2024 ICHSA Northeast Quarterfinal @ Galvin Middle 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 NORTHEAST QUARTERFINAL

Galvin Middle School
Sunday, February 11th, 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

Accent A Cappella is Lincoln Sudbury Regional High School’s oldest and only co-ed a cappella group. An entirely student-run group, they have been competing at the ICHSA for around seven years and specialize in pop music. They also like to spice things up by including music in other languages, such as Spanish in their 2022 ICHSA set. In past years, they have won special ICHSA awards, including Outstanding Soloist and Outstanding Arrangement. They are looking forward to competing more and growing musically.

NOTEorious is North Reading's all-inclusive auditioned a cappella group. They have been competiting in ICHSA for over a decade and placed 3rd at the 2022 ICHSA Finals. Last year they were awarded one of the top groups at NE Voices and were a featured performer at the National A Cappella Convention (NACC) in Orlando, Fla. They are student-led and almost all of their work is written by individual or teams of students. They pride themselves on being an outgoing, boisterous group who will be the first to rock out to all the other amazing groups’ performances. They love to flash-mob everywhere they go and believe that music is the glue that bonds them together.

Founded in 2022, Revolution consists of students in the 10th-12th grade who are enrolled in the advanced local program. They earned 2nd place at the Wyvern Invitational A Cappella Festival in West Hartford, Conn. and won Outstanding Choreography. They were the featured guest artist at the Sweet Adeline's Region 1 competition held at Springfield Symphony Hall in 2023. This will be their first appearance at the ICHSA.

The Crescendos is Chelmsford High School's treble-voiced a cappella group, founded in 2016. They are thrilled to return for their seventh ICHSA season, hoping to build on their success as a Semifinalist and Wildcard Runner-Up in 2023. The Crescendos are proud to have a high level of student leadership in their group and they have earned many special awards over the years for their choreography, arrangements, and vocal percussionists. The group loves to record music videos and shorts, and they maintain an active social media presence. Look for them on Instagram and TikTok!

The NSHS Newtones is a totally student-run co-ed a cappella group from Newton South High School. When they are not singing, you can find them anywhere besides Newton South.

The Photosymphonizers is AMSA’s high school a cappella team. They wear green! As AMSA's long-running a cappella club, The Photosymphonizers is a student-led group working under the guidance of an advisor.

The Thursdays is Chelmsford High School's mixed-voice a cappella group, founded in 2014. They are excited to return for their ninth season in the ICHSA, having represented the Northeast at Finals several times. They appeared on season 2 of “Sing That Thing” on WGBH and have earned many special awards for their choreography, soloists, and vocal percussionists over the years. The Thursdays frequently take part in showcases and festivals and they love to collaborate with other high school and college groups. They are excited to watch everyone's sets this season!

Tonal Eclipse is a 14-member mixed a cappella group, founded in 2022 at Millbury High School. The group strives for exemplary musicianship and is becoming a well-known and loved presence in the Millbury community. Tonal Eclipse’s repertoire focuses on the evolution of pop music through the decades. This year’s set includes the rock classic “More Than Words” (1990), “Demons” (2013) by Imagine Dragons, and the worldwide charting song “Girls Talk Boys” (2016) by 5 Seconds of Summer. These songs represent the energy and life embodied by Tonal Eclipse. Last year, they refocused from a classical choral group to a cappella and enjoyed this form of expression more with each rehearsal. Every challenge brought new determination to refine and perfect their talents and they have flourished ever since. They have performed at community events, such as the televised annual food truck festival, concerts, and activity fairs, building a devoted audience and inspiring others to participate. This year, you can find Tonal Eclipse at almost all of the music concerts in Millbury. The group members continue to explore and challenge themselves in a cappella music and look forward to meeting new people, competing, and growing as musicians.

Voices of Steel is the advanced a cappella group at Wakefield Memorial High School, directed by Ana Morel. Formed in 2009, they have collaborated with groups such as The Exchange and The Nor'easters, and have worked with Shams Ahmed, Deke Sharon, and Caleb Whelden. They love to make music almost as much as they love their red Converse. In 2023, they performed at the NACC in Orlando, Fla. They performed at the ICHSA Northeast Semifinals in 2022 (Quarterfinal Wildcard winner) and 2018 (Quarterfinal Runner-Up). They performed at NE Voices for many years, placing in the top three in 2014, 2015, and 2016. In 2015, they won the Salem Pitch Trials. Members have won awards for Outstanding Arrangement, Outstanding Choreography, and Outstanding Soloist. Follow them on social media @VoicesofSteel.

Since 2008, Marlborough High School’s Voices ReChoired has shared their love for music and storytelling through performance. Whether at ICHSA or at home in Marlborough, they love sharing their own unique style with audiences of all ages. They are incredibly thankful to Varsity Vocals for giving them the chance to participate in this year’s ICHSA and hope you enjoy their set!

