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

Ramsey High School
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 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

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! 

The Ram Jams is the principal competitive a cappella group from the Ramsey High School Chorus Program. The group represents the top auditioned students from the school and performs music from a wide variety of genres, including contemporary a cappella, classical choral repertoire, and new works. The ensemble was established in 2016 and is a yearly competitor in ICHSA, where they have represented the Mid-Atlantic region at Finals for the last three years. Outside of competition, The Ram Jams have performed for various audiences, including U.S. Senators, Governors, and other elected leaders. Their performances also include collaborations with the U.S. Army Field Band Soldier Chorus, National Chorale, and Berklee Vocal Jazz Ensemble, as well as invitations to perform for ACDA and NJMEA conferences. The Ram Jams released their first EP in the summer of 2023, Home Where I Belong, which is available on all digital platforms. Their next album is set to be released later this year. 

Rebel Remix is the varsity group of Howell High School's One Voice a cappella program. After placing 3rd in last year's ICHSA Quarterfinals, they are back with a fun, uplifting set that you may or may not survive! Get up and dance and sing along! Thank you for 22 years of love and support! 

This is Rebelation and your mom thinks they’re cool. This group is made up of 24 well-rounded students who participate in many different programs and sports at Howell High School. Their set is an upbeat party, so feel free to celebrate with them. And the rest is still unwritten! 

Reverb is a JV a cappella team from Howell High School. Their set follows the story of two people who meet at a party and see how the night develops! Will they fall in love? Will they just be friends? Will they suffer the consequences of unfair social media drama? As the night unfolds, you’ll get to see! Reverb is excited to take you on this journey! And who knows: YOU may even be involved! 

The Ridgewood High School Acabellas is an all-female a cappella group made up of passionate and independent musicians from the choir, band, and orchestra programs. They were founded in 2011 and annually compete in the ICHSA. They perform at school functions including sporting events, assemblies, and notably Valentine's Day, when they serenade students with singing grams. They enjoy performing songs performed and arranged by women from all eras. You can support them at their school a cappella concerts and check out their live performances on Spotify. 

The Ridgewood High School Maroon Men is a competitive all-male high school a cappella group from Ridgewood, N.J. Throughout their 13 years at RHS, The Maroon Men have continued to spread joy around Ridgewood by performing at gigs, celebrations, and events year-round. Since 2012, The Maroon Men have been competing annually in the ICHSA and most recently placed 3rd in their 2023 Quarterfinal. You can catch these good-looking and hard-working men performing at various events around Ridgewood and on Spotify, singing that classic soul-to-soul, brother-to-brother! 

The Ramsey Blues is one of the two competitive a cappella groups within the Ramsey High School Choral program. The group was established in 2021 and has grown significantly since its inception. The ensemble contains students from throughout the Ramsey High School community and participates in local concerts and festivals at Ramsey High School and in the North Jersey area. They are very excited to participate in their second-ever ICHSA season!

GUEST PERFORMER

Rutgers Asian A Cappella Group, also known as RAAG, is the premier South Asian A Cappella team of Rutgers University. Founded in 2002, RAAG is among the first competitive co-ed South Asian fusion groups nationwide, with award-winning albums and showcases. This past season, RAAG placed 1st in their ICCA Quarterfinal and competed as a national Finalist for the All American Awaaz fusion a cappella circuit. Their members embrace diversity in culture and knowledge as they integrate South Asian classical and Bollywood music with R&B, pop, and other Western musical styles. Today, they will be presenting a South Asian fusion set in a variety of languages including English, Tamil, and Hindi. 

