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 SEMIFINAL

Mechanics Hall
Sunday, March 16th, 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

Founded in 2009, NOTEorious is the competitive all-voiced a cappella group at North Reading High School. Each year, NOTEorious challenges themselves to arrange their own music (often through trial and error and a lot of improv), move and dance in unexpected ways, flash mob, and, of course, eat copious amounts of ice-cream. For the last two summers, NOTEorious has performed at the Xfinity Center with Foreigner. Last winter, NOTEorious placed in the top three groups at NE Voices, placed 2nd in the 2024 ICHSA Northeast Semifinals, and performed at Boston Sings (BOSS), where they were honored to be recognized for Outstanding Arrangement and Outstanding Choreography. They love a cappella’s ability to cultivate togetherness, as well as meeting and celebrating other groups. 

Voices of Steel is the advanced mixed-voice group at Wakefield Memorial High School, directed by Ana Morel. Formed in 2009, they have collaborated with groups such as The Exchange and The Nor'easters, and have worked with Shams Ahmed, Deke Sharon, and Caleb Whelden. They love to make music almost as much as they love their red Converse. In 2023, they performed at the National A Cappella Convention (NACC) in Orlando, Fla. They performed at the ICHSA Northeast Semifinals in 2022 (Quarterfinals Wildcard Winner) and 2018 (Quarterfinals Runner-Up). They performed at NE Voices at 2022, in addition to 2014, 2015, and 2016, placing in the top three. In 2015, they won The Salem Pitch Trials. Voices of Steel members have won awards for Student Arranging, Outstanding Choreography, and Outstanding Soloist. 

The Thursdays was founded in 2014. Having evolved from a pre-existing jazz choir, the group enthusiastically embraced contemporary a cappella and took part in local festivals and collaborative events, including NE Voices, where they have frequently placed in the top three groups over the years. In 2017 and 2018 they appeared on the PBS television show “Sing That Thing,” earning 1st place in 2018. This is their 11th year competing in the ICHSA. They have won multiple special awards for Outstanding Choreography, Vocal Percussion, and Soloists, and they have represented the Northeast at Finals four times. The Thursdays are very excited for another season and eager to watch all of the amazing sets from their fellow competitors.

Founded in 2016, The Crescendos evolved from an after-school treble choir to a contemporary a cappella group. They entered the ICHSA for the first time in 2017 and they have steadily advanced through the tournament since then. Accolades include three appearances at the Northeast Semifinals and special awards for student arrangements, vocal percussion, and choreography. In 2023 they placed in the top three at Northeast Voices (NE Voices), earned Runner-Up at the ICHSA Northeast Semifinals, and placed 3rd in the ICHSA Wildcard Round. In 2024, they were named the Northeast Champions and attended ICHSA Finals in New York City. The Crescendos are so excited for another season and wish the best of luck to all competing groups. 

Encore is Plattsburgh High School's co-educational a cappella ensemble. Just created this school year, Encore is ecstatic for their first year competing at ICHSA. All group members were members of Fermata Nowhere as students at Stafford Middle School. 

South Glens Falls High School’s Vocal Point is a curricular group based in upstate New York. In recent years, they have performed as the opening act for the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, Foreigner at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and William Shatner and Ben Folds at the Kennedy Center. You can find their two most recent EPs, one fifteen and Elevator Pitch, on all major streaming platforms. Be sure to follow them on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. @sgfvocalpoint 

Vibe is the newest co-ed a cappella group at Plainview Old-Bethpage JFK High School! Vibe is the only teacher-led group within a program of eight other student-run groups. Vibe placed 1st last year at ICHSA Quarterfinals. They also participated in the 2021 ICHSA season, placing  2nd at Quarterfinals and 3rd at Semifinals. Vibe hopes to send some positive vibes! Follow @pobacappella @vibe_pobacappella 

Chock Full of Notes was established in 2003 as Plainview-Old Bethpage John. F Kennedy High Schools first student-led mixed a cappella group. Dressed in all black, Chock hopes to convey a strong presence onstage with larger than life songs and share messages of empowerment through their music. Though their main genre is pop, they also like delving into rock and alternative music, embracing their traditionals, “Demons” by Guster and “It's My Life” by Bon Jovi. Chock has competed in the last two ICHSA seasons, advancing to the Semifinals and winning special awards, including Outstanding Vocal Percussion and Outstanding Arrangement. Chock also had the opportunity to be featured on BOHSA with their arrangement of “Fix You,” by Coldplay. Chock Full of Notes is excited to take the ICHSA stage once again. 

