2024 ICHSA Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinal @ Northern Highlands Regional 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

ICHSA MID-ATLANTIC QUARTERFINAL

Northern Highlands Regional High School
Sunday, January 28th, 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 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.

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.

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

Bergen Sound hails from Bergen County Academies. This is their second year competing in ICHSA (with hopefully many more years to come) and they are thrilled to be back. Despite being new to ICHSA, this completely student-run group has been around for a long time at the Academies. They try their best to find times in the morning and the afternoons to cram in rehearsals while still having a good time. More than just a competitive group, Bergen Sound has shared their voices with their school community for various events, from school concerts and assemblies to serenading fellow students during the holiday season. They try to leave a lasting impact with every performance. Bergen Sound loves to sing a variety of songs, and most importantly, have a blast throughout the whole process.

Highland Voices’ legacy includes titles as ICHSA National Champions, seven-time Mid-Atlantic Champions, and National A Cappella Convention (NACC) Champions. They were featured on the Lifetime series “Pitch Slapped” (2016), the movie “Marry Me” (2022) starring Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson, and television’s “American Horror Stories” (S3, E1 “Bestie”) released October 2023. They have performed workshops for NAfME, NJMEA, AEA, ACDA, Bergen Teen Arts, and host the annual Highlands A Cappella Festival, which attracts some of the biggest a cappella coaches in the world as instructors. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube @highlandsvoices.

Montville Township High School’s Mpulse is thrilled to make their ICHSA debut! Originating from Montville, N.J., Mpulse was founded last year by their music director Ted Cherney. In their free time, the group loves watching old ICCA videos and goofing around in the choir room. They are excited to show everyone all the hard work they’ve put into this set!

Rhapsodies A Cappella, established in 2020, is an all-female a cappella group based in Ridgewood, N.J. This is Rhapsodies’ third ICHSA competition and they are so excited to return! One of three a cappella groups at Ridgewood High School, Rhapsodies, also known as the “Rhaps,” differentiate themselves by specializing in current pop covers of artists such as Adele, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, and more. They support female artists and want to promote feminist empowerment and friendship in their group everyday. Inclusive to all auditionees, they worked as a team to put together the amazing performance you see today. The Rhapsodies pride themselves on being a group of girls who just love to sing and spread the joy of a cappella! “Rhaps are we, Rhaps on three, One Two Three, Rhapsodies!”

Soulfege A Cappella is Millburn High School’s student-led a cappella group and enjoys performing throughout the township and holding various concerts over the academic year. In 2021, Soulfege placed 2nd in the ICHSA Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinal and took home the awards for Outstanding Arrangement and Choreography. They also received the award for Outstanding Arrangement in 2015 and 2023 and placed 1st at the 2017 and 2019 SingStrong A Cappella Festivals, also winning the awards for Outstanding Female Soloist, Outstanding Arrangement, and Outstanding Vocal Percussion. Along with music, Soulfege also takes pride in its activism. The group has raised over $4000 to donate to Tunes to Teens and Music Unites, two charities that donate music supplies to underprivileged schools. Soulfege is so thankful for its success and is eager to see what the future holds!

The Nocktaves is a competitive a cappella group from PequanNOCK Township (get it?). The group was started in 2018 after attending an ICHSA event. They have been Mid-Atlantic Semifinalists three times and performed at Yankee Stadium twice. This year, they have named their competition set the "Heartbreak Tour."

Treble Makers is an all-treble a cappella group from West Morris Mendham High School. The singers in this group can be seen performing classical, musical theatre, jazz, and pop music as a part of the greater music department activities, but focus mainly on contemporary music as a collaborative ensemble. The group is excited to be back for their third ICHSA and looks forward to seeing all the amazing talent to take the stage!

GUEST PERFORMERS

This treble-powered group, Highlands Belles, makes their home at Northern Highlands Regional HS in Allendale, N.J. The Belles are proud to follow in the footsteps of the musicians who have come before them and share in their legacy. Over the years, Highlands Belles has competed and placed at SingStrong Chicago, National A Cappella Convention (NACC), BOSS, and ICHSA, advancing all the way to ICHSA Finals. Their recordings have also been featured on BOHSA. The members of The Belles have a wide variety of interests, but their love of singing a cappella has created a familial bond. They are equal parts smart, kind, hard-working, and fierce. Maybe this year they should change their name to The Highlands TrouBelles!

