2024 ICCA South Quarterfinal @ University of Tennessee

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

University of Tennessee
Saturday, February 10th, 2024

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 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

The Belles A Cappella is an all-female a cappella group from Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., established in 2019. In addition to competing in the 2023 ICCA, The Belles have performed in various showcases, including The Pitch Perfect Night at the Fisher Center for Performing Arts. The Belles also perform in other shows on and off Belmont University's campus. Most recently, they performed the national anthem at First Horizon Park for The Nashville Sounds' last baseball game of the season. They have been invited back for The Sounds' spring season, as well as for sporting events on campus. The Belles experiment with all kinds of genres, from pop to R&B, and spanning all decades with their music. The group strives to create a safe space for women to come together and use their voices in a creative outlet in order to express themselves and perform. The Belles A Cappella is a special community promoting supportive friendships, fun, and musical growth.

Intonations is an all-female a cappella group from Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. They perform music ranging from pop to R&B and soul. Founded in 2019, Intonations strives to provide a community for young women of all majors to continue their music careers in college. Intonations has competed in two previous ICCA seasons, winning their first ICCA special award last year for Outstanding Soloist. Intonations loves going on girls’ retreats, celebrating Halloween, and eating post-rehearsal Mexican food!

Prismatics is an a cappella group of students from Belmont University making impactful music! Prismatics is known for their storytelling, dance prowess, powerful vocals, and infectious energy. Coming from all majors, identities, and walks of life, this group is anchored by their passion for music and their love for one another. Founded in 2015, Prismatics is Belmont University’s youngest all-gender a cappella group. Don’t let that fool you, though! Prismatics is a force to be reckoned with. As 2021 and 2022 ICCA Finalists, they have garnered attention throughout the a cappella community. Prismatics was featured on Voices Only 2021, Vol. 2 and Spotify’s “All A Cappella” editorial playlist. They released their first full-length album in April 2023, Metaphysical. Prismatics is extremely grateful for the opportunity to return to the ICCA stage to compete and bear witness to other fantastic groups!

The Beltones of Belmont University are so excited to make their return to the ICCA stage! The Beltones is a 17-member all-voice part ensemble from Nashville, Tenn. Founded in 2009, The Beltones was the first a cappella group on Belmont's campus and has performed at the local and national levels, including ICCA Finals in 2013, 2014, and 2017. In 2019, The Beltones released an album called Searching, and followed that up with a single called “Never Alone” in 2021. Every year, all Beltones, or Tones as they call themselves, learn the group’s signature song, which is a traditional hymn called “Come Thou Fount.” This beautiful arrangement acts as a grounding piece for the group and holds a special place in each Tone’s heart. The Beltones provide a unique sound and style to the a cappella world, in genres like funk, soul, R&B, indie, and pop. This group has grown into a place of love, honesty, musical excellence, and friendship to all involved. The Beltones commit to a foundation of positivity and value the privilege of making good music with friends that become family.

Founded in 2015, The Swashbucklers is ETSU’s tenor-bass a cappella group. As performers, The Swashbucklers value their sense of musicality while also providing humorous onstage antics, sure to entertain any audience. The Swashbucklers pride themselves on their dedication to brotherhood and the values of their motto, “Good Musicians, Better Bucs.” Under any and all circumstances, The Swashbucklers strive to be a positive force of joy in the music community.

Ascension is a mixed-voice ensemble and a powerhouse of talent, passion, and innovation ready to conquer every stage. With a dynamic mix of voices that effortlessly blend genres and eras, Ascension transforms each performance into an experience. Ascension doesn't just aim to succeed, but to mesmerize audiences, leaving a lasting impression with exceptional musicality and boundless creativity. They hope you enjoy and soar above with Ascension!

UT Singers is the official musical ambassador of the state of Tennessee. They have a long and rich history of serving their school and their state through song. They have performed in many ICCA competitions and are excited to be performing this year with all of these incredible musicians!

