2025 ICCA Central Quarterfinal @ Monroe Community College

DEAR FRIENDS,

Welcome to Varsity Vocals’ 30th season! After more than a quarter century of presenting the best student groups on the stage and in the studio, our enthusiasm for the art of a cappella is greater than ever.

Our tournaments have grown from a handful of events to the massive showcase they are today, currently featuring more than 730 groups and around 12,000 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 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 from other groups.

We have seen a cappella make great strides from where it began on our stage 30 years ago and can’t wait to see how our 2026 competitors continue to 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

ICCA CENTRAL QUARTERFINAL

Monroe Community College
Saturday, February 14th, 2026

WE'RE SOCIAL

We're talking about this event, and all of our events around the world!

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@varsityvocals

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 college tournament, now in it's 30th year, 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 25th.

The high school tournament is now in its 21st 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 24th.

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 10 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

Bringing the tropical vibes to frozen Rochester since 1999, The RIT Brick City Singers (lovingly referred to as BCS) defy borders, mix genres, and push limits onstage with performances that leave everyone wanting more. With a broad repertoire, wacky antics, amusing skits, and just a bit of class, BCS is a force to be reckoned with. They are known for their creativity on and off stage, bringing a new sound to classics, as well as top 40 jams. They wear Hawaiian shirts and look totally handsome doing it! In addition to their traditional repertoire, The Brick City Singers made it to the 2021 ICCA Central Semifinals with their cover of "Eventually" by Tame Impala (now available for streaming), and placed 3rd in Quarterfinals the following year. Their 2022 ICCA set is featured on their most recent EP, Purple Lights!

The Caledonias (est. 2002), is Queen’s University’s oldest and only all-treble a cappella group, hailing from Kingston, Ontario. Also known as The Callies, this group is active in their community and on campus, partnering with local musicians and charities, with a focus on issues surrounding gender inequality. For the past two years, The Caledonias have collaborated with Canadian Folk Music Awards nominee Aruna Anotella Handa in her “Have You Seen My Sister” song suite performances, honoring regional women, girls, and gender-diverse people in eastern Ontario who were killed from gender-based or intimate-partner violence. In addition to community activism, the group enjoys competing at their annual home competition hosted by The Queen’s A Cappella Association, the largest collegiate a cappella competition in Canada. They placed 1st for three of the competition’s nine years, most recently in 2024. In May 2025, they made their competitive debut outside of Queen’s at the first-ever Sing! Canadian A Cappella Championships, where they placed in the Top 4 at Finals in Toronto. The Callies are extremely excited for their very first ICCA and hope to showcase the best Queen’s has to offer!

Founded in 1998, Call4Backup is an all-gender treble a cappella group at Nazareth University. An entirely student-led group, they create all of their own arrangements and choreography. They previously competed in the 2024 ICCA and they’re excited to be back!

Dynamic Intonation is SUNY Fredonia's only competitive a cappella group. This all-voice, jazz-pop ensemble includes 20 musicians, with majors ranging from theatre to math. DI has performed at the ICCA for the past three years, most recently taking 1st place at their 2025 ICCA Central Quarterfinal and going on to place 4th at Semifinals. They have been making sweet, sweet butter since 2012 and can't wait to do it again this year! @di_fredonia

Encore is an all-female a cappella group that brings a powerful blend of vocal talent, creativity, and passion to the stage. With a diverse repertoire that spans across genres, Encore proves that music needs no instruments to make an impact. With every performance, they prove that Encore is more than just a name, but an experience that keeps you coming back for more.

Hawkapella is the first of two a cappella groups at Wilfrid Laurier University. Established in 2010, this close-knit group represents various majors, but all of them share a passion for singing and performing a cappella music. They perform a wide variety of genres, including rock, pop, and R&B. They have performed in the past two ICCA seasons, and were honoured to win 1st place at the Queen’s University A Cappella Competition in 2023. Beyond competitions, Hawkapella participates in local events, such as caroling at Hudson’s Bay and singing the national anthem at Laurier football games. In 2017, they were contacted by Cineplex to film a pre-show for the release of “Pitch Perfect 3,” which was shown in theatres across Canada that December. Whether through their concerts or personalized singing grams, Hawkapella proudly shares the joy of a cappella throughout the Laurier community.

