2024 ICCA Midwest Quarterfinal @ Bowling Green High School

DEAR FRIENDS,

Welcome to Varsity Vocals’ 28th 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 650 groups and over 10,000 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 28 years ago and we can’t wait to see how our 2024 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

ICCA MIDWEST QUARTERFINAL

Bowling Green High School
Saturday, February 24th, 2024

WE'RE SOCIAL

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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 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 27th.

The high school tournament is now in its 19th 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 26th.

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

Sedoctave is an SATB a cappella group that hails from Ball State University in the cornfields of Muncie, Ind. They perform all styles of music, but focus on pop, R&B, and alternative pop. They’re known for their signature black and gold attire and are one of five a cappella groups on Ball State's campus. Even though 90% of Ball State's population is from Indiana, Sedoctave includes members from Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Wisconsin, and even Mexico! Celebrating their 10th anniversary, they are the only mixed group on campus and pride themselves on their intricate choreography and big sound. While they have an abundance of musical theatre majors, Sedoctave represents many non-music majors on campus, such as sports production, nursing, psychology, and video game design. Regular competitors at ICCA, they most recently made ICCA Semifinals in 2020. Sedoctave is beyond excited to be back at ICCA this year and brings lots of new members that can't wait to compete in their first!

AcousChicks A Cappella of Bowling Green State University is the only all non-male-identifying a cappella group at Bowling Green State University. They were founded in 2015 in response to the lack of a non-male presence in the a cappella scene on campus, not because of “Pitch Perfect,” though the timing is suspicious. Their set list this year is a commentary on the non-male experience in society, ranging from feeling self-conscious at your first middle school pool party and comparing yourself to others around you and images from the media, to gaining confidence and finding people who affirm your self worth. Their set begs the question, “what happens if we change the narrative?”

Bowling Green State University's premier tenor-bass a cappella group, Ten40 A Cappella is an auditioned ensemble whose purpose is to spread joy and enrichment through musical performance and brotherhood. Since its origin in 2009, Ten40 has made its voice heard through over 300 community outreach events and solidified itself as a vocal force with consistent appearances at the annual ICCA. With a repertoire that spans across all genres and decades, Ten 40’s versatility sets them apart from the typical ensemble. Ten40 is open to singers of any identity!

Tonal Eclipse A Cappella is Bowling Green State University's premier competitive mixed a cappella group. Founded in 2011 and rebranded in 2018, Tonal Eclipse is completely student-led and primarily performs songs arranged by students. The songs in today’s set were arranged by music directors Alyssa Desotell and Laney Mitchell! They won an Outstanding Arrangement award for last year’s ICCA set, courtesy of alum Clay Hoffner. They share a passion for traveling as a group and experiencing different a cappella events together. Tonal Eclipse is a friendship-oriented group that adores spending time together in and out of the rehearsal setting. Tonal has performed at Ball State University and the University of Cincinnati at their annual invitationals and for local gigs around the Bowling Green area. Like all of the groups on campus, Tonal encompasses a wide variety of majors and courses of study, and celebrates the varied musical backgrounds of its membership. They emphasize solidifying bonds among group members and with other musical organizations on campus. Tonal Eclipse is so excited to showcase the hard work and dedication they put into this set and could not be more grateful for the wonderful opportunities they have had this year!

The Ransom Notes is Kenyon's premier gender and genre-inclusive a cappella group. Of the eight other groups on campus, The Ransom Notes is the only one who competes in the ICCA and the only one who has performed Bo Burnham numbers in concert. A few Ransom Note classics include Nickelback's “Rockstar” (sea shanty edition), a “Jeffrey Bezos” and “Gimme Gimme” mashup, and “Love Shack” by The B-52s.

The Tempo Tantrums is an all-inclusive, treble acapella group at Ohio University. Centered in the heart of Appalachia, the group was founded in 2008 and currently includes 15 talented individuals with diverse personalities. TT performs yearly at Miami University's invitationals and Ohio University's invitationals. On top of this, they host an annual winter classic and perform at professional and charitable events throughout the year. The Tempo Tantrums' motto, "stay gold," reminds them to shine in every performance as they perform a unique repertoire of various genres.

Majors & minors is a co-ed a cappella group on campus at The Ohio State University! They sing a variety of music genres such as pop and jazz. They are very excited to keep working on their combined sound as they continue to grow as a group and perform around campus. They were proud to place 3rd at their 2023 ICCA Midwest Quarterfinal at the Maltz Performance Center! They spent last semester getting to know one another well and have become close friends. This tight-knit group values creating a fun and comfortable atmosphere while maintaining a high standard of musicality. Majors & minors is so excited to perform their best at ICCA!

Originally founded in 2010, The Ohio State of Mind is The Ohio State University’s premier all-gender a cappella group. The group consists of 17 talented vocalists with a range of backgrounds and majors who share a common passion for making music. The Ohio State of Mind has performed on many different stages across the country and has made it to ICCA Finals in 2022 and 2023. Aside from ICCA, OSM performs at events and invitationals around Columbus and has released an EP, Coming Home, which is available on all streaming platforms.