Highlands Harmonics is a mixed a cappella group from Northern Highlands Regional High School in Allendale, N.J. They have placed 3rd at the SingStrong N.Y. competition held at Adelphi University and have made it to ICHSA Semifinals. The group has also performed at the NACC in Memphis, Tenn., and yearly at the Highlands A Cappella Festival. Highlands Harmonics is excited to participate in this year's ICHSA and to make new friends who share their love of a cappella singing. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Jenna Camacho is a passionate music educator in the School District of Philadelphia, with a specialization in a cappella and vocal performance. Jenna graduated from Temple in the spring of 2022 with a B.M. in music education and a minor in American Sign Language. She continues to share her love of a cappella and vocal music with her students. She has an expansive musical background, most recently serving as the music director of Cape Harmony, Cape Cod’s professional female a cappella group from 2020-2022. Jenna is excited to give back to Varsity Vocals, since this organization helped inspire her love for a cappella. She has competed in the ICCA with Singchronize, Temple University’s female a cappella group, as well as the mixed group, LEGEND which placed 3rd in the Open Semifinal. Jenna is a known arranger in the Mid-Atlantic region for high school and collegiate level a cappella groups. She also participated in the Varsity Vocals production assistant program where she had the chance to experience the Mid-Atlantic ICHSA from a different perspective.

An instrumentalist for most of his early life, Christopher Hoffman found his calling in vocal music as a member (and eventual president) of Hofstra University's Sigma'cappella. He helped bring the group to ICCA Semifinals twice in its first three years of competition, and earned individual awards on the way for Outstanding Arrangement. During this time, he began arranging for and collaborating with various professional, collegiate, and high school groups, and has continued in this work since graduation. Christopher helped SingStrong coordinate collegiate talent for its inaugural New York festival, and has worked with The Vocal Company’s marketing team. He currently lives on Long Island where he spends his free time working with high school a cappella groups.

Ashley Mathews serves as the Director of Choral Activities at Hillsborough High School, conducting the 20-member select treble chorale, 18-voice mixed chorale, and the 35-voice concert choir. She also established Legacy, the first-ever curricular show choir in the state of New Jersey, and will lead them in their debut competition season this spring. During her tenure as a choral director, Ashley’s ensembles have placed consistently in Superior and Gold ratings at festivals and choral competitions throughout the country. Ashley holds a bachelor’s degree in choral music education from the University of Delaware and a master’s degree in music education with a conducting concentration from Montclair State University. She has recently performed Mahler Symphony No. 3 with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Handel’s “Messiah” at the prestigious Carnegie Hall with the Masterwork Chorus, and under the baton of Eric Whitacre at David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center. Aside from choral singing and conducting, Ashley has been a featured soloist and vocal percussionist on five studio albums, as well as compilation albums for BOCA, Voices Only, and Voices Only Forte. Her expertise as a member, choreographer, and director in competitive a cappella is in demand as a clinician, choreographer, and adjudicator in the high school and collegiate a cappella community. Ashley holds professional memberships with the American Choral Directors Association, New Jersey Music Educators Association, and Central New Jersey Music Educators Association. She currently resides in Morristown, N.J. with her husband, Anil (who she met through the ICCA!) and their five-year-old golden retriever, Buddy.

Ryanne Solinsky is a graduate of SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music, holding a degree in music education. While in college, Ryanne sang, arranged for, and served as a vocal percussionist for treble a cappella group A Sharp Arrangement. The group competed in ICCA for all four years, where they advanced to multiple Semifinals and Ryanne received an Outstanding Vocal Percussion award. She most recently taught music at the middle school level, leading the choir and teaching general music, before moving to attend New York University, where she is working toward her master’s degree in musical theatre vocal performance with an Advanced Certificate in vocal pedagogy. She thanks Varsity Vocals for having her and wishes good luck to everyone competing this season!

Kyle Yampiro is a Doctor of Musical Arts from James Madison University and has served on faculty at University of Memphis and Eastern Mennonite University, teaching musical theatre voice and music history, respectively. A native of Long Island, N.Y., he is a nomadic actor who has performed with numerous opera and musical theatre companies across the country and most recently performed “Hairspray” on Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas in 2023. He music-directed University of Delaware’s Vocal Point as an undergraduate and JMU's Exit 245 while earning his master's degree. With Exit 245, he contributed to the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (CARA)-winning album, Boyfriend Material, from which his solo track, "Cinema," was featured on the compilation albums BOCA 2013, Voices Only 2013, and SING 10. He spent a year singing with Memphis-based Contemporary A Cappella League (CAL) group, DeltaCappella, has been a clinician at festivals, and currently serves as an editor and reviewer for the Recorded A Cappella Review Board (RARB) and as the nominations manager for the A Cappella Video Awards (AVAs).

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank NH Music and Performing Arts Association, Northern Highlands Board of Education, Northern Highlands Administration, Mrs. Kristen Schumacher - Music Supervisor, and the NH Custodial Staff; 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 ICHSA Mid-Atlantic 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

#ICHSA