2025 ICCA Great Lakes Quarterfinal @ Illinois State University

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 GREAT LAKES QUARTERFINAL

Illinois State University
Saturday, February 28th, 2026

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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 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

The Acafellaz is the premier all-bass a capella group on Illinois State University’s campus. Founded in 1999, The Acafellaz have been a staple of ISU’s community for over 25 years, performing various genres of music, including pop, R&B, and hip-hop. They pride themselves on their tight harmonies, high energy, and amazing blend. The group has proudly represented Illinois State University on the ICCA stage for several years. Outside of competition season, The Acafellaz perform at gigs and shows across campus and around Bloomington-Normal. From private performances to concert venues, they always aim to make their audience smile. Known across campus for their brotherhood, artistry, and fun, The Acafellaz aim to push the boundaries of a cappella, one note at a time

Clef Hangers is the first mixed vocal a cappella group at Illinois State University, founded in August 2008 by a small group of ambitious students who shared a passion for a cappella music. In the years since, the group’s members have shaped Clef Hangers into the ensemble it is today. Open to all majors, the group typically includes about three to five voices on each part (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass/baritone), plus a beatboxer. They hold auditions each semester and rehearse three days a week for two hours. These rehearsals are crucial meeting times for the Clef Hangers to reconnect and nurture their sound and musicality, primarily led by the music director. The group makes performance decisions, including repertoire selection, through collective input each semester, representing the group members' wide range of musical interests and backgrounds. All of their music is arranged by current or former members of the Clef Hanger family. They perform all over campus throughout the semester and hold free concerts for the university and community.

The Harmelodics is Northern Illinois University’s student-run all-treble a cappella group from Dekalb, Ill.! They have been competing on the ICCA stage since 2016 and are thrilled to celebrate their 10-year ICCA anniversary! In past seasons, The Harmelodics have earned top placements at the ICCA Great Lakes Quarterfinals and won special awards, including Outstanding Soloist and Outstanding Arrangement. On campus, they host their own concerts and sing at community events. The Harmelodics also value friendship and love spending time together and connecting through their beautiful music.

No Comment is a 15-member, all-gender a cappella group from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. This group of friends share a passion for music and performance. NoCo has been wowing audiences for two decades, most notably advancing to the 2024 ICCA Finals in New York City and winning 1st at the Boston Sings (BOSS) scholastic competition last year! Also in 2025, NoCo found success outside of the box when they placed 2nd at the Reser’s Fine Foods 75th anniversary jingle-writing competition. With new projects and releases on the horizon, NoCo is sure to leave you wanting more!

No Strings Attached is the premier, competitive, all-gender a cappella group at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Founded in 1994 as a jazz-focused ensemble, NSA unites passionate and versatile student musicians to deliver innovative performances that light up stages across the Midwest. Though their current repertoire spans a diverse mix of genres and styles, the group still honors their jazz roots in arrangements and performances. No Strings performs at events throughout the year, notably hosting Acatoberfest, UIUC’s biggest annual a cappella showcase, featuring all nine groups on campus! In 2024, NSA released their debut studio album, Totality, on all streaming platforms, followed by their latest single, “Abstract (Psychopomp)” in August 2025, and they have more projects in the works! A regular presence in the ICCA, NSA was proud to earn 3rd place at the ICCA Great Lakes Quarterfinals in both 2022 and 2024, and they are thrilled to compete in another unforgettable ICCA season.

On the Brink of Normal is one of two Illinois State University mixed a cappella groups! The group loves to sing a wide array of genres, such as pop, jazz, and alternative. Founded in 2011, On the Brink of Normal has been an active ICCA participant for many years and loves the opportunity to compete and enjoy performances from other groups! All of their music is selected by current members and many of them are active in the arranging process, embracing the chance to let their creativity shine, often collaborating on pieces. In addition to being musicians and collaborators, On the Brink of Normal members are close-knit friends who enjoy hanging out together outside of rehearsal. They look forward to competing this year and wish everyone luck!