Founded in 2011, Scarlet and Grace Notes is The Ohio State University's first and only a cappella group for treble voices. They love performing at events on Ohio State's campus and have been competing in the ICCA for the past eight years! Scarlet and Grace Notes sings a mix of upbeat pop songs, slow pop ballads, and even some indie folk. Music is just one of the many things that brings them together. Outside of rehearsal, you can find them having picnics on the Oval, going to Jeni's Ice Cream, or laughing at photoshoots at the apple orchard. The singers of SAGN are each unique in their own way, but their collective bond cannot be ignored. You won't find a closer group of people at Ohio State! They are so thankful to be able to come together to share their passion and talent with all of you.

Sound of Science is an auditioned ensemble of students of The Ohio State University. The name originated from the original members of the group, who were all STEM majors, but today’s group includes singers from any area of study. SOS is especially proud of three of its members, Marcus, Tina, and Krista, who have worked together to create and teach original arrangements of the popular songs in their repertoire. SOS would like to thank the family and friends who have supported the choir through fundraiser participation and cheering them on during performances. They hope you enjoy their set!

GUEST PERFORMER

Retrograde from Bowling Green State University was founded in 2021. They pride themselves on being a fun and safe environment for non-competitive a cappella music. Give them a follow @retrograde_BG!

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Conductor and bass-baritone Dusty Francis enjoys an active career as a performer, clinician, and educator across both the United States and the United Kingdom. He currently serves as Director of Music Ministries at First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor. Past roles have included musical leadership of the New York City Master Chorale, London's The Fourth Choir, and the Brooklyn-based Park Slope Singers, as well as classroom teaching positions with the American School in London and Collegiate School in New York City. Dusty has directed and arranged for high school, university, and adult ensembles. Dusty holds a Master of Music in choral conducting from the University of Maryland and a bachelor’s degree in music education from Xavier University in Cincinnati.

Sarah Maskill fell in love with a cappella two weeks after joining her college group at her first big performance: the ICCA Great Lakes Quarterfinal! She is a former bass and business manager of Michigan State University's Ladies First. During her time with Ladies First she produced two EPs, was nominated for a Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (CARA), and was fortunate enough to advance to ICCA Great Lakes Semifinals three times. She has since workshopped with many groups in the Midwest region, performed at The Open with her group Revel, and currently runs the Artist in Residence program at A Cappella University. You may have also seen her behind a camera at Varsity Vocals events and Contemporary A Cappella Society of America (CASA) festivals.

Brad Rees serves as Dean of the School of Creative & Media Arts at Tiffin University, where he directs the acclaimed vocal group Up in the Air and leads the University's cutting-edge commercial music program. A leader in contemporary a cappella and vocal jazz education for three decades, Brad has served as Assistant Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Northern Colorado, on the faculty at Iowa’s School for Music Vocations, and as a visiting professor of vocal jazz at Bowling Green State University. His credits include performances with Michael McDonald, Bobby McFerrin, Ben Folds, Joe Williams, and many others, and he holds degrees from Boston University, the University of Northern Colorado, Western Michigan University, and George Mason University.

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank Patrick Pauken, Ten40 A Cappella, Bowling Green Public Schools, and Beth Krolak; our judges, hosts, competitors, volunteers, partners, and producers; and you, the audience, for supporting Varsity Vocals programming.

Amanda Newman
Executive Director

Elise Hackl-Blumstein
ICHSA Director
PA/MA Program Coordinator

Dave Rabizadeh
ICCA Director

Emily Sucher
Director of Publications

Lucy Jacobs
ICCA West Producer

Lindsay Howerton-Hastings
ICCA South Producer

Arvin Zabalerio
ICCA Central Producer

Gemma Davies
ICCA United Kingdom Producer

Emily Benjamin
ICCA Northeast Producer

Danielle Sutherland
ICHSA Midwest Producer

Adam McNeil
ICHSA Great Lakes Producer

Cameron Clemens
ICHSA West Producer

Jody Hagler
ICHSA Mid-Atlantic Producer

Bryce McCracken
Associate Producer

Bri Decerio
Associate Producer

Courtney Jensen
Associate Producer
Emcee Extraordinaire

Sara Yood
Senior Producer

Emily Flanders
Director of Adjudication
ICCA Great Lakes Producer

Andrew Poole
Director of Digital Media

Charlotte Taylor
Marketing & Social Strategy

Holli Kitching
ICCA Mid-Atlantic Producer

Leah Alrutz
ICCA Midwest Producer

Bronwyn Jensen
ICCA Southwest Producer

Christopher Witham
ICCA United Kingdom Producer

Jillian Kimberlin
Senior Producer

Christopher Hoffman
ICHSA Northeast Producer

Ben Garza
ICHSA Southwest Producer

Luke Thomas
ICHSA South Producer

Alaina Wegner
Associate Producer

Jake Yoakum
Associate Producer

Rebecca Williamson
Associate Producer

Andrea Poole
Consultant
ICHSA Director Emeritus

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 2024 ICCA Midwest 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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