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 SEMIFINAL

The Redwood City Fox Theatre
Saturday, March 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

Headband is Willamette University's only, and by default, best gender-inclusive tenor/bass a cappella group! Over their 22 years of forehead-covered existence, they’ve been described as "vivacious," "bombastic," and "face-meltingly delicious" by numerous people who definitely aren't any of their moms, and they’re hyped to bring said deliciousness back to the ICCA stage! Headband prides itself on the exceptional amount of fun they have on and offstage and the humongous (sometimes excessive) amount of energy that brings to their performances. These 14 singers have been working their bands off to bring y'all 10 minutes of their signature energy and couldn't be more grateful to be sharing the stage with incredible talent from across the region. So much love to everyone for coming out to support! 

Divisi is an all-treble a cappella group from the University of Oregon. They have been singing since 2001 and their repertoire consists of pop, R&B, rap, and indie pop. Divisi has competed since its founding and earned 1st place at their 2022 ICCA West Quarterfinal. Their ongoing mission is to sing for the Eugene community and share their love for making music. SCO DUCKS! 

Furmata is the University of Washington's premier, all-gender a cappella group. They emphasize excellence, passion, energy, dedication and inclusivity in all of their endeavors. Most recently, Furmata took home 2nd place and Outstanding Arrangement at the 2024 ICCA Finals. This achievement joins many other accolades from over the years, including other awards for Outstanding Arrangement and Outstanding Soloist. 

Hailing from the University of British Columbia, Eh? Cappella earned the title of ICCA West Quarterfinal Champion in 2022, 2020, and 2018. Most recently, they went on to place 4th at the ICCA West Semifinals, also winning special awards for Outstanding Choreography and Outstanding Vocal Percussion! They are known for their dynamic arrangements, captivating stage presence, and, of course, showstopping vocals. Led by musical directors Flora Wilson and Mahdin Salam, Eh? Cappella showcases the various musical backgrounds of its membership to weave together a truly unique soundscape. 

Morse Coda A Cappella is the newest all-inclusive a cappella group at the University of California, Irvine. This group of passionate musicians shares a love for a cappella. With members hailing from various academic backgrounds, Morse Coda thrives on collaboration and innovation, blending contemporary choral, pop, jazz, and R&B in their arrangements and compositions. They participate in campus events and showcases, embodying their love for singing through rich harmonies and engaging performances. Morse Coda aims to foster a kind and supportive community, where members build lifelong friendships in addition to developing their vocal skills. They value connection and creative growth, creating an uplifting space for members to connect with fellow musicians. Through their passion for music and commitment to excellence, Morse Coda strives to impact the community at UC Irvine. 

Founded as a quintet in 2012, Resonance has since transformed one of UCLA's premier all-gender a cappella groups. Their love for music unites students from all fields of study and they pride themselves on next-level performance, competition, and content-creation. Since 2017, Resonance has competed annually in the ICCA, where they advanced to Semifinals in 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2024, and all the way to Finals in 2021. Their competitive spirit does not stop there. Over the years, they have qualified for and performed in the Los Angeles A Cappella Festival (LAAF) Scholastic Competition and in UCLA’s most competitive talent showcase, Spring Sing. Resonance also enjoys making content, releasing their 2023 ICCA set music video on YouTube, their first studio album, In This Light, to all streaming platforms, and all sorts of content on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. They are currently producing their second studio album and recording an EP! Guided by their passion for performance and community, Resonance is a diverse family of musicians who hope to make a lasting impact with their music. 

The Lounge Lizards began in 1995 as a group of friends living in the Tercero dorms at UC Davis. The oldest a cappella group on campus, The Lizards can be found performing at local events, most notably at their annual spring concert, No Instruments Attached. As four-time ICCA Semifinalists, most recently placing 1st at the 2024 ICCA West Quarterfinals and 3rd at the 2024 ICCA West Semifinals, The Lizards bring their award-winning a cappella to competition and beyond. 

