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 WEST QUARTERFINAL

Rialto Theater
Saturday, February 3rd, 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

Gold Rush is a mixed-voice a cappella group from Pacific Lutheran University that seeks to connect students through a shared love of music and performing. They sing songs across genres and decades using no instruments, only their voices! They specialize in pop and indie with the occasional bit of R&B. They became a group in 2021 when Pacific Lutheran University’s all-female group, HERmonic, decided to expand to include all voice parts. They’re so excited to compete in ICCA for the opportunity to perform and to see what other a cappella groups are doing!

Big Bing Theory, also known as BBT, was established in 1999 by Erica Heinz. Gonzaga University’s only a cappella group on campus, they sing a wide variety of music from the latest popular songs to classic hits and even some jazzy arrangements. BBT currently has 14 members and performs on campus and throughout the larger Spokane community. A highlight of their year is the Gonzaga University Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, an early December event with singing, dancing, and holiday magic. Big Bing Theory has transitioned from a completely student-run club to a class format with the support of Gonzaga’s director of choral and vocal studies, Dr. Stohlmann. They are still primarily student-run, but the music department’s help has provided them with many opportunities to improve their musicianship. Every year after auditions, the group takes a retreat to the beautiful Schweitzer Mountain Resort in Sandpoint, Idaho, where they bond through hiking, eating, and making beautiful music together. Big Bing Theory earned 3rd place at their 2023 ICCA Quarterfinal, along with Outstanding Soloist for their very own Jonah Rieder. Their first EP, Find Yourself, features their 2023 ICCA performance and is available on Spotify and Apple Music.

PLUtonic A Cappella is a student-run and directed a cappella group (they perform without instruments!). In 2021, PLUtonic made the shift from tenor-bass to an SATB ensemble to be more inclusive and allow any student to participate in a cappella on campus. The group loves learning and performing a cappella music. PLUtonic also aims to provide a diverse selection of music and performance opportunities to the PLU community and beyond. They compete annually at ICCA Quarterfinals and are excited for the 2024 season. 

Eh? Cappella is the University of British Columbia's (UBC Vancouver) oldest competitive a cappella group and competes annually in the ICCA. As the 2018, 2020, and 2022 West Quarterfinal Champions, they have a diverse repertoire of songs spanning across genres and showcasing their group’s diverse musical talents. Eh? Cappella is known for their energetic stage prescence, engaging and complex song arrangements, and powerful soloists. Their songs are out on streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music and their previous award-winning ICCA sets can be viewed on Youtube. Fun fact: one of their Eh?lumni beatboxers, Vino Cuenca, is the reigning champion of the Canadian Beatbox Tournament! 

Furmata is the University of Washington's premier, all-gender a cappella group. They emphasize excellence, passion, energy, dedication, and inclusivity in all of their endeavors. Furmata was the ICCA 2023 West Quarterfinal Champion and ICCA 2022 West Runner-Up. They have been honored with awards such as Outstanding Arrangement and Outstanding Soloist over the last several years. 

The Northwest Collective, also known as NWC, is a co-ed a cappella group from Vancouver, B.C. The group was founded in 2018 at the University of British Columbia, bringing students together with a shared passion for music and performance. NWC has performed at the ICCA for five consecutive years, placing 3rd in the 2021 and 2022 ICCA West Quarterfinals and winning Outstanding Choreography at the 2023 ICCA West Quarterfinals. NWC released their debut EP, What’s Really Good?, in 2021 and it can be found on most streaming platforms! Through five generations, the singers of NWC have forged tight-knit bonds as fellow singers and as friends. Directed by Bryna McGarrigle and Cassandra Dubuc, The Northwest Collective continues to foster a strong team dynamic and strives to grow as an ensemble and as individual singers. 

Pacific Note West is the competitive mixed ensemble of Western Washington University. Their primary focus is fostering an inclusive community through collaboration and empowering people of all identities to express themselves through a cappella music. Pacific Note West is composed of singers from many different majors and classes, which gives them a versatile sound that grows with every new group of singers. The group covers a wide variety of music, mainly arranged within the group. Pacific Note West takes pride in doing what they can to build their musical community and increase local a cappella outreach, in addition to sharing other genres like jazz and barbershop. 

The Trill Seekers is the most recent addition to The Beats, the premier a cappella club on the University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus in Kelowna, B.C. They competed at the ICCA West Quarterfinals for the past five years and made it to virtual Semifinals in 2021. The Trill Seekers is a tight-knit group formed entirely of non-music students. Their main goal is to introduce students to a competitive music environment and work with like-minded musicians. They strive to explore many different genres of music and reflect that spirit in every ICCA setlist. They spend between eight and ten hours each week practicing and honing their musical abilities. Along with the ICCA, The Trill Seekers perform at semester-end shows, community events, and in collaboration with other clubs on campus. They are so excited to show you what they have in store for the 2024 ICCA. Keep it Trill! 

The Trebled Acaholics is an a cappella group from the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus. They focus on introducing others to the world of a cappella, accepting a wide range of talent and skill to try and hone their members into the best singers they can be. They have no specific genre preference and are excited to perform. 

