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 WEST QUARTERFINAL

Pomona College
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

Acasola is California State University, Northridge’s premier a cappella group. Since its birth in 2006, each generation of the group has built upon the foundation laid by those who came before them. Acasola has appeared on TV shows such as FOX’s “Raising Hope” and ABC’s “Castle,” where they recorded at Capitol Records Studio A with Corbin Bleu. As active members of the contemporary a cappella community, Acasola has been featured on BOCA and Voices Only 2020, received the Best Mixed Collegiate Video award at the A Cappella Video Awards (AVAs), won Outstanding Soloist and Outstanding Vocal Percussionist at the ICCA, and won 1st place at the Los Angeles A Cappella Festival (LAAF). Recently, Acasola released their debut full-length album, Resolution, a holiday single, “Christmas in L.A.,” and a single and B-side, “Fortress,” and “Let’s Fall in Love for the Night,” streaming on all platforms! 

Aerodynamix A Cappella is an all-gender a cappella group at UC Irvine that shares a deep love and passion for music and performance. They have been competing since 2020 and were fortunate to place 3rd at Quarterfinals during their first year of competition. Although singing is their passion, Aerodynamix also strives to provide a community, and even family, to its members. 

Bruin Harmony is the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)'s premier all-male a cappella group. This welcoming group shares a love for creating music and nurturing their personal connections through retreats, group outings, and more. They provide a safe space for members to truly be themselves and find a meaningful sense of brotherhood, a haven for students who may have previously struggled to find that sense of community. Bruin Harmony has achieved ICCA success, advancing to the West Semifinals all three times they have competed, placing 3rd in 2022 and 2nd in 2023. They have also won awards in all four special categories at Semifinals, winning three of them in 2023 alone. They have also been selected three times to perform in the big-budget talent show, Spring Sing, organized by UCLA's alumni association, winning overall Best Act in 2019. Bruin Harmony is in the process of producing an album that showcases their current repertoire with modern arrangements and their new group style. They are so excited to compete in ICCA this year and eager to represent UCLA among some of the best a cappella groups in the nation. 

The Davis Cleftomaniacs is the newest a cappella group from UC Davis. The group started in 2014 as an all-girl group and has since expanded to include all genders and voice parts! Their repertoire has everythingm from Stevie Wonder to Bruno Mars, so there's something for everyone to enjoy! The Cleftomaniacs have previously competed in three ICCA Quarterfinals and are ready to bring their talents back to the stage after a one-year hiatus. 

Naked Voices is University of California, Santa Barbara's premier, award-winning, all gender a cappella group! A tight-knit community of talented singers, this group prides itself on high musicianship and skillful performances. They love to sing a range of musical styles, from pop to jazz to R&B. As the only a cappella group at UCSB to compete in ICCA, Naked Voices sets a high standard for their musical choices and expression. They mainly arrange their own music and have received special ICCA awards for Outstanding Soloist and Outstanding Vocal Percussion. While Naked Voices has participated in many ICCA seasons, competing at both the Quarterfinal and Semifinal levels, they consistently strive to improve their overall sound and technical ability. They are honored for every opportunity to share their music with a broader audience and view competition as a great way to network and enjoy other groups’ performances. Naked Voices is always excited to perform and hope their music moves you! 

Naya Zamaana is UCLA's premier South Asian a cappella team. The team was created in 2006 to celebrate the diversity of talent among South Asian youth in America. These singers come from a variety of musical backgrounds, from South Asian styles such as Hindustani and Carnatic music to Western styles such as pop, R&B, and rock. Their arrangements aspire to exemplify the distinct fusion of these cultures by blending both classical and contemporary South Asian music with modern Western music to create their signature sound. Naya Zamaana’s repertoire strives to represent the diverse cultures of the South Asian diaspora by singing in languages such as Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, and Telugu. They believe that their unique arranging style helps showcase the vast world of South Asian music to a wider audience, providing a truly one-of-a-kind musical experience. 

