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 MIDWEST QUARTERFINAL
Hilliard Bradley High School
Friday, February 21st, 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
Ars Nova is an all-gender a cappella group from the Miami Valley School. Ars Nova means “new art” in Latin and as a group, they strive to grow their musicianship, create a familial environment, and share innovative music with the community. Ars Nova is honored to have been ICHSA Quarterfinal Champions and 3rd place Semifinalists in both 2022 and 2023. They're so grateful to be here and cannot wait to share their set with you!
Blue Kids on the Block is Hilliard Davidson's competitive a cappella ensemble. Members are selected through a rigorous audition process and maintain a busy performance schedule throughout the year. Past performances include singing at the Ohio Statehouse, Columbus Zoo, Franklin Park Conservatory, and the ICHSA. In 2024, Blue Kids on the Block won 1st place at their ICHSA Quarterfinal and Semifinal competitions, earning the title of Midwest Champions and securing a performance spot at ICHSA Finals in New York. They’re thrilled to be back and excited to make new memories!
ECHO, from Hilliard Bradley High School, is in its eighth year of existence as a contemporary a cappella group. ECHO is one of four a cappella groups that make up the Jaguar A Cappella program from Hilliard Bradley High School. Last year was ECHO's second year competing and they were thrilled to advance to ICHSA Midwest Semifinals. They are so excited to be competing in their third consecutive year and are eager to share their passion and hard work!
Free Verse is the student-run a cappella group from the Oakland Catholic and Central Catholic High Schools in Pittsburgh. The group is named after the type of poetry with rhyme or regular meter, producing an authentic style of speech (or, in their case, song!). Founded in 2016, this is the group’s ninth year of existence and eighth time participating in ICHSA. Free Verse prides itself in arranging and choreographing their entire set themselves. Their motto is “Fun, Friendship, Free Verse!” and they invite the audience to join them in having fun and celebrating friendship through their music!
The Grace Notes, from Columbus School for Girls, is excited for their first time competing in ICHSA! They are so excited to be here representing their mascot, the Unicorn! Go Unies!
In 2018, The Panther Tones was established in Zanesville, Ohio, at Maysville High School. The Panther Tones was created under a previous director and taken over by the current director in 2021. The group has been working diligently to reinvent themselves since the arrival of their new director. They love to perform pop and classic rock music. This is the first year the Panther Tones have auditioned for ICHSA since before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Phoenix is one of Chaminade Julienne High School's pop a cappella groups. Founded in 2011 with the name Age V (Roman numeral five), they have more than doubled the amount of students participating to fully establish the CJ a cappella program. After three years of growth, the group decided to redefine their identity and updated their name to Phoenix in 2014. Not only have they inspired a spirit of determination and peer-collaboration across the entire CJ a cappella program, they began competing in the ICHSA and placed 3rd at Midwest Quarterfinals in 2018. The group is currently directed by Vega and Phoenix alumni, Ashely Gerhard and Adelyn Helms. This is an exciting year for the group, with plans to release a combined EP alongside fellow CJ group, Vega, and performing for the first time ever as an all-treble group! Phoenix feels strong in their identity as an all-treble group and is inspired by the idea of rising from the ashes and glowing bright as fire. This group of passionate and joyful performers is excited to share how brightly they shine.
Shades of Blue, from Hilliard Bradley High School, is the 2023 ICHSA Champion. In 2023, they were the only contemporary a cappella group selected to perform at the American Choral Directors Association National Conference in Cincinnati. They have performed at the National A Cappella Convention (NACC) in 2022 and 2024. Shades of Blue's studio recordings have been chosen for BOHSA and Voices Only placements. They have also earned many Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (CARA) nominations, notably winning Best High School Song for “Gold” in 2023 and taking Runner-Up for Best High School Album in 2024 for their debut album, Brighter Days.
TM-Fusion came together last September with a desire to start something special at Trotwood-Madison High School. This talented ensemble of 12 students has quickly established itself as a rising star in the local music scene. Through countless hours of practice and dedication, the group continues to hone their vocal skills and grow their audience. Whether belting out chart-topping hits or mesmerizing the crowd with their own unique arrangements, TM-Fusion continues to inspire everyone who hears them sing.
WAVE A Cappella is the contemporary treble a cappella group at Bradley High School in Hilliard, Ohio. The group is currently composed of 13 members in ninth and 10th grade. WAVE has previously competed in ICHSA Quarterfinals in 2023 and 2024! When they aren’t rehearsing their ICHSA set, members of Wave are involved in over 20 other school activities!
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
Allyson Adams is a dedicated musician and a cappella arranger with a lifelong passion for all things music. She began her educational music journey at the Long Island High School for the Arts. Allyson served as co-president, music director, and an arranger for her high school group, Acouschicks, where she developed a love for leading and teaching others through music. At The Ohio State University, she served as co-music director for the group Majors & minors, and led them to place 3rd and 2nd at the ICCA Midwest Quarterfinals, marking the first competitive placements in the group's history. Post-graduation, Allyson continues to fulfill her passion for a cappella by writing arrangements and offering mentorship to groups in her community.
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.
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 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!
#ICHSA