2025 ICCA Central Quarterfinal @ Binghamton University

DEAR FRIENDS,

Welcome to Varsity Vocals’ 29th 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 700 groups and over 11,000 singers at over 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 29 years ago and we can’t wait to see how our 2025 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 CENTRAL QUARTERFINAL

Binghamton University
Saturday, January 25th, 2025

WE'RE SOCIAL

We're talking about this event, and all of our events around the world!

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ABOUT VARSITY VOCALS

Since 1996, we have encouraged students worldwide to sing a cappella throughout their lives. Our programs include both the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA), and the International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA). 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 four or 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 26th.

The high school tournament is now in its 20th year. The winners of each of seven Semifinal rounds will advance to the ICHSA Finals at The Town Hall in New York City on Friday, April 25th.

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

As the oldest co-ed a cappella group at Binghamton University, The Binghamtonics have been making love to your ears since 1987. From pop and alternative rock to blues and hip hop, they’re passionate about sharing their vibrant sound across campus and with everyone here tonight! This marks their third time competing in the ICCA, and after reaching the Semifinals in both of their previous attempts, The Binghamtonics are thrilled to be back!

The Chordials is an all-gender a cappella group from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. They are known for their edgy and passionate style and perform a variety of genres, ranging from rock to alternative/indie to pop. They won Outstanding Soloist and Outstanding Vocal Percussion at ICCA Quarterfinals in 2023 and they are excited to be back on the ICCA stage!

Founded in 1998, The University of Rochester Midnight Ramblers have established themselves as one of the most entertaining TTBB groups in the country. Guided by two central tenets of performance and innovation, The Ramblers push the boundaries of what a cappella can be in both live and recorded works. In 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2023, The Ramblers advanced to the ICCA Central Semifinals, winning two awards for Outstanding Arrangement, three for Outstanding Vocal Percussion, and two for Outstanding Soloist.

Note to Self is Binghamton University’s premier a cappella group with a specific focus on civic engagement. On campus and off, from local community centers to food rescues, they sing and serve throughout the semester. Their mission is to strive for industry distinction while bringing high-level vocal performance to schools and communities worldwide. Through musical and non-musical opportunities, they create meaningful connections with students and other community members. Note to Self is one of the few collegiate ensembles in the country to combine a cappella and regional involvement. They recognize the power of music in building communal cohesion and hope to foster that same enthusiasm in their audiences. Balancing service with excellence, Note to Self made it to ICCA Central Semifinals in 2021 and 2022. They are so excited to perform and wish all groups the best of luck this season!

Premium Blend is Ithaca College’s only all-female a cappella group. Founded in 1998, the group is composed of 18 female-aligned individuals dedicated to learning, performing, and sharing the beauty and fun of a cappella music with all audiences. Premium Blend performs in events across the Ithaca College campus and in the larger Ithaca area. They also go on two tours to their members’ homes every academic year, performing for their friends, families, and communities. Most recently, they placed as Semifinalists in the 2024 ICCA and released their newest EP, Out Til Dawn, on all streaming platforms.

Sargam A Cappella is the newest a cappella group at The University of Pittsburgh. This is their first year competing in the ICCA circuit and they look forward to being part of this amazing experience! They incorporate South Asian music with Western music, using elements of Carnatic and Hindustani classical music, along with other South Asian fusion genres such as sufi, pop, film, jazz, folk and rap. Their pieces incorporate a smooth blend of the two cultures to provide entertaining and powerful performances. This year, Sargam wants to showcase their cultural background with everyone. Their pieces are filled with a rich and diverse composition, using songs they’ve grown up listening to in a multilingual household, whether it is Ariana Grande or Shreya Ghoshal. Sargam would like to use their unique background to create a powerful set with complex ideas and authenticity. They look forward to sharing their pieces with the judges and audience!

Surround Sound is a competitive all-gender a cappella group. They competed in the 2023 ICCA Central Quarterfinals, placing 2nd, winning Outstanding Vocal Percussion, and qualifying for Semifinals. Other ICCA placements include 3rd place at 2024 ICCA Central Quarterfinals and 2nd at 2022 ICCA Central Semifinal! Surround Sound is known for their characteristic tight harmonies, strong soloists, and sharing their favourite songs with their audience.

Tone Cold is Ithaca College's PINKEST a cappella group! Formerly the youngest group on campus, Tone Cold was founded in 2020 as a small group dedicated to fun music and loving collaboration. Together, they have fought to unify the aca-community in Central New York, creating "Acapalooza," which has been running for four years as a collaboration between all of IC's amazing groups. As for themselves, Tone Cold is the largest it has ever been coming into this season, but it is also the most joyful, setting out to create amazing memories while bringing smiles to every audience! They proudly arrange and choreograph all of their own pieces, selecting music from all across the spectrum to put on the most vibrant performances they can. This is Tone Cold's third time competing at the ICCA and they are incredibly grateful to be back!

