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 WEST SEMIFINAL

El Segundo High School
Saturday, March 8th, 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

Free to Breathe was formed in 2008 after attending ICHSA Finals as audience members and has been active ever since! FTB has performed throughout the nation, at venues including Disneyland, Carnegie Hall, and the 2019 ICHSA Finals in New York City. 

Soundscape is an a cappella group from West Salem High School that focuses on contemporary music. They gained recognition by placing in the top three at ICHSA Quarterfinals during their first two years of competing, as well as winning the Rose City Sing-Off for two consecutive years. The group performs a range of songs which showcase their vocal harmonies. Their shared commitment to music and teamwork gives each member a strong sense of community. As they continue to grow, Soundscape aims to push their creative boundaries and inspire audiences. 

Sound Check is Oregon City High School’s premier vocal ensemble. The group is composed of 19 friends who love making music together. In the past eight years since its creation, Sound Check has been developing their sound and presence in the community. Sound Check has three albums available on iTunes and other music platforms such as Spotify, Amazon, and GooglePlay. Their newest album, Ignite, has reached people across the world! In addition to recording, Sound Check loves creating music videos for the Oregon City High School Choir YouTube channel. This Sound Check’s first year performing in the ICHSA and they are very happy to be included! 

From the award-winning Calabasas High School Music Program, Unstrumental is a mixed-voice a cappella ensemble known for its powerhouse vocals and dynamic stage performances. Founded 24 years ago, the group is made up of dedicated singers who strive to develop their voices and performance skills, all while forming a tight-knit ensemble of musicians who truly love and support one another. Committed to artistic growth, Unstrumental works hard to hone their craft through every captivating performance. 

Abbe Road A Capella is a 16-member a cappella group from Santa Susana High School in Simi Valley, Calif. Abbe Road is excited to return to ICHSA after competing in 2018 and 2023. Throughout the year, they participate in festivals and competitions such as the Los Angeles A Cappella Festival (LAAF), Verdugo Hills Vocal Festival, and other jazz festivals. They primarily perform pop music, but enjoy experimenting their sound with different genres, like jazz, musical theatre, and choral pieces. The group’s name refers to The Beatles’ album, Abbey Road, but the spelling reference’s their director's last name, “Abbe.” Abbe Road is eager to show the ICHSA what they have to offer! 

Neo Chromatics is a select group of singers from John Burroughs High School directed by Hannah Abrahim. They rehearse after school once a week and proudly represent their school at many performances throughout Southern California. The choral program at John Burroughs High School, under the direction of Brendan Jennings, is nationally recognized for its excellence in the field of show choir and has won numerous local and national championships. The students of Neo Chromatics are all members of Powerhouse, the school’s top choir. Founded as a vocal jazz ensemble in the 1980s, Neo Chromatics began transitioning to more contemporary a cappella repertoire around the turn of the millennium. In 2006, Jennings, a JBHS alum and four-year member, became the new choral director. As a co-founder of USC’s Reverse Osmosis, he brought a cappella experience, new ideas, and a series of ‘SC alums to help shepherd the group into a new era. With a group history of over 30 years, Neo Chromatics is excited to be a part of the a cappella community. Follow them on Instagram @neochromatics or look them up for tickets to shows www.jbhsvma.com 

Wolf PACappella is Pacifica Christian High School's premier all-gender a cappella group! Founded in 2019, Wolf PACappella has created a safe environment for aspiring young singers, songwriters, and arrangers to thrive while developing lifelong friendships, deepening their relationships with God, and, of course, building their love of music. As much as they love to sing, Wolf PACappella’s mission is, first and foremost, to have fun! 

MST Music Academy's MYST A Cappella is a determined group that is fired up and ready to head into their third year competing in the ICHSA. They are proud of their successful 2024 showing, placing 2nd at their Quarterfinal and 3rd at West Semifinals. These talented young performers have grown up with backgrounds in performance art and share a profound love of music. MYST members are grateful everyday for the opportunity to perform a cappella. 

Established in 2015, Pinewood Take Note is a contemporary a cappella group from Pinewood School Upper Campus in sunny Los Altos Hills, Calif., directed by Katie Linza. They love singing all kinds of music, but specialize in jazz-influenced reimaginings of current pop hits and classic standards. They have had amazing opportunities to work with some of the great jazz and a cappella vocalists and ensembles singing today, including säje, Amanda Taylor, Ben Bram, Alvin Chea (of Take 6), Accent, and Lisa Forkish. They are always looking to expand their musical horizons and learn from the best. Since 2019, Take Note has studio recorded and released singles and EPs to all major music streaming services.

