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 NORTHEAST  QUARTERFINAL

Galvin Middle School
Saturday, March 1st, 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 18 Wheelers is the select a-cappella group from The Wheeler School in Providence. They enjoy sharing their love of music with the greater community and singing to raise awareness for various nonprofit organizations across the Northeast. Throughout the years, The 18s have garnered national recognition by winning tracks on BOHSA, as well as the Contemporary A Cappella Society of America’s (CASA) acclaimed SING compilations, which features mostly collegiate and professional groups. Over the years, their albums have won Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs) in the categories of Best High School Album, Best High School Song, and Best High School Arranger and Soloist. Above all, The 18 Wheelers are proud to spread joy to audiences across the East Coast.

Accent A Cappella is a co-ed, mixed vocal group at Lincoln Sudbury and this is their 14th year competing at ICHSA. Although they have been ICHSA competitors since 2010, the group originates all the way back to 2004, when it was co-founded by Lily Karian. Heartbreakingly, Lily died by suicide in December 2006, when she was only a freshman at Tufts. As a way of honoring Lily, Accent chose to name their records after different water components because swimming was one of Lily's favorite activities and she was a water instructor at swim clubs in the Sudbury area. Their EP, Wave, is available on Apple Music, Spotify, and iTunes. Accent also enjoys singing the national anthem at school athletic events, singing Christmas tunes at Faneuil Hall every December, and hosting Acapalooza every spring, in which they share the stage with other groups around the stage for fun performances! Accent is excited to be back at ICHSA and wishes all competing groups the best! 

Note to Self (NTS) is a tight-knit all-gender a cappella group based at Cambridge Rindge and Latin High school. Founded in 2011 (previously known as Girls Next Door), NTS incorporates all kinds of music into their setlists, from modern pop to R&B, viral indie songs to 90s classics. NTS strives to foster a supportive artistic environment full of shared smiles and laughter. This connection shines through their stage presence and energetic choreography, passing on those positive vibes to every audience. NTS performs in biannual concerts and school events, such as assemblies and singing valentines. Featured artists in their repertoire include Bruno Mars, Adele, Amy Winehouse, and Lauryn Hill. All of their arrangements are student-created, allowing group members to express their creativity and musical talent. On schoolday mornings before sunrise, you will always catch NTS rehearsing in their school’s arts basement, sometimes spicing it up with Dunkin. You may also find them at a group member’s house on weekends, having a potluck, watching movies, and, of course, perfecting their music. 

The Photosymphonizers is AMSA's long-running a cappella club. The group is student-led, with an advisor available for guidance. They have been performing at ICHSA for nine years and counting. They wear green! 

Founded in 2016, South Avenue is Plymouth South High School's only mixed-range contemporary a cappella group. Since its founding, South Avenue has released numerous singles, most recently a cover of Lizzy McAlpine's "Orange Show Speedway." South Avenue has appeared on BOHSA and placed 3rd in the 2022 ICHSA Northeast Semifinals. 

Tonal Eclipse is a 12-member mixed a cappella group from Millbury High School, specializing in pop music. They transformed from a classical choir to an a cappella group in 2022. Although this adjustment was challenging, the members of Tonal Eclipse jumped into the world of a cappella with enthusiasm, embracing this new form of musical expression and raising their standards for success. Over the past several years, they have become a well-known and loved group in the community. Their song choices this year explore a variety of different styles. Last year’s repertoire featured pieces by Extreme, Imagine Dragons, and 5 Seconds of Summer. This year, the group looks forward to performing “The Door” by Teddy Swims, “Butterfly Fly Away” with an a cappella twist, and a medley of “I Knew You Were Trouble” and “Drag Me Down.” After last year’s unforgettable ICHSA debut, Tonal Eclipse hopes to come back this season even stronger than before! 

For the past 13 years, Voices ReChoired has shared its love of music and storytelling with audiences across the Northeast. Each year, the group sits down and discusses the message they hope to deliver with their competition set. This year, the theme they have chosen is courage. They hope their message will inspire you to find your own courage from deep within. 

WitchPitch? is Salem High School's premier a cappella group. You can find them singing in Salem and all around the Northeast. WitchPitch? is a three-time ICHSA Finalist and seven-time ICHSA Semifinalist. They were featured on BOHSA in 2013 and just released their third album, forever, this past June. Witchpitch? recently performed at the inauguration party for current Massachusetts governor, Maura Healey. They are thrilled to show you what they've been working on for ICHSA this year!