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Kevin DeLisa is a charismatic, well-rounded vocal educator with a bachelor's degree in music education from Ithaca College and a master’s degree in music and music education from Columbia University. He has taught in a wide variety of musical spaces throughout his young career, allowing for a sense of diversity in educational thought. Kevin’s pedagogy for music education through an instrumental, vocal, and theoretical basis all prove to give high-level musicianship, community, and performance opportunities for his students. Kevin has also been nationally recognized for his vocal and a cappella arrangements, including a 2018 ICCA award for Outstanding Arrangement and a 2021 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (CARA) for Best Male Collegiate Arrangement. He has written over 90 vocal arrangements for collegiate, professional, and high school ensembles, all of which return with high praise of engraving, voice leading, and enjoyment. His writing style focuses on cohesion of line for the performers, without sacrificing intrigue and emotional development for the audience. His scoring is succinct, advanced, and comprehensive for any level of performance. 

Gabriel Greenwood is a singer, songwriter, arranger, and vocal coach. With over 10 years of a cappella experience, Gabriel is excited to help judge a competition to which he brings firsthand experience. In high school, he won two Outstanding Arrangement awards and brought his group to the 2016 ICHSA Mid-Atlantic Semifinals. He attended Belmont University to pursue a degree in commercial music and became a member of the award-winning Prismatics. During his time with the group, he won two more Outstanding Arrangement awards and helped bring them to two Semifinals, placing 2nd in 2019. After graduating, Gabriel provided an arrangement to Prismatics’ 2022 set which made it all the way to ICCA Finals! He has also arranged for other groups, including the reigning ICCA champions, Pitchmen. Outside of a cappella, Gabriel can be found performing music on Holland America Cruise Line ships. He’s also a songwriter and has two singles out everywhere! 

Meredith Strang has been active in the a cappella community as a singer, arranger, judge, director, and group mentor for nearly 30 years. She is currently the music director for TrebleNYC, which appeared in the movie, “How to Be Single.” During her college years, she directed The University of Delaware Deltones, who went on to be cast on NBC's “The Sing-Off.” Meredith is a member of the Contemporary A Cappella Society of America (CASA) and was a producer for CASA’s VoCALnation Festival, featuring headliners The Swingle Singers and Duwende. On the choral front, she was a member of the New York Choral Society with performances in Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. In addition to her love of a cappella, Meredith is in a jazz band and has done backing vocals for artists such as Phillip Phillips, A Great Big World, and Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. 

Mason Van Gieson is an actor, vocalist, and clinician based in New York City. You might know her as the Creative Director of women's vocal collective VICE A Cappella (@viceacappella) or as a member of BLACKOUT (@blackout_nyc). She is also a member of brand-new pro quintet Chasing Saturn (@chasingsaturnofficial). No stranger to Varsity Vocals, she is an alumna of the University of Michigan’s Amazin’ Blue and was a (not TOO long ago!) ICCA Finalist with them, serving as performance director and choreographing their cinematic set, “Chasing Love.” In addition to performing, Mason serves as a clinician for scholastic vocal groups around the nation, with a particular focus in helping students find the “why” behind their music. She also serves as a teaching artist with music education nonprofit Midori & Friends, bringing an a cappella-focused curriculum to NYC elementary schools. For more follow @masongvang www.masonvangieson.com 

Peter Yang is a New York-based singer, a cappella producer, cellist, and actuary. His singing voice has been featured on the Amazon Original Television Series, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” as well as a national Panda Express commercial. He has toured throughout the U.S. and on cruise ships with professional a cappella group The Cat's Pajamas. He also frequently performs in concert with Apocalypse Noir, a queer vocal band in New York City. He currently sings with NYC-based a cappella group, Blackout. He has produced award-winning albums for many scholastic and professional a cappella groups, garnering over 100 CARA nominations. He is a co-writer and producer for Davey K's original children's music, with their "8 Planets" video, amassing more than 5 million views on YouTube. Their most recent album, Storytime, earned a Grammy nomination for Best Children's Music Album. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University, Peter was music director of The Octopodes.

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank Mike Thumm & Mike Biggan - Ramsey HS Principal & Vice Principal, Dr. Andrew Matteo - Superintendent, Ken Veit - Supervisor of Fine Arts, Ramsey HS Custodial Staff, and the Ramsey Board of Education; 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!

#ICHSA