Nu Aria is an all-gender pop a cappella group formed in fall 2022 at Mt. San Antonio College. With roots reaching back to the all-male award-winning ensemble, formerly known as Fermata Nowhere (2009 ICCA Champion), they are proud to come from a junior community college and offer opportunities for singers of different ages, backgrounds, and educational goals. This diverse composition of singers, united by their love of music and performing, creates a unique voice, as well as a space for students to form lasting memories and find family at a two-year college. After Nu Aria's creation in 2022, they competed in the 2023 and 2024 ICCA seasons, earning special awards for Outstanding Vocal Percussionist and Outstanding Soloist in that time. As they continue to connect through student-written arrangements and expressive choreography, Nu Aria looks brightly towards the future as they bring “fresh wind” with their sound and energy. 

The Spartones is San Jose State University's only co-ed a cappella group. They host the annual "Not So Serious Showcase," featuring silly songs from groups all over the Bay Area. They love singing pop, rap, and ballads, but also like to dabble in whatever music genre piques their interest! The Spartones are all about having fun, creating a strong a cappella community, and singing for audiences like you. They can't wait to perform and hope you enjoy! 

VocaLotus is a diverse, all-gender a cappella group at the University of California, Irvine. Their goal is to make music in a close-knit community. VocaLotus originated from the choir of VSA, the Vietnamese Student Association of UCI. In winter 2020, the founders decided they wanted VocaLotus to become their own organization and the group has since expanded to include members from various backgrounds. This has created opportunities to perform at culture nights for different clubs across UCI's campus and they have been honored to share their unique roots with the Irvine community. They won the 2022-2023 Outstanding Performance Organization at UCI’s Anteater Awards for their outreach efforts. VocaLotus has a repertoire of primarily pop and indie pieces, along with some R&B. Through multiple weekly rehearsals and social events, the group members share a familial bond and are true friends. This will be VocaLotus’s third ICCA and they cannot wait to show everyone how they’ve grown! 

Returning to competition for the first time since 2019, The Shades are thrilled to be competing in the 2025 ICCA! Hailing from Claremont, Calif. and donning oxblood and black, The Shades are entering their 31st year as a group! With members from all five of the Claremont Colleges, The Shades feature voices from all over Claremont and the world, joined together in a musical community. Recently, The Shades have performed the music of Hozier, Lawrence, Yebba, Ariana Grande, and Janelle Monáe. The annual host of the Southern California A Cappella Music Festival (SCAM Fest), The Shades bring groups from all over California together in Big Bridges Auditorium at Pomona College for a night of music and dance. The Shades have released over seven professional albums (most recently 2023’s Revival) and have been featured on three of Varsity Vocals' BOCA albums. They're so excited to be back this year and can't wait to perform alongside tonight’s wonderfully talented groups! For more Shades' content, find them on Instagram or TikTok @theclaremontshades!

GUEST PERFORMER

8eyes is an L.A.-based singer-songwriter pop duo, made up of Abe Soane and Jeong-Soo Park. They met in college at UCLA and have been friends and writing partners ever since. When they write music, they keep a quote in mind: “Music is for the listener, but the performers are the first listeners.” Their goal is to write music that tells a story, and makes the audience feel something. Soane and Park know they've done their job well when their music makes them feel the story while playing it.

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Aaron Bayne is an alumnus of Towson University and Berklee College of Music and holds a master’s degree in music business. He is the award-winning beatboxer of two-time ICCA Finalists turned professional group, The Trills (@thetrills). Over the last few years, The Trills accumulated over 4 million followers across social media platforms, with 45 million views on YouTube and over 350 million views on TikTok. The group’s social media presence has led to partnerships with several global brands, a feature on “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” an opening performance for SZA, Straight No Chaser, and Voiceplay, halftime performances for The Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs, headlining shows at Vidcon 2022 and 2023, and collaborations with acts like Drew Scott, Quinn XCII, and Tim McGraw. After relocating to the Los Angeles area in 2024, Aaron is excited to return as a Varsity Vocals judge this season and wishes luck to all the competing groups. 