The Tributones are excited to be back at ICCA again this year. Founded in 2009, this group continues to wow audiences at MCC and beyond with their diverse repertoire and musicality. Composed of a wide variety of majors, the group is excited to perform their 2026 set, featuring classic and more recent hits.

Vocal Accent is the latest gender-inclusive soprano-alto a cappella group at Rochester Institute of Technology! A diverse group of talented young singers, Vocal Accent delves deep into the realm of a cappella with a repertoire of strong, empowering, and emotionally charged music. Rooted in rock and soul with modern pop highlights, this group is establishing itself as a company of serious musicians working to build upon the modern a cappella movement. These captivating singers are a joy to watch, they infuse their music with heart and continue to break the boundaries of contemporary music. In 2023, Vocal Accent participated in the ICCA for the first time in 10 years, winning 3rd place and Outstanding Choreography for their entire set!

Vocal Point is the University of Rochester's historically female, gender-inclusive a cappella group. Founded in 1969 as a women's ensemble of 12, the group has transformed over five decades to the contemporary a cappella group it is today. Over the years, Vocal Point has performed all across North America, in cities such as Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, the Metropolitan Club in New York City, and more. The group placed 1st Runner-Up at the ICCA Central Quarterfinals in both 2016 and 2019. In 2024, they took 1st place in the ICCA Central Quarterfinals, along with special awards for Outstanding Vocal Percussion and Outstanding Choreography. Vocal Point released their newest album, Wait For Me, in 2023 and a new single, "Cooler Than Me," in 2025, both available on all streaming platforms. For more information, visit urvocalpoint.com!

Founded in 1956, The University of Rochester Yellowjackets is an auditioned all-male a cappella group, dedicated to sharing music with their campus and surrounding community. The undergraduate group features members with diverse backgrounds and academic pursuits, united in their love for singing. The Yellowjackets value maintaining a strong brotherhood and are proud of their ever-strengthening alumni network. The YellowJackets placed 1st at ICCA Central Quarterfinals in 2022 and 3rd in 2025, and they hope to make it all the way to Finals this year!

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Allison Cranmer is a graduate of the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam with degrees in music education and mathematics. While at Potsdam, Allison music directed and arranged for A Sharp Arrangement, the only all-treble group on campus. As the music director, she led the Sharps to their first-ever ICCA Semifinal, toured around New York State, and recorded several different projects. Currently, Allison is the vocal and general music teacher at Palmyra-Macedon Middle School. She shares her love of a cappella with her students by listening, arranging, and performing a cappella music with them daily.

Bryce Davis is a performer and arts administrator based in Rochester, N.Y. His love for a cappella was ignited in high school by a grainy YouTube video of Rockapella performing "Sixteen Tons," and he never looked back. Bryce studied music theory and history at the University of Rochester, where he sang bass in the Midnight Ramblers and served as creative director of their three-time CARA-winning 2021 release, Things That You Say. He has also performed and directed with ROC Players Musical Theatre and Wellsville High School's WAVE. He currently serves as the Director of Institutional Partnerships of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.

John R. Starr is the former music director and vocal percussionist of The Songburghs, a co-ed a cappella group from the University of Pittsburgh. He led his group to three back-to-back ICCA Semifinals appearances from 2018 through 2020 and holds an Outstanding Vocal Percussion award for their entire 2019 set. His a cappella arranging work can be found on their first two EPs, Forward and Orbit, and he has frequently arranged and edited arrangements for other collegiate groups. John is a classically trained pianist and has arranged music for jazz bands, choral groups, small orchestras, in addition to a cappella groups.

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank Bryce McCracken, Chelsea Perticone, The Midnight Ramblers, Brandon, Radiant Sound, RDX, Rollo Fisher, and Monroe Community College; 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 Witham
Producer, ICCA United Kingdom

Rebecca Williamson
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

Angelina Corbin
Associate Producer
ICCA & ICHSA South

Sara Yood
Senior Producer, ICCA & ICHSA Finals

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

McKinley Thoreson
Associate Producer
ICHSA Great Lakes

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 2026 ICCA Central 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

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