2025 ICCA Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinal @ The College of New Jersey

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 MID-ATLANTIC QUARTERFINAL

The College of New Jersey
Saturday, February 1st, 2025

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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

The Deaftones is the premier co-ed a cappella group from Westminster Choir College of Rider University. The Deaftones originated at Westminster Choir College in 2008 and defined the college experience for many students. The Deaftones’ sound has major choral influences due to their institution’s rich history training classical musicians. In 2020, during the Covid-19 shutdowns, Westminster Choir College suddenly left its home in Princeton, N.J. and moved onto the campus of Rider University. Since then, The Deaftones has become a cherished piece of Westminster tradition that they were able to bring to their new home. The current group includes members from the greater Rider University community, with majors spanning the performing arts and beyond. They are grateful for the opportunity to forge bonds through music. Stronger than ever, The Deaftones is a home for students from all corners of the Rider University community.

Deep Treble is Rutgers premier co-ed a cappella group. After advancing to Semifinals last year for the first time since 2009, they hope to immerse this year’s audiences in the fight for femininity in a male-dominated world. Often undervalued and underrespected, Deep Treble represents women's resilience and strength in the face of adversity. Founded in 1998, this group has evolved over the past 26 years from a singing group into a family. They pride themselves on their strong alumni network, receiving all arrangements from group members and alumni, truly embodying their slogan of “Run Deep.” Deep Treble’s newest album, Roots, reflects this motto and features an array of genres, ranging from R&B to oldies to TV show hits! Stream their album now on all platforms!

Off Track is an all-gender a cappella group founded in fall 2021. What originally began as a group of friends looking for a musical outlet turned into an award-winning group, when they performed for the very first time at the ICCA Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinals and won 1st place. Even with such a humbling achievement, the group continues to value fun and friendship. Above all, Off Track seeks to foster a supportive and diverse environment where anyone with a passion for singing can succeed and have fun while doing it.

Profecy A Cappella is the premier tenor-bass a cappella group at Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J. This is Profecy’s second year competing since returning to the ICCA. Profecy performs at a cappella invitationals in the surrounding area and hosts their own, RahCappella, every year. Profecy has also performed at the “One Voice Invitational” in Memphis, Tenn.

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 all-gender South Asian fusion groups nationwide and are proud to have won awards in ICCA and the Association of South Asian A Cappella (ASA). RAAG members embrace diverse cultures and knowledge, integrating South Asian classical and Bollywood music with R&B, pop, and other Western musical styles.

Rowan Vocals A Cappella, established in 2016, is the premier SATB a cappella group on Rowan University's campus. The group consists of 18 members and regularly performs on campus and throughout the greater New Jersey community. RoVo is a mainstay competitior in the ICCA, most recently earning a 4th place finish at last year's Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinal. Other notable placements include a 2nd place finish in 2017 and 3rd place in both 2021 and 2022. Rowan Vocals stays active, performing in workshops with local high schools and colleges and for retirement home and community villages. In September 2023, RoVo released their debut single, "Satellite," originally performed by Harry Styles, on all streaming platforms, accumulating over 1,000 streams. Last spring, Rowan Vocals officially released their debut EP, Into the Sky, on all platforms.

Shockwave hails from Rutgers University and aims to provide a network for students who enjoy singing a cappella music and performing. In doing so, they strive to break barriers by performing and bringing positive recognition to the group and university. As an organization, Shockwave sets itself apart by performing songs that emphasize female empowerment and strength and exclusively performing arrangements by current group members. Shockwave supports the unification and equality of women.

Salisbury University’s premier a cappella group, Squawkappella, arranges, creates, and perfects music together to perform, compete, and record. Founded in 2004, this co-ed a cappella group blends powerhouse vocals, inventive arrangements, and vibrant stage presence into every performance. More than just a singing group, they are a close group of friends. Squawkappella has proudly competed in ICCA since at least 2014. With each year, they aim to push their creative limits, constantly evolving their sound and delivering music that makes people move and feel. Whether they’re singing on campus, in the community, or at competitions, Squawkappella aspires to captivate every audience they meet. They are passionate performers, dedicated to making their voices and stories heard. They have so much love for music and hope to share that love in every performance. With two decades of history behind them, Squawkappella continues to captivate audiences with their harmonies and infectious spirit, bringing the heart and soul of Salisbury University to life.

Stockapella was founded by a group of friends at Stockton University who just wanted to sing together. They gave their first concert in 2007 and steadily began to grow. After they attended an ICCA Mid-Atlantic Semifinal in 2010, they fell in love with the idea of competing and meeting other a cappella groups. That same year, interest in a cappella at Stockton grew enough that another group, The Stocktones, was formed. Stockapella competed in their first ICCA Quarterfinal in 2011, the same year that an all-treble group, Stockata, took shape. Stockapella has participated in the ICCA every year since and have loved the music and people they've gotten to know here. Continually working towards excellence in performances, Stockapella also strives to develop their unique style. Stockton’s three a cappella ensembles work tirelessly to support one another. Stockapella sends love to their friends and supporters all across Stockton a cappella!

