2024 ICCA South Quarterfinal @ The Carolina Theatre

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 SOUTH QUARTERFINAL

The Carolina Theatre
Saturday, January 27th, 2024

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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

Founded in October 1992, Rhythm & Blue is Duke University's oldest co-ed a cappella group. Since its inception, the Rhythm & Blue family has developed its own distinct style and matured into a full-fledged member of the a cappella community at Duke and beyond. As a group, R&B loves to arrange and perform pop, jazz, and R&B music. R&B enjoys singing all over Duke's campus (arches, dorms, basketball games, faculty dinners, recruiting venues), performing at local schools, and participating in a cappella competitions. The group is proud to have competed in several recent ICCA Southern Quarterfinals and earn placements on compilation albums such as BOCA and Voices Only. R&B has been nominated for numerous Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs) for its albums, With the Windows Down, Punch a Higher Floor, and House on Fire. Most recently, R&B has released three EPs, Up All Night (2023), Undone (2017), and Fresh Poison (2015), and two singles, “Shake It Out” (2022) and “Bird Set Free” (2019).

Treble Attraction, the first all-femme-identifying a cappella group at Appalachian State University, was founded in 2005. They sing everything from pop to country and above all, they are a close-knit group of friends who share a deep passion for singing. They take pride in wearing matching pink socks at every performance, symbolizing unity, and they're known for the incredible energy they bring to the stage. This year's theme is "Changing the Narrative," featuring songs originally written and popularized by men. As a group, they aim to showcase the diverse range of femme voices and celebrate what can be achieved when we step outside the conventional. They hope you have a wonderful evening and thank you for joining them in their mission to Change the Narrative tonight.

Founded in the fall of 2011, VoiceMale is Appalachian State's only all male-identifying a cappella group. They are a brotherhood dedicated to uplifting one another and performing some semi-decent a cappella every now and then. They perform various styles of music at events on and beyond their campus. After competing in their first ICCA competition just a year ago, they are looking forward to their second season!

The UNCG Chariots is University of North Carolina at Greensboro's premier co-ed a cappella group. Completely student-led and student-driven, The Chariots strive to provide an inclusive and inviting environment that promotes leadership opportunities and teamwork, all while creating beautiful music! They study sight-reading, arranging, and general singing technique to widen students' musical knowledge and abilities, regardless of their major or previous experience. They perform all over the East Coast and invite the general public and students on campus to attend their gigs. They have multiple songs available on streaming platforms and plan to record more in the near future. Although they have not competed in years past, they are excited to present their hard work and ambition at ICCA! You can view their group's performances and updates on Instagram @uncgchariots or on their YouTube channel!

The UNC Walk-Ons is an all-inclusive group of students with various hobbies, majors, and music tastes. They emphasize fun, planning lots of social events outside of rehearsal like "Walk-Tails," where they all get dressed up and go out to a fancy dinner. They perform two concerts every school year with a theme, video skits, and set of songs created and arranged by their own members. They also perform around campus at gigs such as GiveUNC and Sunset Serenade. They have put out consistent EPs, albums, and singles since the group’s creation in 2001, and most recently released an EP titled For the Last Time on Spotify and Apple Music. The group finds happy-mediums between focused rehearsal and social activities, holding relaxed sectional practices and creating short publicity post videos together. In 2015, The Walk-Ons were thrilled to place 2nd at ICCA Quarterfinals and had a blast making the road trip to Gainesville, Fla. to compete at the South Semifinals. In 2017, The Walk-Ons returned to ICCA Quarterfinals and placed 3rd, also winning Outstanding Choreography. Although it has been a few years, The UNC Walk-Ons are ready to take on the 2024 ICCA!

Acappology is the premier all-gender a cappella group on North Carolina State University’s campus. They are a diverse group of singers from many different disciplines and backgrounds. The group was founded in 1994 with a goal to promote a cappella appreciation in their communities through visual performance. Acappology strives to create music from all genres, matching the individuality and diversity of the group members. They aim to tell stories that can connect people from all walks of life, bringing them together through music and visual performance. Their repertoire, whether arranged collaboratively or by individual group members, is always created with the group’s intricate aesthetic in mind. Like the group itself, their music is always evolving and each performance explores the possibilities of various music styles and imaginative blends. The group has grown into a tight-knit family and they strive to share that sense of community in their performances. Acappology performs throughout their community, on campus, and even across the state of North Carolina. They have competed in the ICCA for many years, going to Semifinals in 2011, 2012, and 2017, and winning Outstanding Choreography in 2015!