Since beginning as a club in 2011, OC Voices has represented Oaks Christian High School in the local community and abroad. OC Voices has competed over five times in the ICHSA and has been a Finalist in the LAAF. Many current members of OC Voices are part of the Oaks Christian Institute of Arts and Innovation Vocal Performance Track. This group is about musical excellence, commitment, storytelling, and family. Sometimes they laugh more than they sing, because having fun while making music is what this group loves to do.

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Aaron Bayne is an alumnus of Towson University and Berklee College of Music and holds a master’s degree in music business. He is the award-winning beatboxer of two-time ICCA Finalists turned professional group, The Trills (@thetrills). Over the last few years, The Trills accumulated over 4 million followers across social media platforms, with 45 million views on YouTube and over 350 million views on TikTok. The group’s social media presence has led to partnerships with several global brands, a feature on “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” an opening performance for SZA, Straight No Chaser, and Voiceplay, halftime performances for The Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs, headlining shows at Vidcon 2022 and 2023, and collaborations with acts like Drew Scott, Quinn XCII, and Tim McGraw. After relocating to the Los Angeles area in 2024, Aaron is excited to return as a Varsity Vocals judge this season and wishes luck to all the competing groups. 

Taylor DiBernardo is a singer and teacher in Los Angeles. She graduated from UCLA, where she sang with the award-winning a cappella group, The ScatterTones. During this time, she performed at prestigious venues nationwide, including the White House, the Hollywood Bowl, and the ICCA Finals in New York. Since graduating from UCLA, she worked as a counselor at A Cappella Academy and currently teaches high school English in Manhattan Beach, Calif. 

Felicia François (she/they) fell in love with a cappella when she became a member of The UNCG Sapphires. After serving as director of that group, she graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with bachelor’s degrees in vocal performance and choral music education. They worked as a chorus teacher and private voice teacher for four years and then went on to receive a master's degree in speech-language pathology from Boston University. Felicia is now working as a speech-language pathologist with a specialty in voice rehabilitation and gender-affirming voice at the USC Voice Center. She is thrilled to be an ICCA judge once again and wishes the best to all those competing! 

Nina Kasuya is a performer and educator based in Los Angeles. Nina has been a featured educator at Boston Sings A Cappella Festival (BOSS), Milwaukapella, LAAF, and the SheSings/WeSing Vocal Festival, teaching a range of classes, including 1:1 coaching, group masterclasses, choreography, and movement, as well as inclusion-based discussion forums for young artists. After a decade of running the musical theatre program at an LAUSD middle school, she currently works with students at Icon Collective College of Music and in her private studio. Recent performing credits include "The Diary of Anne Frank" (Mrs. Van Daan), "Pacific Overtures" (Dutch Admiral), "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair De Lune" (Frankie), "The L Word: Generation Q," "The Good Doctor," "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," and singing for artists including Teddy Swims, CeCe Winans, and Brandon Victor Dixon. 

Holding a master’s degree in voice from the California Institute of the Arts, Jim Raycroft has performed all over North America and Europe. He is a 40-year member of the Los Angeles Master Chorale and sang with the Los Angeles Opera for 12 years. He can be heard on movie soundtracks including “Home Alone,” “Hook,” “Jurassic Park,” “A.I.,” “Mars Attacks,” “Waterworld,” “XXX,” “Lady In The Water,” “Godzilla,” “Willow,” and “Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker,” and appeared as a singing pirate in the opening scene of “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.” He has appeared on the Grammys, in numerous TV shows including the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” and has sung for the President of the United States and the late Queen of England. He founded The Singers Elite Vocal Big Band, sang for five years with Disneyland’s barbershop quartet, The Dapper Dans, spent Christmas of 1983 with Disneyland’s Dickens Carolers, recorded with the Roger Wagner Chorale, and participated in a Grammy-winning recording in 2021. He recorded music for Disneyland Paris and is involved with a company called Musicals Lost and Found that records old, forgotten musicals. He appeared in Fatboy Slim’s music video “Rockafeller Skank,” and provides singers for the international wine-tasting club Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin. He founded and sings with the vocal jazz group Pacific Swingline and the barbershop quartet The Nickelodeon. Jim is a published arranger and orchestrator, the choral director for the Los Angeles Lawyers Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, and has prepared choruses for the Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra and the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra. His singer referral service, Singers Elite, has provided vocal entertainment to Southern California audiences for over 30 years. In 2002, he founded the annual “Choral Taste of Los Angeles,” a reading session of choral music by L.A. composers. Jim is the Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church of Encino. 

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank the team at El Segundo Performing Arts Center and El Segundo High School, Scott Werve and Lorena Hernandez; sound engineer, Jeff Eames; photographer, Jake Young (jakeyoungphotography.com); guest performers and emcees, LOCKED (@lockedvox); our volunteers, Seth Fetro and students from El Segundo 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 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