2025 ICCA Midwest Quarterfinal @ Hilliard Bradley High School

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 MIDWEST QUARTERFINAL

Hilliard Bradley High School
Saturday, February 22nd, 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

Avocalypse is the University of Cincinnati’s first all-female and nonbinary competitive a cappella group. The group was founded in 2017 with a goal to empower people with strong voices. They have performed in various regional showcases, events, and art expositions on campus and in the Greater Cincinnati Area. Avocalypse has competed in ICCA since 2018 and advanced to Semifinals in 2022 and won an Outstanding Arrangement award. Avocalypse would like the audience to know that this performance is dedicated to people who are always the believer, but never the believed, always the listener, but never the listened. It is dedicated to those whose worth goes unnoticed and underappreciated. You are never alone. They hear you and they love you.

Forged in the sun-scorched mountains of Columbus, Ohio, Buck That!, a masc-identifying a cappella group from The Ohio State University, has taken the Midwest by storm. This group is full of voices that are smooth like butter, sliding down a hot, fluffy stack of aca-pancakes. Established in 2010, they have performed all across the East Coast and Midwest, garnering many ICCA accolades. At its core, Buck That! is all about compassion for its members. Buck That! is made up of unique singers that come together to form one energetic and soulful voice. They are tightly knit, and emphasize companionship, good energy, and a strong musical prowess. They hope that this set will “buck” you up!

Dynamics A Cappella is a three-year-old music group at Ohio University and one of only three competitive groups on campus. They specialize in alternative music and their songs span across alternative genres, giving them a wide array of styles. They want to provide a space for people with fun and unique tastes to come and share their love of music and singing. Dynamics has competed at ICCA for the past three years, but evolved their style last year after realizing that they excel when performing unique numbers that they are passionate about. They hope to excite people who don't get to hear their favorite songs heard as often and highlight all types of artists within the music community. The Dynamics hope to make an impression at this year's ICCA and can’t wait to see what everyone else has in store.

Majors & minors is one of the first co-ed a cappella groups formed at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Their mission is to provide musical entertainment to the Ohio State and Columbus communities and offer a fun and creative outlet for students, regardless of their rank or discipline. Originally founded in 2009 as Dynamic Contrast, the group changed its name in 2015 to Majors & minors. This group travels all throughout Ohio, performing for audiences of all sizes, including many appearances at ICCA Quarterfinals. Majors and Minors placed 3rd at the 2023 ICCA Midwest Quarterfinals and 2nd in 2024, allowing them to advance to the 2024 ICCA Midwest Semifinals.

New Chords on the Block was founded as Ohio University's first mixed competitive a cappella group in 2010 by Sarah Mason, under the advisory of Dr. Paschal Younge. Located in Athens, Ohio, the group currently consists of 17 talented musicians from all different majors who enjoy performing together. From top 40 hits to R&B, New Chords performs many styles of music across the country. Whether they’re competing, performing for the community, or traveling to other universities, New Chords knows how to have fun while making music and keeping audiences entertained. New Chords is a group of fun-loving students with a passion for making music. New Chords on the Block was named ICCA Midwest Quarterfinal Runner-up in 2020, Quarterfinal Champion in 2022, and 3rd place in 2023. They look forward to this year's competition season!

Scarlet and Grace Notes is an entirely student-run a cappella group at The Ohio State University. They are an all-treble voice group that strives to practice and perform a wide range of music, especially within the pop genre, for Ohio State and the surrounding community. They have been competing in the ICCA since 2015 and placed 3rd in their 2022 Quarterfinal.

The Tempo Tantrums is a 17-member, all-treble a cappella group at Ohio University! TT has been bringing together diverse and musically talented young people since 2007! They work hard to establish a fun and cohesive rehearsal environment. Competing in their second ICCA, The Tempo Tantrums collaborate democratically in order to prepare original a cappella arrangements of pop culture music.

The Vocaholics is UC's premier a cappella group, including students from all fields of study! Established in 2014, the group has sung for and competed in countless events ever since. The Vocaholics have placed in ICCA Quarterfinals and Semifinals multiple times, winning awards including Outstanding Arrangement and Outstanding Soloist. They have gone to SingStrong New York, invitationals, campus events, and everything else, from caroling to wedding proposals! The group is proud to create original arrangements that take their audience through an emotional journey. They hope you enjoy their set!

Voices of Gold (VOG) is the award-winning contemporary a cappella group from Mount St. Joseph University, directed by Kelsey DeMange. This marks Kelsey’s ninth return to Varsity Vocals, alongside veteran member Hallie Browning. VOG brings you the rock n' roll sounds of St. Vincent and Willow Smith, featuring soloist Rain Ionia Phoenix, an ICCA award-winner. True to tradition, VOG dedicates their set to the legendary Celine Dion, who continues to inspire their sound and passion. Get ready as Voices of Gold brings the house down!