The Trentones is TCNJ’s premier competitive a cappella group. This group of 18 musicians spans various majors and backgrounds and shares a common love for music. The Trentones was founded in 2002 by a group of passionate artists and the current members carry out their legacy of cultivating friendship, creativity, and art for all to hear. Since the group’s genesis, The Trentones have competed annually in the ICCA, taking home several awards in the process. They are so excited to have the chance to compete again this year!

GUEST PERFORMER

The College of New Jersey's i-Tunes A Cappella was founded by Pooja Shah and Reka Magge in fall 2007. TCNJ’s one and only international a cappella group, i-Tunes performs at various events on and off campus to promote musical diversity. Their musical repertoire consists of songs spanning multiple cultures in various languages. This co-ed group performs a vast range of genres and cultures, living up to the international part of their name.

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Jenna Camacho is a passionate music educator in the School District of Philadelphia, with a specialization in a cappella and choir. Jenna graduated from Temple in the spring of 2022 with a B.M. in music education and is currently pursuing her master’s degree in music education. She continues to share her love of a cappella and vocal music with her students. She currently sings with VICE, a women’s a cappella group based in New York. Most notably, she served as the music director of Cape Harmony, Cape Cod’s professional female a cappella group from 2020-2022. She has competed in the ICCA and The Open with various groups and loves to experience how a cappella music evolves over time. Jenna is excited to give back to Varsity Vocals, since this organization helped inspire her passion for a cappella.

Gregory Davis is a singer, vocal arranger, and choreographer from Philadelphia, Pa. Although he is a product of the performing arts, his passion for singing and music sparked while traveling the world with the Keystone State Boychoir. In 2017, Greg joined Temple University's OwlCappella and served as one of their primary arrangers and choreographers from 2018 to 2019. In 2020, he became music director and under his direction, both Greg and OwlCappella received many accolades for their music including several Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (CARA) nominations, a CARA win for Best Hip-Hop Song for his arrangement of "Scottie Pippen" by Bren Joy, and a feature on BOCA 2022 with their version of Rina Sawayama's "XS.” He is currently a band leader and arranger for EBE Talent’s a cappella ensemble. He is excited to hear all of the groups tonight and wishes everyone the best of luck!

JT Fryer graduated from the University of Delaware in 2014 and began his teaching career in Madison, N.J. In 2015, he founded Scarlet Sound A Cappella at Neptune High School, leading the group to three consecutive appearances at ICHSA Semifinals. In 2022, JT jumped at the opportunity to lead the choral program at West Anchorage High School in Anchorage, Alaska. During his year at West High, he founded Fermata Nowhere A Cappella, organized the first-ever Anchorage School District A Cappella Festival, and collaborated with Pipeline Vocal Project. Since moving back to the East Coast, JT has made the transition to educational administration. He remains involved in the music community and continues to advocate for equity and accessibility for all musicians and students.

Kevin Kelso is a jack-of-all-trades singer and freelance a cappella arranger, entering into his 15th year of the a cappella music world. He is an alumnus of the University of Delaware, where he served as president of The MelUDees. During his time in the group, The MelUDees won their 2016 Quarterfinal and went on to perform at the Kimmel Center for Semifinals. Post-college, Kevin arranged and performed with In the Mix, a post-grad a cappella group. In 2018, he founded a new group called The Philly Accents with some UD alumni and local singers. You can find several solos and arrangements of Kevin’s on streaming platforms under The MelUDees or The Philly Accents. Kevin is currently a medical student at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and serves as the music director of their resident (no pun intended) a cappella group, The Pulmonics! Kevin is excited to give feedback to all of these hardworking groups and wishes broken legs to all of the performers!

Sebastian (Sebi) Santiago-Rivas is a native of Philly (Go Birds!) and former ICCA competitor with Temple U's OwlCappella. He currently teaches choir and music technology, and directs the high school a cappella group at the Girard Academic Music Program (GAMP) in Philadelphia. Sebi is on the staff at Camp A Cappella in Dayton, Ohio, where he teaches small ensembles, rhythm section techniques, and barbershop. He currently sings bass in Prior Engagement, a Philly-based barbershop quartet, and is a member of Parkside Harmony, a competitive barbershop chorus currently ranked fourth in the world. On the side, Sebi dabbles in vocal music production, recording, and live sound. He lives in West Philadelphia with his girlfriend and their cat, and is excited to be back to judge for another ICCA season!

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank TCNJ Conference & Event Services, Dale Simon, Alex McKay, and Heather Usry; 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 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

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