Chordination is North Carolina State University's newest co-ed a cappella group, established in 2020. The group includes students from all different backgrounds who come together and embrace the music within. Using positivity and love as the foundation for the group, Chordination hopes to foster an environment that is both inclusive and supportive, emphasizing the importance of diversity, cohesion, and community. Chordination aspires to share their musical talents and passions with the Wolfpack community and bring joy to all of their listeners.

The Demon Divas is Wake Forest University's all-female contemporary a cappella group established in 1998. Their name is a play on their mascot, the Demon Deacon, showing off their school spirit, as well as their love for empowering one another as women with a shared passion for music. The Demon Divas are excited to return to their second ICCA after making their first appearance last February.The group has a mascot, Teddy, who is the furry friend of one of the Divas themselves! Teddy attends almost every rehearsal and even shows off some of his own musical expertise if the Divas are lucky. Please welcome The Wake Forest University Demon Divas all the way from Winston-Salem, N.C.!

Based in the aptly named Music City, Spectrum is Vanderbilt University’s premier competitive fusion a cappella team. The group promotes diverse backgrounds and genres by blending music from anywhere and everywhere. Singing songs in everything from Hindi to Spanish, Spectrum celebrates the joy and beauty of music across multiple cultures. This year marks Spectrum’s third year competing in the ICCA. Last year, Spectrum finished in 1st place at the 2023 ICCA South Quarterfinals in Orlando, advancing to South Semifinals in Durham. Spectrum has also competed on the All-American Awaaz circuit, singing South Asian music and winning 2nd place at Finals in San Antonio in 2022. Spectrum has performed at a wide range of Vanderbilt campus events, including various cultural festivals. Blending traditional cultural dance elements into their choreography, Spectrum always brings a unique energy and passion for performance to the stage. Their dedication to engaging their audience with every performance truly sets Spectrum apart.

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Dr. Kevin Badanes is founder and artistic director of the professional vocal jazz octet, Avante. He has been leading a cappella and jazz groups in a three-decade career at the collegiate and professional levels. An active composer and clinician in small-ensemble singing, he is the co-creator of the nationally touring production, “STEM: the Musical.”

Brooks Jordan began singing a cappella in college with The North Carolina State Grains of Time. Each year he competed with them, The Grains made it to Semifinals and earned 1st place in Quarterfinals for his last two years. In Brooks’ senior year, he led the group to Japan to collaborate with the Japan A Cappella Association in an effort to understand different cultures through music. Workshopping with Japanese collegiate groups and performing for the United States ambassador are just a few accolades from this trip. Brooks serves on the CARAs board, and works with the production teams of festivals, such as SoJam and BOSS. Brooks lives in Durham, N.C., where he works full time as a bio-pharmaceutical researcher.

Chris Kudlick has been involved in the a cappella community since 2012 when he helped found his high school's a cappella group, The Panther Creek Catatones. While minoring in music at UNC, Chris served as assistant music director, arranger, baritone, and a percussionist for The Tarpeggios, helping lead the group to their first ICCA appearance. Shortly after graduating, Chris joined the Durham-based a cappella group, Second Shift, with whom he performed until 2020. While he has taken a break from performing, Chris continues to listen to new releases from many of the world's top a cappella groups and he is excited to contribute his experience as an arranger, singer, vocal percussionist, and frequent ICCA audience member on this evening's panel.

According to legend (i.e. her parents), Amy Pruitt was singing before she could speak. She discovered her love of a cappella at the ripe old age of nine at a cast party (she was playing one of the Cratchit children in a high school production of “Scrooge”). The summer before Amy's freshman year of high school, she began an unbroken streak of continuously singing in a cappella groups that would go on for the next 20 years. Highlights include busking with her high school group, The Blue Belles, on the streets of Edinburgh, Scotland, during the Fringe Festival, and singing to a crowd of over 20,000 at UNC's Keenan Stadium for their 4th of July celebration. In between, she proudly arranged, performed, and competed in ICCA tournaments with her college group, Amazin' Blue. She attended both New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and the University of Michigan and performed in the professional groups Transit Vocal Band and Avante Vocal Jazz. Speaking of incredible a cappella singers who graduated from the University of Michigan, Amy's participation tonight is in honor of her dear friend, Jim Diego.

While his experience with a cappella began as a member of Eight Beat Measure in 2005, Rick Thomas has been extremely active in the greater a cappella community since 2010. Over the years, he has served as Contemporary A Cappella Society (CASA) Program Manager of Awards, Director of Outreach for both CASA and the A Cappella Education Association, and a member of the SoJam production team. Additionally, Rick serves as a clinician for groups across the country and works as a producer and mix engineer with Richard Thomas Music.

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank Rebecca Williamson and Forecast; 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 South 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

#ICCA