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 SEMIFINAL

Pabst Theater
Saturday, March 15th, 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 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

Limited Edition is a talented mixed group of young men and women from the Port Washington/Saukville School District in Wisconsin. Founded by their director, Dennis Gephart, the ensemble began as an extracurricular a cappella group that provided opportunities for advanced music students throughout the district. The name Limited Edition was chosen to represent the group’s most unique characteristic: each roster of Limited Edition only lasts one school year, at which point an entirely new group is formed.

Genesis A Cappella is an all-treble group from Brookfield East High School. Proudly student-led, this group includes students from all grades who love making music. This set was choreographed by current group members and arranged by alumni. Throughout the year, the self-proclaimed “genesisters” love to have potlucks galore, including a “carbo cram” just last night. Their bond and love for their community is so strong, they are happy to wake up at 6:30 a.m. three days a week for rehearsal! Aside from the music, Genesis members love competition outfits and insist they’d win the Outstanding Outfit award if it existed. Genesis A Cappella is ready to show you what they love doing most: singing in pink!

Unaccompanied Minors is Brookfield East High School’s co-ed, entirely student-led a cappella group! Formed in 2017, they have grown stronger every year since. Composed of exceptionally talented musicians, this group is passionate about a cappella and music in general. They are proud to arrange their own ICHSA sets and have previously advanced to ICHSA Great Lakes Semifinals. Outside of rehearsal, the group enjoys seasonal activities, karaoke nights, and making memories together. This group has created bonds among its members that will be cherished for the rest of their lives. Many have met their best friends in this group, which reflects in their chemistry while performing. Highlights of their a cappella season include their annual family barbeque show, winter show, local concerts, and ICHSA!

Ladies Knight is Oak Creek High School's elite all-treble voice a cappella group. They have been active in the a cappella scene since 2014. In addition to competing in ICHSA, they attend and host a cappella conferences (such as OCAP http://www.singocap.org/) and collaborative performances, record music, and participate in community outreach.  Ladies Knight has qualified for ICHSA Semifinals on two occasions and was featured on three BOHSA compilation albums. Their second album, Resolute, recently dropped on all streaming platforms. Ladies Knight loves entertaining audiences with a mix of heartfelt ballads and jaw-dropping jams. You can follow Ladies Knight on Instagram @ladiesknightoc. 

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. 

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! 

Vocal Point is a treble group from Lockport Township High School. They have competed at both the Quarterfinal and Semifinal levels of ICHSA and placed at ICHSA Great Lakes Semifinals in Milwaukee. Vocal Point has also competed in the ICHSA Wildcard competition. 

The Angelics is Plainfield North High School’s premier treble a cappella group. An innovative and passionate group of musicians, they seek to push the boundaries of contemporary treble a cappella, using their angelic voices to connect, inspire, and empower. Last year, The Angelics competed in their first ICHSA, performing their set, “The Power of Us: Reflections on the Female Experience.” In their debut, The Angelics were named Quarterfinal Champions and ultimately took 3rd place in the Wildcard round. They also won Outstanding Soloist at Quarterfinals and Outstanding Choreography for both Quarterfinals and Great Lakes Semifinals. A student-centered group, The Angelics show leadership in choreography, assistant directing, arranging, song selection, and event planning. They take pride in creating a supportive space for music, celebrating authenticity and collaboration. A powerfully united group, The Angelics’ music transcends notes on the page through their sisterhood connection. They are thrilled for their second ICHSA and bring the highest standards of musicality, choreography, and heart. 

Off The Record is a passionate group of student musicians who strive to entertain audiences with technically sound and emotionally compelling performances. In its seven years of existence, OTR has been fortunate to qualify for five ICHSA Semifinal rounds, place as Runner-Up in 2021, 2023, and 2024, and appear on the 2024 BOHSA album. OTR performs throughout the Midwest, notably at the Illinois Music Educators Conference and as the opening act for Foreigner’s farewell tour. They would like to thank their friends and family for all of their support. 

The Hinsdale South Noteworthy Hornets is a mixed a cappella ensemble from Darien, Ill. Founded in 2020 by directors Chris Gumban, Collin Page, and Sean Lohmeyer, this group is made up of Hinsdale South’s talented freshman through senior singers. Noteworthy got their name from being Hinsdale South’s first competitive a cappella ensemble, starting a “Noteworthy” legacy for the Hornets.

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Charlie Arthur began performing at a very young age, participating in as many musical ensembles, theatrical productions, short films, and middle school dance battles as he could seek out. He discovered his love for contemporary vocal music when he joined Forte, the award-winning a cappella group at Centerville High School. In Forte, Charlie received national recognition as a vocal percussionist and began arranging, recording, producing, and teaching vocal music full-time. Over the last decade, these experiences have taken him across the U.S., Canada, Russia, and the Caribbean, working and performing with vocal artists such as Vocalight, m-pact, Vybration, The Edge Effect, and Peter Hollens. Currently Chicago-based, Charlie is also a member of the recently-launched band, Chasing Saturn, and a co-producer of Broadway Goes A Cappella. 

Heather David is a proud alumna of Syracuse University's Main Squeeze, for whom she sang, arranged, choreographed, and did vocal percussion. Since graduating, Heather has remained active in the a cappella world as social media coordinator for Boston Sings (BOSS), Program Manager of Social Media for CASA, associate producer of Voices Only, and an instructor for workshops and masterclasses at a cappella festivals nationwide. She has won ICCA awards for Outstanding Arrangement and Outstanding Vocal Percussion as a college student and Varsity Vocals has held a special place in her heart ever since. 

Phil Kim has been involved in the a cappella community for eight years, with seven years of arranging and vocal percussion experience. He was formerly a member of Gold 'n Blues (Marquette University) and No Comment (University of Illinois), for whom he served as music director. In 2023, No Comment placed 2nd in the ICCA Great Lakes Semifinals and 2nd in the Wildcard round, featuring Phil's work as the set's lead arranger. He continues to arrange for groups and volunteers at Contemporary A Cappella Society of America (CASA) festivals around the country. 

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. 

Kimberly Sailor is the editor-in-chief of the Recorded A Cappella Review Board (RARB), where she has authored nearly 500 published reviews for scholastic, collegiate, and professional groups worldwide. Sailor has judged for Varsity Vocals since 2005 after graduating from her collegiate group, USC's Reverse Osmosis. She works as a writer, teacher, and firefighter. 

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 placing group at this event will advance to the 2025 ICHSA 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!

#ICHSA