2025 ICHSA South Quarterfinal @ University of Tennessee Knoxville

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 SOUTH QUARTERFINAL

University of Tennessee Knoxville
Friday, February 7th, 2025

WE'RE SOCIAL

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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

B-Side A Cappella from Bearden High School strives to be a community of excellent musicians, leaders, and friends. They take pride in the bulldog mentality, with sharp focus and dedication to improving their craft. Under the guidance of a cappella director David Buchanan and firector of choirs Steven Brown, B-Side promises to bring a performance that is off the chain!

Crescenloe is an entirely student-run a cappella group from Enloe High School in Raleigh, N.C. Originally founded in 2015 by Nyla Smith, Crescenloe works hard to follow the five pillars of “CRESC”: Collaboration, Respect, Enthusiasm, Slayocity, and Communication. Crescenloe is a two-time ICHSA Quarterfinal Champion and three-time ICHSA Semifinalist. Their focus is on making music they love with people they love!

Devils Chord is one of three contemporary a cappella groups from Lebanon High School in Lebanon, Tenn. Their name combines music with their school mascot, the Blue Devils. Founded in 2018 by director Brenna Provence, this group rehearses once a week after school. Membership in the group lasts for one year and everyone re-auditions each fall. Devils Chord keeps busy with community performances and events, MTVA, and other performance festivals. This year, the group has a student music director assisting in repertoire selection, as well as student choreographers. This year marks their ICHSA debut!

Frequency is a close-knit and talented a cappella group from Western Alamance High School. The group was founded in fall 2022 and began competing in ICHSA the following year. Frequency has been featured in many concerts, showcases around their school and middle school, and events throughout the Alamance community. The members of Frequency are very unique but all share a passion for singing music and performing!

Overtone is a 16-member group from Dobyns-Bennett High School in Kingsport, Tenn. Overtone has been blessed to make several appearances at Varsity Vocals competitions since starting up in fall 2021. They competed at ICHSA Quarterfinals and Semifinals in 2022 and performed as the guest act for deliberations at ICCA South Quarterfinals in 2022, 2023, and 2024! In November 2023, they were chosen to sing backup vocals for Foreigner when they were on tour in East Tennessee. Overtone members love hanging out together, whether they’re going on Goodwill runs, having pool parties, or grabbing an after-concert meal somewhere! Most of all, they love singing together and hope you enjoy hearing them tonight!

The Patatonics is the contemporary a cappella group from White House Heritage High School in White House, Tenn. This dedicated ensemble of 16 talented performers has earned a stellar reputation within the school’s music program, as well as the entire student body and their close-knit community. Since kicking off rehearsals in August, their hard work and passion have shone through every performance. They’re always striving for new heights, eagerly tackling challenges as they refine their set, entitled “The Courage to Change.” Beyond the ICHSA, you can catch them performing at local events and around school, spreading joy through their music. The Patatonics can't wait to showcase their energetic set on the vibrant Knoxville stage!

Sonic Edge is the award-winning contemporary a cappella group from the Cobb County Center of Excellence In The Performing Arts at Pebblebrook High School. This 17-member group sings a variety of music, from pop to musical theatre. They are proud to hold the title of 2024 ICHSA Champions.

Tonal Spectrum from Crest High School is the only a cappella group in Shelby, N.C. Representing grades nine through 12, group members’ other interests range from FFA to color guard to medical services. They try to work on a diverse repertoire each year, from pop a cappella to chamber music. Tonal Spectrum has participated in ICHSA many times, most notably making it all the way to Finals in 2015 and more recently to Semifiinals in 2023.

Tonality is Union County Early College's a cappella group. Formed in 2012, they competed in the 2017 and 2018 ICHSA seasons. Like many groups, their music program was impacted by Covid-19 and the group has been slowly rebuilding since they were able to return. Tonality members enjoy singing together and are happy to be performing again with other groups.

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Brad Maffett is the conductor of the Athens Symphony. He previously performed with the Athens Symphony Chorus and continues to serve as a rehearsal assistant. Brad conducts band and choir at Franklin County Middle School and has previously conducted for “Musica Fraterna” of the Atlanta Children’s Choir, Local Vocals, and B Natural. He has written arrangements for over 80 a cappella groups. Brad has been involved in all aspects of music, from serving as a singing waiter to playing tuba in a polka band. When he isn’t making music, he can be found cooking barbecue in competitions throughout the Southeast.

McKinley Merritt, a UTK theatre alumni and Nashville native, began studying music and theatre throughout high school, performing often and interning in Nashville. Starting college in 2011, she auditioned for choirs and followed a friend to auditions for UTK's all-female a cappella group, ReVOLution. This was the start of her a cappella journey. After years of performing and learning to arrange and lead, she began to notice a need for a co-ed group on UTK's campus. She founded and created VOLT in 2015, leading with full creative control and an emphasis on storytelling in every performance. Her arrangements and direction led the group to multiple successful invitationals and tournament seasons, notably winning Outstanding Choreography at ICCA and personally winning the solo performance award at Boston Sings (BOSS). She continues to arrange, perform in local theatre, and leads East Tennessee's favorite ‘90s cover band, Teen Spirit.

Caitlin Nelson is a New York City-based actress, vocalist, events professional, and cheese aficionado. Originally from Tallahassee, Fla., she attended Florida State University, where she majored in music and sang with All Night Yahtzee. Since graduating, she has served as music director for Boston's The 508s, founder and music director for Seattle’s Shot in the Dark, and music director of Empire A Cappella. She currently directs, arranges for, and performs with the six-person vocal band, Concrete, and is a member of the Founder's Board for the Contemporary A Cappella League (CAL). Caitlin has earned awards for her choreography and arranging and is featured on Voices Only 2009 as the soloist for All Night Yahtzee's “Missing the War” by Ben Folds.

Jared Sanchez started singing in high school, leading his choir and attending All East. He has a B.A. in theater from the University of Tennessee, where he co-music directed and arranged for his college a cappella group, VOLT. During his time in the group, Jared and VOLT made the most of their five years, attending as many competitive and educational festivals and a cappella experiences as they could, including ICCA, SoJam, BOSS, and Next Level Arranging. As of 2023, Jared remains active in music and the arts and even has received the resounding title of Mr. Knoxville Idol 2022. Jared wishes each group the best of luck and is excited to be on this evening’s panel.

Amy Whitcomb has been in love with music since she began piano lessons at the young age of 3. After graduating with a degree in commercial music studies, Amy released two EPs with her rock band, The Whits. She appeared on NBC’s “The Sing-Off" with the a cappella groups Noteworthy and Delilah, with whom she has toured internationally in Asia and Europe. In 2013, Amy was on NBC’s “The Voice,” released her first solo single, and toured with other artists from the show’s top 32. After touring with Deke Sharon’s Vocalosity from 2015-2017, Amy found herself back in Utah from 2018-2021, where she served as artistic director of BYU Noteworthy. She continues to contribute to high school and collegiate a cappella groups, directs and produces projects for Rise Up Children’s Choir, and art directs the advanced girls’ choir, Lumina. Amy is the music director for Lagoon Entertainment and is involved in various studio and stage projects. She currently teaches private voice lessons and produces and releases several accessible, affordable tools for vocalists to solidify vocal technique, better understand vocal health, and train more efficiently!

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 three placing groups at this event will advance to the 2025 ICHSA South 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!

VIEW ALBUMS

#ICHSA