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
ICHSA GREAT LAKES QUARTERFINAL
Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau High School
Saturday, February 22nd, 2025
WE'RE SOCIAL
We're talking about this event, and all of our events around the world!
varsityvocals
@varsityvocals
Follow us @varsityvocals on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat, and join the conversation using #ICHSA.
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 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.
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.
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 Accidentals started as a student-initiated group and quickly became an auditioned honors class at Southwest Christian High School. This is their sixth ICHSA competition and progressed to Semifinals in 2019. When they aren’t working on their vocal jazz and pop selections, arranging, and choreography, The Accidentals enjoy Perkins and late night Wal-Mart runs. This year's group includes one freshman and seven seniors. Please enjoy!
The AHS Accidentals is a 17-member auditioned a cappella vocal group all the way from Arcadia High School in Arcadia, Wis. Directed by Pam Siewart, the group ranges from freshmen to seniors and 10 of them are brand-new to a cappella. A close-knit family, The Accidentals fight and argue like siblings, but share a strong bond and always support one another. Even though they are all involved in different extracurricular activities, including various sports and clubs, they come together for a shared love of music and to harmonize as one! They are called The Accidentals because they always look SHARP, their singing is a NATURAL talent, and their personalities are never FLAT. Give it up for The AHS Accidentals!
The Chords is an a cappella group created at Brookwood High School in 2023. Over the past several years, The Chords have grown with new additions and great voices. The group performs a variety of styles, including country, pop, and modern rock. They have been selected to perform at ICHSA Quarterfinals for the past two years and receive amazing feedback as a new group in the a cappella scene.
Encore, the award-winning a cappella group from Lakeville South High School, has made a name for itself in prestigious competitions. They earned top honors at SingStrong New York City in 2019 and 3rd place at ICHSA Great Lakes Quarterfinals in both 2020 and 2024. Other ICHSA accolades include special awards for Outstanding Soloist at Quarterfinals in both 2020 and 2024 and Outstanding Choreography in 2023. In 2024, Encore released a music video and single for "The Pretender,” originally performed by The Foo Fighters, which showcased their creative talents. This video was entered into the A Cappella Video Awards (AVAs) and featured contributions from industry professionals, including Katherine Bodor (arranger and recording), Jordan Roll (mixing and editing), and Elise Schroeder (creative director and choreographer). The group is excited to compete in the 2025 ICHSA.
Currently the reigning Quarterfinal Champs, Harmonix is an auditioned a cappella ensemble from Jordan High School. For its first 10 years, this was an all-female group which embodied empowerment and inclusivity. Starting this year, the group has expanded to a mixed ensemble. Students lead rehearsals two mornings a week before school, with additional after-school rehearsals as needed, working together to select music and create choreography. Harmonix primarily performs pop music, including songs like “Love So Soft” by Kelly Clarkson, “One Last Breath” by Creed, and the Harvard A Cappella arrangement of “Where Have You Been” by Rihanna. They are excited to represent Jordan High School, while meeting and learning from groups from other Great Lakes a cappella groups!
Out of the Blue comes to you from Galesville, Wis. The group’s name comes from the influx of students interested in a cappella at the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau High School. The numbers were so high, that they had to make a second group! OOTB ranges from freshmen to seniors and is no stranger to the ICHSA stage. They have participated in many ICHSA Quarterfinal competitions, notably earning Runner-Up in 2019.
Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knotes has been participating in ICHSA for the last five years, with a record 3rd place in 2022. Red Knotes is a well-rounded group, singing music from different genres throughout the year. They also serve their local community by singing at open houses, sporting events, and four concerts a year. The BSM community is so proud of The Red Knotes, and wishes them the best!
Tonal Recall is a mixed contemporary a cappella group from the small town of Shell Lake in northwestern Wisconsin. This group has participated in ICHSA for the past 10 years and looks forward to seeing what this year brings. Tonal Recall prides itself on being the only high school a cappella group in the Shell Lake area and often has to travel far to compete.
Unstrumental SATB is one of three Unstrumental groups at River Falls High School. This student-led ensemble is composed of mixed voices from grades 10-12. The students assist in arranging songs, creating choreography, and running rehearsals. They are in their fourth year of existence.
Unstrumental SSA is one of three Unstrumental ensembles at River Falls High School. The group is composed of all treble voices and seeks to empower women to use their voices and strengthen all female-identifying people across the world.
Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau High School's Vocal Point is no stranger to the ICHSA stage, recently hosting ICHSA Great Lakes Quarterfinals. Vocal Point has earned many accolades for their vocal percussionists and attended the 2023 ICHSA Finals in New York. VP enjoys attending a cappella festivals throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota and they’re excited to compete again in the Great Lakes.
TONIGHT'S JUDGES
Rachael Billmann is a dedicated music educator and leader with a passion for choral and a cappella performance. She earned her degree in choral and general music education from the University of Wisconsin in 2021 and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in music leadership at the Eastman School of Music. Based in Madison, Wis., Rachael has been teaching middle school choir, musical theatre, and private voice lessons for the past four years, inspiring young musicians through vocal performance and stagecraft. Before beginning her teaching career, Rachael served as the music director for the University of Wisconsin’s Pitches and Notes, a treble a cappella group, for three years. As a performer, she has competed in both the ICHSA and the ICCA, earning three Outstanding Soloist awards. With a strong background in vocal performance, education, and leadership, Rachael is committed to fostering musical excellence and confidence in the next generation of artists.
Lili Fujiu is an a cappella director and arranger currently based out of Waukegan, Ill. Lili was the music director of The Harmelodics, the treble a cappella group at Northern Illinois University, for four years. As a former ICCA competitor, she is one of the most decorated treble arrangers in ICCA history with three Outstanding Arrangement awards. With over 10 years of arranging experience, her catalog contains nearly 100 arrangements, mainly specializing in SSAA. Post-college, she clinics, presents arranging workshops, and continues to arrange for various groups in the Chicagoland area.
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.
Walter Smart is a recent graduate from the University of Wisconsin Parkside, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in contemporary commercial music, voice emphasis. He is passionate about being versatile in all types of musical genres and was involved in his university’s chorale, chamber, and a cappella ensembles. Aside from performing, he has arranged over 30 pieces of vocal music for collegiate a cappella groups and finds joy in exploring the more emotional aspects of music. His technical prowess and exemplary leadership have elevated performances to new heights. Beyond his achievements, Walter’s humility and team-oriented approach have earned him admiration among his university peers and faculty. As Walter prepares to embark on the next chapter of his journey, he remains committed to nurturing the talents of future musicians.
SPECIAL THANKS
Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank 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 ICHSA Great Lakes 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!
#ICHSA