2023 ICHSA Southwest Quarterfinal @ Rockwall Performing Arts Center

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 SOUTHWEST QUARTERFINAL

Rockwall Performing Arts Center
Saturday, February 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 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

Beyond was established at Rockwall Heath High School in 2020 as a treble a cappella group. Beyond includes students in grades 9-12 and they are all members of a larger choral ensemble. They compete in competitions such as ICHSA and Acatex. Beyond just released their first single in January, "Falling Water,” and hope to record more music in the future. They are excited to compete live at ICHSA this year!

Infiniti began at the school's inception in 2005 as a show choir and rebranded into a contemporary a cappella group in 2018. Infiniti performs at events throughout the year and competes at local and national a cappella competitions. They have competed in ICHSA each year since 2019, earning top placements and their first trip to Finals in New York City in 2022. They won 1st place at Acatex 2022, in addition to special awards for Best Choreography and Best Vocal Percussion. Infiniti will be releasing their first single in the next few weeks and it will be available on all streaming platforms. Infiniti hopes to release more recorded music and will continue competing in live competitions as much as possible!

Sachse High School's Mane Attraction is a contemporary a cappella and chamber choir ensemble. Membership is open to all choir students in grades 10-12 through auditions held the previous spring (limited to approximately 16-20 students). Students in this ensemble display the highest levels of musicianship in sight-reading, improvisation, and showmanship. They annually participate in the GISD Chamber Choir Festival and UIL Solo and Ensemble Contest, and produce an annual Madrigal Dinner. Mane Attraction received Superior ratings at the American Classics Madrigal and Chamber Choir Festival in San Antonio (2007, 2012, 2014, and 2017), were selected to receive a “Performance of Distinction” at the American Classics Madrigal and Chamber Choir Festival (2012 and 2014), and were selected as the overall winner at the Texas Renaissance Festival’s Early Music Competition (2008).

Remedy is a contemporary vocal ensemble made up of men and women in all grades with considerable choral singing experience. This ensemble performs at all AHS Choir functions on campus, off campus, and competes throughout the year in local and national a cappella competitions. In their most recent competition, AcaTex 2021, Remedy finished in 2nd Place!

Plano West Senior High School has a long-standing tradition of choral excellence. Syncopation, has acted as an outreach group for years, singing an array of literature from madrigal favorites to pop hits. 2020 was a challenging time for musicians and the world at large. As the virtual world began to explode, they were presented with the opportunity to venture into the pop a cappella arena. The students were excited to embark on a new journey for the school and worked tirelessly to build an inclusive musical community. All students embraced the challenge and often uncomfortable nature of trying something brand new to build something beautiful. Within the course of one year, the students evolved completely as performers and are incredibly proud of their efforts. Each day, the students of Syncopation strive to become the best versions of themselves.

Rockwall High School's Sting was formed in 2018 as an all-treble a cappella ensemble, placing 2nd at Sing! Texas that same year. In 2021, after entering ICHSA for the first time, Sting placed 3rd in Finals for their production of “Denim Jacket” by Sammy Rae and the Friends. Returning to ICHSA the next year, Sting was the top-ranked all-treble ensemble, earning runner-up in the Wild Card round. Their Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (CARA)-nominated debut album, Coronation, is available for listening on all major streaming platforms.

VOLT is excited for the opportunity to return to the ICHSA Quarterfinals for a second year. The group was formed in earnest during the 2020-2021 school. VOLT is composed of 10 wonderful and unique performers whose love of music and one another shines through in every performance. They look forward to performing for you today!

From Rudder High School in Bryan, Texas, Vox Cor is a mixed a cappella group that derives its name from the Latin words for voice and heart. Vox Cor has had the pleasure of performing at ICHSA Quarterfinals and Semifinals, as well as at the TX Vocal Arts Convention and in exhibition at the National A Cappella Convention (NACC) in Memphis, Tenn. This diverse group of singers finds music as their common ground and the heart beat that they share. 11 voices, one heart, this is Vox Cor.

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Patrick Berry is so excited to be on this side of the Varsity Vocals judging table after performing in/directing groups in these competitions from 2014-2022! Patrick received his bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from the University of New Hampshire, where he directed Alabaster Blue, and his master’s degree in choral conducting from the University of Southern Mississippi where he directed Spirit of Southern and The Southern BelleTones. Patrick formerly taught at New Manchester High School Fine Arts Magnet Program in Douglasville, Ga., where he directed Bella Voce’ and assisted former ICHSA winners, InToneNation. Now living in Austin, Texas, Patrick is a professional choral musician and church musician and does freelance arranging.

Greg Hilliard, Jr. is the front-line music director of The Capital Chordsmen, the chorus of the Tallahassee, Fla. chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society. Under his artistic leadership, the chorus has achieved as high as 2nd place in a Sunshine District chorus competition. He earned “certified director” status within the BHS in 2015. As a performer, he sings with THX, five-time BHS International Chorus Finalists, and has won awards singing with several men's and mixed barbershop quartets, including Capital Edition (inaugural Sunshine District Mixed Quartet champions) and On A Whim (Sunshine District Novice Quartet champions, 2015). He holds a bachelor’s degree in choral music education from The Florida State University, where he served as the co-creator/co-music director for The FSU Acafellas, the university's first registered all-male a cappella group (the precursor to the precursor to Reverb, 2013 ICCA Finalists). He is currently the Director of Choirs and Theatre at James S. Rickards High School and is a music assistant at Trinity United Methodist Church. Greg also maintains an active schedule as a solo vocalist, guest choral conductor/clinician/adjudicator, and vocal coach for barbershop/vocal jazz/a cappella groups.

Drew Howard is in his fifth year at Marcus High School as a choral director. He directs the Resonare Varsity Tenor/Bass Choir, Concentum Tenor/Bass Choir, and the Marcus Chorale. In addition, he directs and arranges music for the Marcus mixed a cappella group Dually Noted. He graduated from The University of Oklahoma with a bachelor’s degree in vocal music education. At The University of Oklahoma, he participated in all choral ensembles, including the Men’s Glee Club, Chamber Singers, Singing Sooners, and the Chorale. He also performed as a chorus member in several university opera productions. Drew is an active member of the American Choral Directors Association, Texas Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Educators, Texas Music Educators Association and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank 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 three placing groups at this event will advance to the 2023 ICHSA Southwest 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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