2024 ICCA Northeast Quarterfinal @ Northeastern University

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 NORTHEAST QUARTERFINAL

Northeastern University
Saturday, March 2nd, 2024

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 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

Emerson Acappellics is Emerson College’s only competitive, gender-inclusive a cappella group! The group is made up of undergraduate students with a variety of musical backgrounds. They represent many different majors, but none of them study a musical curriculum, so they love coming together to create music. In recent years, they have sung repertoire by Sammy Rae & The Friends, Melt, Hozier, and look forward to expanding that list this year. They can’t wait to participate in ICCA again this year!

Alabaster Blue from the University of New Hampshire is excited to be back at ICCA! They previously competed in ICCA Quarterfinals in 2019, 2020, and 2022. Alabaster Blue is a co-ed group of singers with all different majors. Founded in 1998, this is Alabaster Blue's 25th year! They perform a variety of music, from pop and alt rock to R&B throwbacks. Besides their two semester shows, Alabaster Blue performs around campus and in the surrounding seacoast area. In addition to their concerts, they sing at university events, busk, record music, and shoot music videos! There are always multiple arrangers within the group and most of their sets are arranged by current members, with some by alumni and a handful of outside arrangements. Alabaster Blue tries to inspire new members to pick up arranging and vocal percussion, which has given them a versatile skill set. They released a four-track EP in early 2023 and shot a music video for "Oh My God" by Adele. They also released a small live video series, featuring live recordings of Dionne Warwick's "I Say A Little Prayer" and Hozier's "Nina Cried Power." Check them out on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram!

The Boston University Allegrettos is a close-knit, all-gender a cappella group whose performances feature alternative pop and R&B songs. When they’re not singing at events on and off campus, they’re recording music, which can be found on all streaming platforms. The Boston University Allegrettos previously competed in the ICCA in 2020 and 2023 and are excited to be back on the stage!

One Voice, previously known as Kol Echad, is Boston University's all-genre a cappella group, founded as a Jewish group in 1995. They aim to deliver musical experiences that embrace a mix of styles and cultures within the ever-popular collegiate a cappella sound. The group is a mainstay throughout the Northeast and often sings at universities, including Harvard, Brandeis, Rutgers, and Tufts. Once a year, One Voice also takes a weeklong tour, bringing a cappella to locations such as Toronto, Arizona, Miami, Chicago, and Los Angeles. In 2022, the group competed at the ICCA Northeast Quarterfinals.

BOKA is a colorful co-ed a cappella group that sings a wide variety of genres. BOKA is Bowdoin's oldest co-ed a cappella group and aimsto provide a fun environment for students to join a musical group on campus. They tend to sing songs that fall into the pop, folk, and indie categories and try to have as much fun as possible while doing so. They are a group of 18 this year and have a strong group of underclassmen who joined this past fall. This is BOKA's first year in the tournament and they are so thrilled to come together and perform for you.

The Ramifications is one of Suffolk University's all-gender a cappella groups. The group members come from all different backgrounds and majors and bond over their love for creating and sharing music. They work hard throughout the semester to learn various arrangements and share them with the Suffollk and greater Boston communities.

Upper Structure was founded in 2015, making them the youngest a cappella group at Berklee College of Music. These humble beginnings started something none of the founding members could have imagined. Upper Structure placed 2nd internationally at ICCA Finals in 2018 and 2021, taking home special awards for Outstanding Choreography and Outstanding Vocal Percussion. In 2020, Upper Structure was named Champion of the Los Angeles A Cappella Festival (LAAF). Upon the festival’s return in 2023, Upper Structure returned to defend their status as reigning Champion, ultimately winning 1st place along with special awards for their arrangements, movement, and rhythm section for the entire set. Most recently, they released their holiday single, “Favorite Time of Year,” which won Best Holiday Song at the 2023 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs). With each iteration, their members have continued to bring emotional, empowering, and innovative perspectives to every performance. Upper Structure’s purpose is to make music with meaning and to create something bigger than themselves. Make sure to follow their journey @upperstructureacappella on all platforms.

Founded in 1999, The Harvard LowKeys is an award-winning, contemporary all-gender a cappella group from Harvard College. They perform sold-out shows twice a year in Harvard’s historic Sanders Theatre, embark on world tours, and sing upon request at venues in and outside the greater Boston area. They have quite a positive track record at the ICCA, boasting three Quarterfinal wins in 2018, 2020, and 2022. All songs they perform are selected and arranged by current members of the group. As a result, they sing music from a wide variety of genres, ranging from classic rock and hip hop to top 40, R&B, jazz and everything in between. The LowKeys are proud of their versatility and spunky stage presence. The LowKeys hail from all around the globe and from diverse academic backgrounds, but are united through their dedication to the group and love for a cappella.

Off the Clock is Bentley's only a cappella group. They develop their musicianship through instruction in vocal production, sight singing, ear training and performance skills. Off the Clock a cappella has competed at the ICCA in previous years and earned an Outstanding Soloist award in 2022. Additionally, OTC performs at events that promote performing arts, including football and basketball games, Family Weekend, and various arts festivals.

The Jabberwocks of Brown University is Brown's oldest and premier a cappella group. Transitioning from an all-male group to all genders in 2019, The Jabberwocks have grown their sound in all directions, with a focus on making good music, whatever that may be. The Jabberwocks have toured both domestically and internationally and received acclaim from national and international competitions. They were proud to win an Outstanding Choreography award at the ICCA Northeast Quarterfinals last spring!

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Dr. Kevin McDonald is the Director of Choral Music at Wellesley High School, Conductor of the Chorus of Tenors and Basses at the Handel and Haydn Society Youth Choruses, and Director of Youth Music at Wellesley Village Church. Kevin received his B.M. in music education from the University of New Hampshire, where he sang with New Hampshire Gentlemen, his M.M. in low brass performance from the University of Idaho, and his D.M.A. in music education with a choral conducting emphasis from The Hartt School, University of Hartford. Kevin is a longtime a cappella enthusiast and is currently in his 19th year at Wellesley High School where he teaches and conducts five curricular choirs and advises a flourishing a cappella program consisting of four extracurricular a cappella groups: WHS Renegade, Ladies First, A Cappella Anonymous, and Inchordination. Kevin is an active guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician. Kevin has 25 years of service as an adjudicator, having adjudicated The Great East Music Festival, the Heritage Choral Festival, Trills and Thrills Festival, and various district and all state music festival auditions in the New England area. He consistently presents workshops and clinics at all state and regional conferences to collegiate NAfME chapters and at ACDA conferences.

Anthony Pulido is an arranger and director for Uproar, a Boston-based, professional a cappella group. He attended Northeastern University, where he directed and arranged for The Unisons. He also records and workshops groups and artists in the greater Northeast region, notably at festivals such as BOSS, NE Voices, and Haunted Harmonies. You can also find him as the third member of the “Head/Voice” podcast team. Check out the podcast to hear Anthony discuss a cappella with other members of the community.

Amanda Roeder is a high school choral and a cappella director in Chelmsford, Mass., where she directs The Thursdays and The Crescendos. She previously led an award-winning a cappella program in Marblehead, Mass. In 22 years of teaching, her groups have earned multiple Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs), ICHSA titles, and spots on BOHSA compilations. Amanda is a co-founder and board member of the NE Voices high school a cappella festival. She performs as a freelance vocalist, flutist, and pianist, and teaches private lessons and masterclasses in the greater Boston area.

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank Pitch, Please! and Darin Martin; 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 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

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