Drawn to Scale, affectionately known as DtS, is a close-knit co-ed group from UC Berkeley. The group members have a wide variety of interests and majors but a shared love of singing. DtS won their ICCA West Quarterfinal in 2020 and secured 4th place in 2024, along with a special award for Outstanding Choreography. While they're one of the more competitive groups on campus, DtS members often express how much they value the group as a creative and social outlet. DtS provides a space to unwind, connect, and make music together outside of their busy lives. 

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. 

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! 

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

New Jersey-born and Nebraska-raised, Tehillah Alphonso is a Nigerian-American vocalist, pianist, music director, and Grammy-nominated arranger based in Los Angeles. A proud summa cum laude graduate of the University of Southern California, she received her B.M. in popular music performance from the Thornton School of Music and was named 2020 Outstanding Graduate, becoming the first Black woman in the pop program to achieve this award. As a full-time student at USC, Tehillah served as business manager and music director of USC’s premier a cappella group and five-time ICCA Champions, The SoCal VoCals. She performed with The VoCals in venues such as the Staples Center, the Rose Bowl, Carnegie Hall, and many historic theaters in Los Angeles and New York. Upon graduating, she quickly made a name for herself in the session music industry, singing for films, television shows, and alongside notable artists including Lebo M., NIKI, Dan Wilson, Björk, Billie Eilish, and Olivia Rodrigo. She most recently made her Hollywood Bowl solo debut as a part of "The Lion King" 30th Anniversary Celebration, with the likes of Jennifer Hudson, Heather Headley, and the original 1994 cast of "The Lion King." She currently directs Pacifica Christian High School’s premier a cappella group and 2021 ICHSA Runner-Up, Wolf PACappella, and is a music director and arranger at A Cappella Academy. She has also returned to her alma mater as an adjunct professor and vocal coach in the Popular Music Program. 

Dr. Daniel Fister (he/him) is thrilled to have been a judge for Varsity Vocals for over a decade! He is a proud original member of Wilsonville High School’s Soul’d Out and alumnus of Chapman University SoundCheck. In both groups, he sang bass, arranged, music-directed, and competed in Varsity Vocals events. Daniel remains involved in a cappella as a judge for Varsity Vocals and the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs), a reviewer for the Recorded A Cappella Review Board (RARB), and a masterclass leader. His time singing and judging a cappella inspired him to pursue a doctoral degree in musicology at Washington University in St. Louis and his dissertation examined how race impacts ideologies, policies, and sounds in contemporary scholastic a cappella. Daniel is currently an adjunct professor at various Bay Area colleges. He also sings with and is the Associate Director of the Silicon Valley Gay Men’s Chorus, and directs and arranges for the ensemble’s small group, Desperate Measures. Best wishes to all the competing groups!

Doug Friedman has a bachelor’s degree in music performance from Brandeis University and a master’s degree in music technology from NYU. He has been a vocal performer for over 22 years, with credits as a member of VoiceMale at Brandeis, semi-professional group Overboard, barbershop choir Fog City Singers, semi-professional pop a cappella band Beyond Zebra in the Bay Area. 

Evan Linsey is happy to be here. He was a co-host on the "Head/Voice" podcast and producer/songwriter for Birdland Avenue. The podcast told the stories and dived into the artistry of 150 singers and sound creators from all around the world. His work with neo-vocal pop band Birdland Avenue helped the group earn five CARAs and an Independent Music Award (Best Debut Album for Come Around). He knows how hard today's groups worked to put their sets together and is grateful for their efforts, as well as for everybody who bought a ticket to support them tonight.  

Avery Roberts is a songwriter, producer, and arranger based in Los Angeles. A choral artist at heart, their love of vocal harmony has led to their deep involvement in the a cappella community, with a record-breaking eight Outstanding Arrangement awards gathered over several Varsity Vocals competitions (including at the 2019 AcaOpen Finals), plus nominations and wins at the A Cappella Video Awards (AVAs) and CARAs. Their work can be heard performed by ensembles around the country, and they continue to make music as a solo artist under the name Avo.

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank tonight's emcee, Richman Neumann; sound engineer, Greg St Germain from RDX Productions; our volunteers, Seth Fetro, Valentyna Simon, Mike Lin, Kali Monma, and Ezri Monma; all the staff at the Fox Theatre, especially Ernie Schmidt; 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!

#ICCA