2025 ICCA Great Lakes Semifinal @ Pabst Theatre

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 GREAT LAKES SEMIFINAL

Pabst Theatre
Saturday, March 29th, 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

Fundamentally Sound (FS) is UW-Madison's only competitive lower-voiced a cappella group. Founded in 2005, the group celebrates a dynamic blend between complex musical arrangements and high energy performances. FS is always thrilled to showcase their ability to push the boundaries of collegiate a cappella while remaining confident in their suspender-clad traditions. Today, FS continues to seek new heights in musical innovation and explosive performances. In 2020, FS achieved 3rd place in the ICCA Finals. In the years since, the group has recorded and released their 2023 ICCA set and a music video of “Parent's House" on their newest album, released in November 2024. FS hopes to make the trip back to ICCA Great Lakes Semifinals this year as they kick off their 17th year.

Public Hearing is UW-Milwaukee's only audition-based a cappella group. Their goal is to provide an extracurricular musical opportunity for all students, including non-music majors. Much of their funding is sourced from local gigs within the community and for organizations in and around the UW Milwaukee campus. Public Hearing was officially established in 2022 and hit the ground running.They already have an impressive ICCA record, winning 1st at Quarterfinals in their first year competing, 3rd at Quarterfinals in their second year, and picking up awards for Outstanding Soloist and Outstanding Arrangement along the way. Public Hearing loves to show that new groups can succeed and hopes to inspire other new groups to take initiative.

Clef Hangers is the first mixed a cappella group at Illinois State University, founded in August of 2008 by a small group of ambitious students who shared a passion for a cappella music. Since its formation, the group has lost and gained various members, all of whom have made the group what it is today. They have competed in ICCA for the last seven years and have won numerous awards, such as Outstanding Soloist and Outstanding Arrangement. Outside of performing, the group is very close and loves to spend time together doing various non-musical activities.

Voices in Your Head is a student-run a cappella group from the University of Chicago and aims to "push the bounds of contemporary a cappella." Founded in 1998, the group consists of both undergraduate and graduate students whose studies range from economics to music to M.D. and Ph.D. programs. Its unique repertoire includes original pieces, as well as an eclectic mix of pop, R&B, rock, and alternative music. Voices competes regularly in ICCA and releases studio recordings of their arrangements.

Capital Green is Michigan State’s oldest co-ed competitive a cappella group! Every year, they perform at gigs, hold concerts, and compete in ICCA. Last year, they made history as the first-ever Michigan State group to advance to ICCA Finals! This group of driven and passionate individuals emphasizes having fun. Outside of singing, you can catch them playing card games or enjoying a good triple dipper at Chilis. They are thrilled to welcome five incredible new members to the CG family and look forward to an exciting ICCA season!

State of Fifths is an award-winning co-ed a cappella group, founded in fall 2008 at Michigan State University. Fifths consists of undergraduate students across all different majors that come together to make innovative, heartfelt music and incredible memories. They arrange and perform a wide variety of music and work hard to sound their best for every gig, concert, and competition.

Maize Mirchi is the University of Michigan’s premier fusion a cappella group. Performing on and off campus and competing all across the nation, this group operates by the motto "South Asian-inspired, but never required." They incorporate elements of South Asian and Western music to create a unique a capella sound. Maize Mirchi has released four full studio albums, as well as EPs and singles. They became the first South Asian a cappella group to make it to ICCA Finals and the first South Asian a cappella group to place 1st in ICCA Quarterfinals three times in a row. They have also competed in prestigious South Asian a cappella competitions. They aspire to build a beautiful, musically inclined family full of love and mutual respect.

The DJs is a fun-loving, goofy, diverse group of students from the University of Michigan! While their members may come from different sides of campus, they all share the same intense passion for making excellent music. Known for experimenting with different types of genres and sounds, this incredibly close musical family thrives on pushing boundaries and trying new things. While “DJ” doesn’t stand for anything in particular, the group itself stands for fostering a fun and inclusive environment for all members and audiences. In past years, they’ve snagged 1st place at the 2020 ICCA Great Lakes Quarterfinals, 2nd place in 2022, and 3rd place in 2024. Outside of rehearsal, you can find them at one of their legendary game nights or stretching the boundaries of DJ-related puns! They hope everyone is just as D-Jazzed as they are to hear some amazing a cappella tonight!

Pitches and Notes is a competitive, treble a cappella group formed by students on UW Madison's campus. Pitches and Notes strives to increase a cappella opportunities for upper-voiced musicians on the UW campus, utilize members' talents to create new musical experiences, and foster individual character and musical growth in a group setting. The group participates in the ICCA annually and was honored to win 1st place at ICCA Finals in 2022.