 
GUEST PERFORMER

The Hofbeats is an award-winning mixed voiced collegiate a cappella group at Hofstra University. They pride themselves on being a tight-knit family that shares a love for making music. They love performing at on-campus events, invitationals hosted by other groups, and, of course, performing at their own semesterly concerts! The Hofbeats is composed of various majors, from music to business, nursing, psychology, and more! While music brings them together, group members love supporting their fellow Hofbeats at recitals, choir concerts, Greek life, and sporting events! Their most recent achievements include placing 2nd at their 2024 ICCA Quarterfinal and winning Outstanding Soloist. In 2023, they placed 1st at Quarterfinals and won special awards for Outstanidng Soloist, Outstanding Choreography, and Outstanding Vocal Percussion. If you’d like to hear more from The Hofbeats, follow them on all social media platforms @The Hofbeats and stream their EP, SoulBirds, on all streaming platforms! They would like to thank Varsity Vocals and Chris Hoffman for having them and they are so excited to watch each group perform tonight!

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Leon Hua is a vocal percussionist, arranger, performer, and music educator living in New York City. Leon is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where he was a part of the five-time ICCA Champions, The SoCal VoCals, as a VP, singer, and arranger. Leon began his a cappella journey in high school, when he attended A Cappella Academy, a summer camp co-founded by Ben Bram, Rob Dietz, and Avi Kaplan. Since then, Leon's performances and arrangements have appeared on BOCA, BOHSA, Voices Only, the CARAs, and the A Cappella Video Awards (AVAs). 

David Ko holds a bachelor's and a master's degree in music therapy from Florida State University. In his undergraduate years, he was an active member of FSU's Reverb, serving as the group's music director from 2011 to 2013. During his two years as music director, Reverb went on to win multiple Outstanding Arrangement awards, two ICCA South Quarterfinals, and one South Semifinal, plus 4th place overall at ICCA Finals. David currently works in eastern Connecticut, where he is the assistant director of Progressions Music Therapy services. He works on commissions for choral and a cappella arrangements for high school, collegiate, and professional groups in his spare time. You can hear one of his recent arrangements on BOHSA 2025!

Dr. Kevin McDonald is the Director of Choral Music at Wellesley High School, Conductor of the Chorus of Tenors and Basses at the Handel and Haydn Society Youth Choruses, and Director of Youth Music at Wellesley Village Church. Kevin received his B.M. in music education from the University of New Hampshire, where he sang with New Hampshire Gentlemen, his M.M. in low brass performance from the University of Idaho, and his D.M.A. in music education with a choral conducting emphasis from The Hartt School, University of Hartford. Kevin is a longtime a cappella enthusiast and is currently in his 19th year at Wellesley High School where he teaches and conducts five curricular choirs and advises a flourishing a cappella program consisting of four extracurricular a cappella groups: WHS Renegade, Ladies First, A Cappella Anonymous, and Inchordination. Kevin is an active guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician. Kevin has 25 years of service as an adjudicator, having adjudicated The Great East Music Festival, the Heritage Choral Festival, Trills and Thrills Festival, and various district and all state music festival auditions in the New England area. He consistently presents workshops and clinics at all state and regional conferences to collegiate NAfME chapters and at ACDA conferences. 

Jake McVey began his a cappella journey as a member, assistant music director, and business manager of Hawkward (@rwuhawkward) at Roger Williams University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in music. After completing his undergraduate studies, he joined the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus (@bgmc1982), contributing as a singer and Music Section Representative while earning his M.B.A. in music business from Southern New Hampshire University. Since 2019, he has been a part of Sound Off (@soundoffacappella), an award-winning Boston-based a cappella group. Jake has been an active member of the Varsity Vocals community since 2019, serving as a production assistant before taking over as ICHSA Northeast Producer from 2021-2023. 

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank Clarus/Jill Clark Productions (sound), J&A Audio & Lighting (lights), Tri-M Music Honor Society, Wakefield Music Boosters, Ana Morel, and the Galvin Middle School Music Teachers and Custodial Staff; 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 Northeast 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