Mateo Gonzales is a vocalist, songwriter, and music educator based in Los Angeles. A recent graduate of the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music, he earned his bachelor's degree in popular music. With a strong background in the a cappella community, Mateo has performed with groups such as Unstrumental (Calabasas High School), Legacy (Rob Dietz), Pitch Slapped (Berklee College of Music), and served as president of The SoCal VoCals (University of Southern California). He is now a coach for Unstrumental and sings with the professional vocal group, LOCKED, known for their lush harmonies and intricate arrangements. @whereismateo @lockedvox 

Holding a master’s degree in voice from the California Institute of the Arts, Jim Raycroft has performed all over North America and Europe. He is a 40-year member of the Los Angeles Master Chorale and sang with the Los Angeles Opera for 12 years. He can be heard on movie soundtracks including “Home Alone,” “Hook,” “Jurassic Park,” “A.I.,” “Mars Attacks,” “Waterworld,” “XXX,” “Lady In The Water,” “Godzilla,” “Willow,” and “Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker,” and appeared as a singing pirate in the opening scene of “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.” He has appeared on the Grammys, in numerous TV shows including the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” and has sung for the President of the United States and the late Queen of England. He founded The Singers Elite Vocal Big Band, sang for five years with Disneyland’s barbershop quartet, The Dapper Dans, spent Christmas of 1983 with Disneyland’s Dickens Carolers, recorded with the Roger Wagner Chorale, and participated in a Grammy-winning recording in 2021. He recorded music for Disneyland Paris and is involved with a company called Musicals Lost and Found that records old, forgotten musicals. He appeared in Fatboy Slim’s music video “Rockafeller Skank,” and provides singers for the international wine-tasting club Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin. He founded and sings with the vocal jazz group Pacific Swingline and the barbershop quartet The Nickelodeon. Jim is a published arranger and orchestrator, the choral director for the Los Angeles Lawyers Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, and has prepared choruses for the Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra and the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra. His singer referral service, Singers Elite, has provided vocal entertainment to Southern California audiences for over 30 years. In 2002, he founded the annual “Choral Taste of Los Angeles,” a reading session of choral music by L.A. composers. Jim is the Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church of Encino.

Originally from Austin, Texas, Rene Ruiz was a featured performer and show director for the Walt Disney World Co. for over 15 years. He conceived, directed, and performed in “TOXIC AUDIO,” an a cappella concept show that played Off-Broadway and won the 2004 Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience. The show has toured internationally, including stops in Japan and Barcelona. He executive produced their album, Chemistry, which won the CARA for Album of the Year in 2000. He’s also directed a cappella shows for Six Flags New England, Hershey Park, and Kennywood Theme Parks. He can be heard as the bass/beatboxer in the Progressive Insurance a cappella commercials and in recorded park announcements all over Walt Disney World. 

Selame Scarlett hails from Okemos, Mich. and is extremely thankful for this California weather. As an undergraduate at Michigan State University, she was the music director, arranger, and vocal percussionist for the mixed group, Capital Green A Cappella. Post-college, she served as a percussionist and vocalist for the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (CARA)-winning, all-female sextet, Lady Jaye, and the all-female gospel powerhouse group, Traces, which was featured on Season 5 of NBC's “The Sing-Off.” She is a sought-after clinician for high school and collegiate groups in the Great Lakes region and beyond. In the summertime, Selame is an instructor and counselor at A Cappella Academy, a Los Angeles-based vocal camp for young adults (ages 13 to 17). Selame has been fortunate enough to record alongside groups such as Naturally 7, The Boxettes, Pentatonix, Duwende, and Traces of Blue (formerly Afro-Blue)! She has led percussion workshops and masterclasses, individually and with her beatboxing colleagues. She is excited to see and hear some great music tonight! 

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank tonight's sound engineer, Jeff Eames; emcee, Aaron Jung; guest deliberation group, 8eyes; volunteers, Duncan McHugh, Justin Baker; Auntie M Creative Consultants, and all the staff at the Bridges Auditorium especially Matt Pavey, Sharon Kuhn, Tasmin Offner, and Monica Rotelli for their help in advancing our event; 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 West 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!

#ICCA