GUEST PERFORMER

Originally founded in 2010, The Ohio State of Mind is The Ohio State University's premier all-gender a cappella group. The group consists of 14 talented vocalists from a range of backgrounds and majors who share a passion for making music. The Ohio State of Mind has performed on Broadway at the ICCA Finals in 2017, 2022, 2023, and 2024 as Midwest Champions. In addition to competing, the group performs at local events and invitationals, and released the EP, Coming Home, in 2021, which is available on all streaming platforms. This year, OSM has taken a break from competing to record a new album featuring their ICCA Finals sets from 2022 to 2024 for which they are currently fundraising.

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Christopher Andres attended The Ohio State University and studied music education and music performance. He also was a member of The Ohio State University Men's Glee Club and University Chorus. Chris has been singing and playing the piano since he was 5 years old and also plays flute, tenor saxophone, baritone, and trombone. Chris has performed on numerous stages around the world as both an instrumentalist and vocalist. He currently serves as the music coordinator and music director at Oakland Church of the Brethren where he directs the bell choir, adult choir, women's choir, and the contemporary praise band. He is currently in his sixth year at Greenville Senior High School in Greenville, Ohio as the assistant vocal music director and accompanist.

Sophie Peirce is a performer and arranger based in Indianapolis. She began her involvement with a cappella in 2015, when she became the founding music director of The Parallels A Cappella as a freshman at Ball State University. Since then, she has taught at the National A Cappella Convention (NACC), NE Voices, and A Cappella University. She is passionate about vocal music and loves to create new arrangements and watch them come to life.

Kat Smith is a graduate of the University of Dayton and an alum of the university's Remedy A Cappella. She has been working as an a cappella choreographer for five years, teaching at Camp A Cappella, Kettering National A Cappella Festival, NE Voices, and the NACC. Kat spent three years as director of Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School's award winning group, Vega, and now serves as voice director at the Miami Valley School in Dayton, Ohio. There, she currently directs the high school and middle school groups, Ars Nova and Elite Beats, and continues to freelance choreograph.

Dr. Matthew Swope is the Director of Choral Activities and an assistant professor at the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music at Kent State University. He previously taught at the University of Cincinnati, Rollins College, and Winter Park High School. Groups under his direction have competed at ICHSA Finals and NACC, and they have performed for ACDA and FMEA conferences. His groups have won Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs) and earned placements on compilations, including BOHSA, Voices Only, and WACA. Matthew has served as a board member of the A Cappella Education Association and on the staff of Camp A Cappella. He currently serves as the Midwestern ACDA R&R co-chair for contemporary/commercial music. He holds a D.M.A. in choral conducting with a cognate in musical theatre (University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music), an M.M. in voice performance abnd pedagogy (Penn State University), and B.A. degrees in both music and classics & ancient Mediterranean studies (Penn State University).

Holly Wessels is a classical, musical theatre, and pop vocalist and performer hailing from Dayton, Ohio. She graduated from the University of Dayton and earned a Bachelor of Arts in music studies. Holly has been involved in the a cappella community since she was a member of Kettering Fairmont High School’s award-winning a cappella group, Eleventh Hour. With Eleventh Hour, she appeared on “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and won a gold medal at the 2012 World Choir Games. From 2014-2018, Holly served as a counselor, social media coordinator, and customer service specialist for Camp A Cappella. In 2015, Holly provided background vocals on Pentatonix’s self-titled album, which ranked No.1 on the Billboard Top 40 charts. For three years, Holly performed and toured with professional a cappella group, Vocalight. She has many years of competitive a cappella experience, participating in the ICCA and the Open. Holly performed at Carnegie Hall in 2017 and 2018 for the Open Finals in New York, earning 3rd place each year. She also earned Outstanding Soloist at the 2017 Open Semifinal. In 2018, Holly signed with Disney Music Group as an original cast member of Disney’s critically-acclaimed a cappella group, DCappella. In 2020, Holly was featured in a music video covering Kelly Clarkson’s “I Dare You” in a virtual a cappella choir, arranged by Emmy-winning producer Shams Ahmed. In 2023, Holly was a clinician and performer at Tiffin University’s FestiVOX. Before moving to Cincinatti, Holly sang with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra Chamber Chorus and as a featured soloist with the Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra. Holly regularly adjudicates for Varsity Vocals events and is honored to contribute to an organization that has provided so many incredible opportunities for her!

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank Jeremy Witt and the staff at Hilliard Bradley High School; 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 Midwest 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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