UW Awaaz is an a cappella group at the University of Washington. They take musical inspiration from South Asian and Western cultures and create harmonious arrangements of all genres. Founded in 2009 by UW alumni Joyita Banerjee and Pratyusha Banik, Awaaz has followed in the tradition of other fusion a cappella groups while continuing to innovate the genre by incorporating elements from different cultures and media. From classic Bollywood hits by A.R. Rahman to popular American songs, Awaaz aims to cultivate fusions that provoke emotions of joy and nostalgia, while appealing to audiences of all cultures and musical backgrounds. 

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Noah Maguigad is a seasoned musician and arranger with a deep love for the world of a cappella. His musical journey began in church choir and grew to include skills in voice, piano, music theory, bass, and saxophone. In high school, his ever-growing passion for choral music earned him a spot in the ILMEA Honors Chorus and equipped him to serve as the Proprefect at St. Procopius Abbey, delivering sacred Gregorian chants for mass. As the director and primary arranger for his collegiate a cappella group, Mosaic Whispers, he led them to remarkable success in the 2023 Midwest ICCA season, earning a 1st place victory at Quarterfinals, in addition to an individual honor for Outstanding Arrangement for the whole set, and a 3rd place finish in the Semifinals. Additionally, Noah directed the "Masked Singers," a volunteer service a cappella group that (safely) provided uplifting performances to healthcare workers and patients during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, Noah is now a professional a cappella arranger and aspiring producer, continuing to contribute his musical expertise to create captivating and meaningful arrangements. 

Isaiah Ragland is a voice teacher and ensemble director based in Tacoma, Wash. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in music from Central Washington University in 2014, where he began to hone his skills as music director of the campus a cappella group, Nada Cantata. From 2015-2019, Isaiah teamed up with the Contemporary A cappella Musicians’ Institute (CAMI). CAMI worked in support of collegiate a cappella groups in the PNW by providing resources, training, and events for singers and groups, including the annual Northwest A cappella Festival and the Emerald City Beatbox Battle. Isaiah is the music director of local a cappella group, Outpour. Outpour is a seven-person group that focuses on finding creative ways to engage with and celebrate their local communities. Isaiah is also the director of the Federal Way Pop Choir at Federal Way School of Music. As a performer, Isaiah sings in Outpour, the Trinity Parish Choir, and Radiance, a Seattle-based professional vocal ensemble specializing in American choral music. 

Dr. James Reddan is Chair and Associate Professor of Music, Director of Choral Activities and Music Education at Western Oregon University, where he directs the concert choir and chamber singers and coaches The West of Us. James is an in demand conductor, adjudicator, and clinician. Ensembles under his direction have achieved worldwide recognition, performing regionally, domestically, and internationally for prestigious venues and events. He made his Carnegie Hall conducting debut with the Western Oregon University Choirs in May 2022 and is preparing for a performance with the Berlin Philharmonic this June. James received the citation for Excellence in Music Education from the American Prize in Choral Music and was recognized as the conductor for the first Honored Artist Choral Ensemble. In addition to a busy touring schedule, James arranges and composes works for a cappella ensembles throughout the region and is an active music scholar, presenting research on music perception, music and gender, assessment in music, and more. Prior to his appointment at Western Oregon University, James taught at Frostburg State University and served as the Chair and Director of Choral Activities in the Performing Arts Department at Linn-Benton Community College in Albany, Ore. He also served as the choral music educator at Arbor View High School and Cannon Junior High School in Las Vegas, Nev. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in music education from Boston University, a Master of Music in choral conducting and music education from the University of Oregon in Eugene and a Bachelor of Arts in music education from McDaniel College in Westminster, Md. James completed additional studies at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in Brisbane, Australia, the Oregon Bach Festival, and interned with the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. 

Taylor VanDuser has been part of the a cappella world since their senior year of high school. Their high school group experience prompted them to study music at Western Washington University, where they earned a Bachelor of Music in choral music education. During college, Taylor served as president of their school's a cappella club and music-directed the treble group for two years. They also worked closely with the choral music department, participating as a singer and helping to plan and facilitate conferences. Since graduating, Taylor has been working with kindergarten through eighth grade students as a choral music educator in Seattle Public Schools for the past six years. In their free time, Taylor performs with Puget Sound Company, an eight-member a cappella group working semi-professionally in Seattle. Taylor has been PSC’s music director for two and a half years and helped lead the group in recording two award-winning studio albums and going on three tours. 

During his junior and senior years at the University of Minnesota, Avery Wong was a baritone and arranger for both 7days A Cappella and Basses Wild Men’s A Cappella. He has continued to arrange for those groups since 2015, along with the female group, The Enchantments. Avery has musical hobbies in addition to a cappella, including being an accompanist for classical vocal performers and picnic operettas. 

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank tonight's emcee and day-of producer, Jake Yoakum; photographer, Jake Young; our sound engineers Pete and Trina from Yoakum Light and Sound, our volunteers Jason Black, Gabriel Dimayacyac, and Sophia Sauvageau, all the staff at the Rialto Theater and finally, Tacoma Arts Live for partnering with us on this show and especially to TAL's Akida Dancer; 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 West 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!

#ICCA