back and fun. They don’t slack off, but spend many rehearsals cracking jokes in between practicing their songs. Even in their most critical rehearsals, they always end up playing harmonizing games, sharing playlists, and raving to “Jingle Bells.” Many of their songs are chosen by democratic vote or otherwise selected and arranged by a leader. They mostly perform pop, but still prepare jazz songs and hymns for specific concerts. Noteworthy’s first piece of the year was “Jada Jazz,” which challenged them to work with dynamics while learning one another's voices. They followed that up after Thanksgiving by caroling at Fran’s Flowers. Staying true to their merry spirit, members improvised backgrounds and harmonies on the spot. At their winter concert, Noteworthy sang four songs. The first, “Misbehavin’” by Pentatonix, was a senior favorite and a throwback to the 2019-2020 group. They also sang “Carol of the Bells,” “Dona Nobis Pacem,” and “Cups.” They are excited for the opportunity to sing at ICHSA, meet other wonderful groups, and watch them perform. They hope you find their performance…Noteworthy!

The Photosymphonizers is from the Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School in Marlborough, Mass. They are a student-run group and arrange all their own songs. Their music varies from pop mashups to alternative, a diverse selection for a diverse group of individuals. Although they aren’t the biggest club in school, they work together to create as beautiful a sound as they can, as well as a true group of friends. Their name, Photosymphonizers, a pun on photosynthesis and “symphony,” sometimes gets laughs from others, but it’s a part of their identity and specific to their group. It reminds them that although they come from a STEM background, you can always find a symphony in science. While they might not have all the credentials that make up a more experienced team, they love what they do and have fun doing it.

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!”, competed in Haunted Harmonies in Salem, Mass, and most recently placed 3rd at the 2022 ICHSA Northeast Semifinal. South Avenue also released three singles and a music video, all of which are available on your favorite streaming service. South Avenue is committed to creating unique performances for its members and audiences by selecting fun, relatable, and musically compelling songs.

Spectrum, Plymouth North High School's female-identifying a cappella ensemble, has been bringing their grounded, organic sound to audiences throughout Massachusetts since 2018. The group recently had the privilege to perform at the Massachusetts State of the Commonwealth Address and is thrilled to be performing for you tonight!

The 18 Wheelers is an a cappella group from The Wheeler School. They enjoy sharing their love of music with other schools and singing to raise awareness and funding for nonprofit organizations in Providence and the surrounding area. Throughout the years, they garnered national recognition by winning tracks on BOHSA, and the Contemporary A Cappella Society of America’s (CASA) acclaimed SING compilations, which features mostly college and professional groups. Over the years, their albums have won Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs) for Best High School Album, Best High School Song, Best High School Arranger, and Best High School Soloist. They have been ICHSA Northeast Champions twice and competed with the country’s top groups at Finals in New York City. The 18 Wheelers also appeared on two seasons of WGBH’s “Sing That Thing!” Most recently, they competed in the 2020 ICHSA Quarterfinals and won the Outstanding Soloist award. In 2019, their track, “Dancing on My Own,” was selected for BOHSA 2019 and they received other awards for soloists and duets in other competitions throughout the New England area. The 18 Wheelers pride whemselves on bringing joy to others and staying connected with the greater Rhode Island community.

Saugus High School's award-winning a cappella group, Tonal Chaos, is excited to be competing in ICHSA again for the 2022-2023 year. Originally known as The Sachimes, the group has six new members and they are excited to share their message of acceptance and inclusivity to everyone in the a cappella community. The group has previously released the following statement: "Society has placed boundaries on all of us. We have each felt the sting of being placed in the margins, and of being held inside a box with invisible barriers that are a thousand miles high. Our songs, our sets, our message, is that we can own who we are, even if it means accepting that society sees us through a narrow lens. It might even work to our benefit, because when we stand up, when we smash those make-believe barricades, when our battle cry is heard…no one will ever see it coming."

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Jarell Green has been involved with a cappella since middle school, where he was able to perform with then-winners of NBC's "The Sing Off," Pentatonix. A recent graduate from the Rochester Institute of Technology where he studied packaging science and music, he served as music director of Eight Beat Measure. With Eight Beat, Jarell worked on multiple CARA-nominated tracks, competed in ICCA, and was fortunate enough to win three ICCA Outstanding Soloist awards and an Outstanding Choreography award. Jarell has also been involved with The Hyannis Sound, a professional, male-identifying a cappella group that performs along Cape Cod and the surrounding New England area all summer long, where he has performed at hundreds of concerts for numerous audiences.

Amy Malkoff is one of the producers of the Haunted Harmonies festival in Salem, Mass. She has served as the marketing director for the A Cappella Education Association, as well as the media director of the Women's A Cappella Association (WACA), and on the board and as web content director for the CASA. She is a longtime ICHSA/ICCA judge, as well as a certified judge for other vocal events. She is a workshop teacher, master clinician, writer, designer, social media manager (www.amymalkoff.com), and a singer/songwriter and studio musician (www.amymalkoffmusic.com). She currently runs and manages the New Hampshire-based performance venue Club Sandwich (Sandwich, N.H.), where celebrity John Davidson performs on weekends, along with a lineup of nationally known artists on Thursdays. She was a founding member of the groups All About Buford and Deadline Poet and has appeared onstage and in the studio with acts such as Wayne Brady, Jonathan Brooke, The Persuasions, Ellis Paul, Vance Gilbert, GrooveLily, Patty Griffin, and Dar Williams. She has a degree in music from Kenyon College, with music studies at Youngstown State University and master’s-level coursework at the New England Conservatory of Music. Amy's music has appeared on both the Rounder Records and Hear Music/Starbucks labels. @amalkoff

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 our host, Jason Luciana at Plymouth South High School, along with the Plymouth South High School staff for making this possible; our incredible sound engineer, Caleb Whelden, and all 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!

VIEW ALBUMS

varsityvocals

#ICHSA