Harmonic Notion is Vanderbilt University’s premier co-ed, ICCA-competing a cappella group. Since forming in 2013, Harmonic Notion has quickly ascended to great heights, competing in ICCA Quarterfinals for all 10 years of its existence and advancing to Semifinals twice. They first won their ICCA South Quarterfinal in 2012, advancing to Semifinals and winning Outstanding Arrangement. More recently, they placed 3rd at their 2018 Quarterfinal and 2nd in 2021, going onto the 2021 ICCA South Semifinals and winning Outstanding Choreography. They were also recognized on the 2020 and 2021 BOCA albums. They have also released four EPs, Magic Technique, Unplugged, Airborne, and HarmonX: 10th Anniversary Live, available on all streaming platforms, and two of which were released this past year in 2023. Additionally, Harmonic Notion showcases their music at concerts and campus events throughout each semester. They strive to perform high-level a cappella music for the Vanderbilt audience and throughout the greater musical community with a high-quality sound and stellar showmanship.

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Paige Betts is the orchestra director at Mountain View High School in Lawrenceville, Ga. She is an experienced music educator, having taught string orchestra, chorus, and musical theatre, and has twice been runner-up for Teacher of the Year. She has given clinics with various orchestras, chorus, and a cappella ensembles across the Southeast, and has taught private voice and viola lessons. Paige is a graduate of the University of Georgia and is currently working towards becoming a Double Dawg. Paige lives in Winterville, Ga. with her husband Andrew and their dogs Jake and Barbara.

Brad Maffett is the conductor of the Athens Symphony. He previously performed with the Athens Symphony Chorus and continues to serve as a rehearsal assistant. Brad conducts band and choir at Franklin County Middle School and has previously conducted for “Musica Fraterna” of the Atlanta Children’s Choir, Local Vocals, and B Natural. He has written arrangements for over 80 a cappella groups. Brad has been involved in all aspects of music, from serving as a singing waiter to playing tuba in a polka band. When he isn’t making music, he can be found cooking barbecue in competitions throughout the Southeast.

McKinley Merritt, a UTK theatre alumni and Nashville native, began studying music and theatre throughout high school, performing often and interning in Nashville. Starting college in 2011, she auditioned for choirs and followed a friend to auditions for UTK's all-female a cappella group, ReVOLution. This was the start of her a cappella journey. After years of performing and learning to arrange and lead, she began to notice a need for a co-ed group on UTK's campus. She founded and created VOLT in 2015, leading with full creative control and an emphasis on storytelling in every performance. Her arrangements and direction led the group to multiple successful invitationals and tournament seasons, notably winning Outstanding Choreography at ICCA and personally winning the solo performance award at Boston Sings (BOSS). She continues to arrange, perform in local theatre, and leads East Tennessee's favorite ‘90s cover band, Teen Spirit.

Caitlin Nelson is a New York City-based actress, vocalist, events professional, and cheese aficionado. Originally from Tallahassee, Fla., she attended Florida State University, where she majored in music and sang with All Night Yahtzee. Since graduating, she has served as music director for Boston's The 508s, founder and music director for Seattle’s Shot in the Dark, and music director of Empire A Cappella. She currently directs, arranges for, and performs with the six-person vocal band, Concrete, and is a member of the Founder's Board for the Contemporary A Cappella League (CAL). Caitlin has earned awards for her choreography and arranging and is featured on Voices Only 2009 as the soloist for All Night Yahtzee's “Missing the War” by Ben Folds.

Jared Sanchez started singing in high school, leading his choir and attending All East. He has a B.A. in theater from the University of Tennessee, where he co-music directed and arranged for his college a cappella group, VOLT. During his time in the group, Jared and VOLT made the most of their five years, attending as many competitive and educational festivals and a cappella experiences as they could, including ICCA, SOJAM, BOSS, and Next Level Arranging. As of 2023, Jared remains active in music and the arts and even has received the resounding title of Mr. Knoxville Idol 2022. Jared wishes each group the best of luck and is excited to be on this evening’s panel.

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

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