As the oldest, gender-inclusive a cappella group at the University of Minnesota, 7Days A Cappella is proud to have a history of strong musicianship, performance skills, and campus presence. Founded in 2003 by Anthony Brown and Brienne Foyt, 7Days began as an opportunity for a diverse group of students to connect over a shared love for music and performance. Today, 7Days A Cappella works hard to spread that musical joy on campus and across the region. They frequently perform at concerts, professional events, meetings, and high schools around the Twin Cities area. In addition, they travel to other universities to guest perform and collaborate with other top groups in the area and throughout the country.

GUEST PERFORMER

The Naturals was founded in 2003 at Marquette University in Milwaukee and is the school’s only premier all male-identifying a cappella group. This fun-loving and tight-knit group loves singing songs from all genres, including pop, country, folk, rock, and everything in between. They have been competing in ICCA since 2015, with three Semifinals appearances, including a 4th place finish at the Great Lakes Semifinal last year in their home town of Milwaukee. The Naturals are always so excited to ramp up for the competitive ICCA season and put on a fun and exciting show for the crowd!

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Heather David is a proud alumna of Syracuse University's Main Squeeze, for whom she sang, arranged, choreographed, and did vocal percussion. Since graduating, Heather has remained active in the a cappella world as social media coordinator for BOSS, Program Manager of Social Media for the Contemporary A Cappella Society of America (CASA), associate producer of Voices Only, and an instructor for workshops and masterclasses at a cappella festivals nationwide. She has won ICCA awards for Outstanding Arrangement and Outstanding Vocal Percussion as a college student and Varsity Vocals has held a special place in her heart ever since.

Laura Kruschke has been involved in a cappella since her college days at UW-Madison, where she sang with Tangled Up in Blue and earned her degree in music education. In 2007, she participated in launching the Contemporary A Cappella League (CAL) and founded greenTONE A Cappella in fall 2007. gT is 10 members strong today and sings for a variety of local events, including weddings, holiday parties, fundraisers, and flash mobs. In addition to gT, Laura continues to offer her expertise to local high school choirs through workshops and group coaching. In addition to Laura’s aca-involvement, she arranges music for local high school show choir and a cappella groups, sings and plays saxophone in a local band, teaches yoga, and wears many other hats as a mom to three busy school-aged kids.

Benjamin Lebovitz is a musician and educator based in Madison, Wis. They're thrilled to be returning for this year's competition season, having served as a Varsity Vocals judge since 2018. A current Ph.D. student in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, they are a national board-certified teacher (NBCT) in music and previously directed collegiate and high school ensembles in southern Arizona. While teaching, Ben served on the board of the Arizona Choral Directors Association, chairing contemporary a cappella repertoire and activities across the state. Ben previously served as a nominator and judge for the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs) and is looking forward to a great show!

A native of upstate New York, Erin (Shults) Smith developed her passion for contemporary a cappella as a member of Premium Blend, Ithaca College’s CARA-winning treble a cappella group. Erin quickly discovered a love for arranging and vocal percussion in college. She received her B.A. in music from Ithaca College in 2010 and went on to obtain her M.A. in arts management at the Florida State University College of Music. Erin served nonprofit organizations and universities in Texas as a fundraising professional for nearly a decade. In 2022, she moved to the Chicagoland region, joining the leadership team of the Northern Illinois University Foundation. As Senior Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, she helps NIU faculty and staff connect their transformative research projects and impactful programmatic initiatives with philanthropic support and external engagement opportunities. Outside of work, Erin continues to arrange and has volunteered as a Varsity Vocals adjudicator since 2018. She also previously served as a master clinician, workshop presenter and panelist at SoJam and briefly supported the fundraising efforts of the A Cappella Academy. She remains a dedicated advocate for the contemporary a cappella discipline and for the performing arts.

Sam Wulterkens started singing a cappella at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire with The Innocent Men. He has bachelor's and master's degrees in music education, and currently teaches at Oak Creek High School. With his co-director, Gillian Pacetti, Sam leads two ensembles at Oak Creek, who have been active members of the ICHSA community. His group, Knight Club, qualified for ICHSA Semifinals for three straight years, and competed at the 2019 ICHSA Finals. He also directs the highly lauded Ladies Knight, who, along with Knight Club, recently qualified to compete at the Semifinal level. He serves as a board member and district representative for the Wisconsin Choral Directors Association.

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank The Pabst Theatre, Robyn Schultz, AudioMax Productions, McKinley and Kyle Thoreson; 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 placing group at this event will advance to the 2025 ICCA Finals.

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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