WitchPitch? is Salem High School's premier a cappella group. They have enjoyed competing in ICHSA for 10 years. They also have performed at the White House Christmas Party for President Obama and at TD Garden for Governor Maura Healey's Inauguration Party. They love busking in downtown Salem in October, caroling at the local senior centers and historic events, and spreading joy by singing!

GUEST PERFORMER

Falconize is one of the contemporary a cappella ensembles from Danvers High School in Danvers, Mass. The group has been competing in the ICHSA for over 10 years, with numerous appearances at Semifinals and one trip to Finals (3rd place, 2015). Their recordings have been featured on Varsity Vocals' BOHSA albums and nominated for Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs). Falconize enjoys performing for community events and at school concerts throughout the year. www.dhsfalconize.org

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Christopher Brody is an a cappella producer, arranger, coach, performer, enthusiast, and cheerleader. In 2016, Christopher graduated with a music education degree from Oakland University in Rochester Hills, Mich. A proud alumnus of Gold Vibrations, he was a rare four-year music director and part of the team that helped lead the group to the 2016 ICCA Finals. Christopher is now an award-winning producer and arranger, having produced and arranged over 10 tracks that are featured on BOHSA, BOCA, and other compilation albums, and sings with Sound Off A Cappella. He continues to work with many college and high school groups, helping students learn and grow about the art form he is so passionate about. His dream is to create the first-ever a cappella group composed completely of pugs.

Jarell Green has been involved with a cappella since middle school where he was able to perform with then-winners of NBC's “The Sing-Off,” Pentatonix. A recent graduate from the Rochester Institute of Technology where he studied packaging science and music, he was the music director of Eight Beat Measure. With Eight Beat, Jarell worked on multiple CARA-nominated tracks, competed in ICCA, and was fortunate enough to win three ICCA Outstanding Soloist awards and an Outstanding Choreography award. Jarell has also been involved with The Hyannis Sound, a professional, male-identifying a cappella group that performs all along Cape Cod and the surrounding New England area all summer long, where he has performed at hundreds of concerts for thousands of people and varying audiences.

With over a decade of arranging under their belt and a lifetime love of music, Erin Hudkins (Chelmsford, Mass.) has spent most of their life pursuing music (arranging, editing, performing, you name it). Her work has made it to the ICCA stage, Voices Only compilation albums, the Television Academy’s Festivals, the Nintendo Switch, and more. Ever since falling in love with treble a cappella in college, Erin has dedicated her focus towards directing, arranging for, and uplifting treble groups in particular. Erin is beyond excited to judge for Varsity Vocals and looks forward to hearing all the talent brought to this year’s stage.

Amy Malkoff is one of the producers of the Haunted Harmonies festival in Salem, Mass. She has served as the marketing director for the A Cappella Education Association, as well as the media director of the Women's A Cappella Association (WACA), and on the board and as web content director for the Contemporary A Cappella Society of America (CASA). She is a longtime ICHSA/ICCA judge, as well as a certified judge for other vocal events. She is a workshop teacher, master clinician, writer, designer, social media manager (www.amymalkoff.com), and a singer/songwriter and studio musician (www.amymalkoffmusic.com). She currently runs and manages the New Hampshire-based performance venue Club Sandwich (Sandwich, N.H.), where celebrity John Davidson performs on weekends, along with a lineup of nationally known artists on Thursdays. She was a founding member of the groups All About Buford and Deadline Poet and has appeared onstage and in the studio with acts such as Wayne Brady, Jonathan Brooke, The Persuasions, Ellis Paul, Vance Gilbert, GrooveLily, Patty Griffin, and Dar Williams. She has a degree in music from Kenyon College, with music studies at Youngstown State University and master’s-level coursework at the New England Conservatory of Music. Amy's music has appeared on both the Rounder Records and Hear Music/Starbucks labels. @amalkoff

Originally from Chicago, Hannah Rosa Schiller is a writer and musician pursuing a Ph.D. in musicology at Yale University. She received a Bachelor of Music in music theory from Northwestern University in 2018, and is a singer, music director, arranger, and producer. At Northwestern, Hannah music-directed the award-winning Northwestern Undertones. Under her direction, The Undertones released their 2017 album, Spit It Out, and advanced to the ICCA Great Lakes Semifinals. Her arrangement of Adele’s "When We Were Young" was featured on Voices Only 2017. Hannah is also an avid contemporary classical musician. She sang in the Bienen Contemporary/Early Vocal Ensemble (BCE) conducted by Grammy-winning director Donald Nally, and co-founded a professional chamber choir, Stare at the Sun, which aims to commission and perform new work by Chicago-based composers.

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank Clarus/Jill Clark Productions (sound), J&A Audio & Lighting (lights), Tri-M Music Honor Society, Wakefield Music Boosters, and the Galvin Middle School Music Teachers and 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 Northeast 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