The Treblemakers is Binghamton University's only alt-rock a cappella group! They specialize in performing songs by artists such as My Chemical Romance, Billie Eilish, Paramore, and many more. They enjoy branching out to other genres, from alternative to indie to pop, and even some classic rock like The Beatles. They have competed at the ICCA twice and won Outstanding Arrangement in 2022. The Treblemakers are excited for their third ICCA season!

Voicestream is Ithaca College's premier gender-inclusive a cappella group. They sing in many styles, from pop to rock to alternative and beyond! They competed in ICCA Northeast Quarterfinals for the past two years and always have a blast creating and competing their sets. Voicestream is excited to participate again and hope you enjoy their performance!

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Allison Cranmer is a graduate of the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam with degrees in music education and mathematics. While at Potsdam, Allison music directed and arranged for A Sharp Arrangement, the only all-treble group on campus. As the music director, she led the Sharps to their first-ever ICCA Semifinal, toured around New York State, and recorded several different projects. Currently, Allison is the vocal and general music teacher at Palmyra-Macedon Middle School. She shares her love of a cappella with her students by listening, arranging, and performing a cappella music with them daily.

Austin Kiley is a teacher of vocal music, modern music, drama, and musical theatre at Vestal High School in Vestal, N.Y., where he also founded and directs Bear Necessities. This group has been featured on BOHSA and competed in several ICHSA seasons, receiving various individual awards and placing multiple times at Semifinals. Austin holds a B.M. and M.M. in vocal music education from Ithaca College, where he sang with Ithacappella for four years. During his tenure with the group, he competed at ICCA Finals twice and served as president. Austin is an instructor at A Cappella Academy in Los Angeles, where he has worked with many leaders of the contemporary a cappella scene. He also sings with the Southern Tier Singers' Collective and directs their contemporary branch, is active with numerous theatre companies in the Binghamton, N.Y. area, and has served as the guest conductor for a number of all-county choirs across CNY. Austin has been a judge for a cappella competitions of all levels and is very excited to see and hear such wonderful groups perform tonight!

John R. Starr is the former music director and vocal percussionist of The Songburghs, a co-ed a cappella group from the University of Pittsburgh. He led his group to three back-to-back ICCA Semifinals appearances from 2018 through 2020 and holds an Outstanding Vocal Percussion award for their entire 2019 set. His a cappella arranging work can be found on their first two EPs, Forward and Orbit, and he has frequently arranged and edited arrangements for other collegiate groups. John is a classically trained pianist and has arranged music for jazz bands, choral groups, small orchestras, in addition to a cappella groups.

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank Bryce McCracken, Chelsea Perticone, Binghamton Crosbys, RDX, Warren Trent, Daniel Sonnen, Marnie Writer, and Watters Theater (Binghamton University); 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
Senior Producer, ICCA & ICHSA West

Lindsay Howerton-Hastings
Senior Producer, ICCA South

Arvin Zabalerio
Senior Producer, ICCA Central

Gemma Davies
Producer, ICCA United Kingdom

Emily Benjamin
Producer, ICCA Northeast

Adam McNeil
Producer, ICHSA Great Lakes

Valentyna Simon
Producer, ICHSA West

Ben Garza
Producer, ICHSA Southwest

Bryce McCracken
Associate Producer, ICCA Central

Bri Decerio
Associate Producer

Angelina Corbin
Associate Producer
ICCA & ICHSA South

Sara Yood
Senior Producer

Emily Flanders
Director of Adjudication
Senior Producer, ICCA Great Lakes

Andrew Poole
Director of Digital Media

Charlotte Taylor
Marketing & Social Strategy

Holli Kitching
Senior Producer, ICCA Mid-Atlantic

Leah Alrutz
Senior Producer, ICCA Midwest

Alaina Wegner
Producer, ICCA Southwest

Christopher Witham
Producer, ICCA United Kingdom

Jillian Kimberlin
Senior Producer, ICHSA Mid-Atlantic

Christopher Hoffman
Producer, ICHSA Northeast

Jake Yoakum
Producer, ICHSA West

Nicole Palmetto
Associate Producer, ICCA Northeast

Tyandria Jaaber
Associate Producer, ICCA Mid-Atlantic

Rebecca Williamson
Associate Producer, ICCA South

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 2025 ICCA Central 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

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