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. 

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.

GUEST PERFORMER

Pitch, Please! is a women-centered, treble a cappella group at Northeastern University. Since the group was founded in 2012, they have continued to push the boundaries and challenge standards of traditional collegiate a cappella. In 2023, they earned 3rd place overall at ICCA Finals, after placing 1st in both the Quarterfinal and Semifinal rounds. Just last month, they earned 1st place at their ICCA Quarterfinal and won special awards for Outstanding Soloist, Outstanding Choreography, and Outstanding Vocal Percussion. Pitch, Please! encourages their followers to stream their latest album, FUSE, and its deluxe version, available on all streaming platforms! You can find them @NUPitchPlease on all social media platforms for upcoming music and projects!

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Brandon Hetherington is a seasoned a cappella professional, having started his first a cappella group in high school, The Spartones. He attended UMass Amherst for voice performance and music education, where he sang in The Vocal Suspects and served as a tenor, arranger, performance director, and choreographer, winning Outstanding Choreography at ICCA. He later joined The Hexachords, advancing with the group repeatedly to ICCA Semifinals, and was featured on Pop TV’s “Sing It On.” He has taught at festivals, including BOSS, and has also taught at Uxbridge High School. 

Alexander Koutzoukis is co-owner (among other titles) of Plaid Productions, a full-service a cappella production studio based in Boston. While attending Tufts University for computer science, he spent five years in The Beelzebubs, two of them as music director. He got his start in a cappella production with Ed Boyer and Bill Hare on two award-winning Bubs albums (Pandaemonium and Play the Game) and went on to help record and edit BATTLE and Helix, as well as about half of The Warblers’ tracks from season 2 of “Glee.” He won a 2010 Best Male Collegiate Arrangement CARA for “All the Love In the World,” was runner-up in 2012 for “Kings and Queens,” and was also runner-up for Favorite Vocal Percussionist in the 2010 A Cappella Awards (ACAs). He currently executive produces BOSS and graphic designs for BOSS and SoJam. 

Amy Malkoff is one of the producers of the Haunted Harmonies festival in Salem, Mass. She has served as the marketing director for the A Cappella Education Association, as well as the media director of the Women's A Cappella Association (WACA), and on the board and as web content director for CASA. She is a longtime ICHSA/ICCA judge, as well as a certified judge for other vocal events. She is a workshop teacher, master clinician, writer, designer, social media manager (www.amymalkoff.com), and a singer/songwriter and studio musician (www.amymalkoffmusic.com). She currently runs and manages the New Hampshire-based performance venue, Club Sandwich (Sandwich, N.H.), where celebrity John Davidson performs on weekends, along with a lineup of nationally known artists on Thursdays. She was a founding member of the groups All About Buford and Deadline Poet and has appeared onstage and in the studio with acts such as Wayne Brady, Jonathan Brooke, The Persuasions, Ellis Paul, Vance Gilbert, GrooveLily, Patty Griffin, and Dar Williams. She has a degree in music from Kenyon College, with music studies at Youngstown State University and master’s-level coursework at the New England Conservatory of Music. Amy's music has appeared on both the Rounder Records and Hear Music/Starbucks labels. @amalkoff 

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 20th 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 over 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. 

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank Mechanics Hall and their incredible staff, the City of Worcester, Pitch, Please!, Jill Clark and Tyler Nordin, Clarus Productions, Jason Tucker, and Melanie Rainone for all of their hard work; 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