Public Hearing is UW-Milwaukee's only competitive a cappella group. They aim to provide an extracurricular musical opportunity for students from all majors. This audition-based, gender-inclusive, group is completely student led, with all choreography and about a third of their arrangements designed by group members. They sing many genres of music, such as pop, jazz, R&B, alternative, and rock. Founded in March 2022, Public Hearing took 1st place at their very first ICCA Quarterfinal in 2023 and advanced to Great Lakes Semifinals, becoming the first first-year group in over a decade to win their Quarterfinal. They have competed every year since, taking 3rd place, Outstanding Soloist, and Outstanding Arrangement at Quarterfinals in 2024. In 2025, they took 2nd at Quarterfinals, progressing to their second ICCA Semifinal, where they won Outstanding Vocal Percussionist. Public Hearing has also competed in Acapocalypse, winning 1st place and Best Soloist in 2024, and winning Best Vocal Percussion and Best Soloist in 2025. Aside from competitions, Public Hearing loves to gig around Wisconsin and the Milwaukee area. They are thankful for the support from their friends, family, and Milwaukee community, and are thrilled to be back for the 2026 ICCA season.

The Illinois Rip Chords is the only competitive treble a cappella group at the University of Illinois. The Rips was established in 1992 as a small group of five and has grown over the years to include about 16 members. The Rips love entertaining audiences with their powerhouse sound and they are known for their creative choreography and consistent blend. They perform at fall and spring concerts and compete annually in the ICCA. In 2016, The Rip Chords placed 1st in their Quarterfinal and advanced to Great Lakes Semifinals, and in 2021, The Rips placed 3rd in Quarterfinals with their music video for “Shut Up and Drive.” Additionally, The Rip Chords have released three studio albums and several singles on streaming platforms, amassing over 100,000 streams on Spotify.

Secondary Dominance is Illinois State University's premier treble a cappella group, established in 2004. They have competed in ICCA for the past three consecutive years and earned 2nd place in the 2018 ICCA Great Lakes Quarterfinal! They adore making music together and every opportunity to showcase their work!

Hailing from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, The Xtension Chords is a competitive all-male a cappella group, composed of 15 amazingly handsome young gentlemen. Founded in 1992, The Xtension Chords have since released 10 studio albums and two EPs, performed across the country, and built a long history of competing in the ICCA. Most recently, The Xtension Chords placed 3rd at the 2025 Great Lakes Quarterfinal, and released their full competition set, titled “Lost in the Wind,” on streaming platforms. The group is known for their energetic stage presence, lively personalities, and strong sense of brotherhood, both among themselves and their bond with the greater a cappella community. A regular presence across the Midwest at charity events, festivals, concerts, celebrations, and more, The Xtension Chords continue to uphold their legacy as one of UIUC’s premier competitive a cappella ensembles.

GUEST PERFORMER

The Improv Mafia is a comedy improv group that has been performing shows and bringing laughter to the ISU campus since 1990. Everything they perform is made up on the spot with scene suggestions from the audience. They hold performances every Tuesday night at 8 p.m. in CVA 145, where everyone is welcome to sit back and enjoy a (free!) night of comedy. Improv Mafia can be found on Instagram at @improvmafia.

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Cooper Burton (he/him) is a lifelong musician and a cappella enthusiast. A former member of the Ohio All-State Choir, he has over 15 years of experience in the choral and performing arts. In college, he served as president of Michigan State University’s Capital Green, with whom he advanced to two ICCA Great Lakes Semifinals, recorded and produced two EPs, and helped arrange and choreograph multiple award-winning performances. In addition to serving as an adjudicator for Varsity Vocals, Cooper continues to workshop and advise a cappella performances, including Capital Green’s eight-time award-winning and A Cappella Video Award (AVA)-nominated 2024 ICCA Finals set.

Sague Molina is a second-year grad student studying choral conducting at Western Illinois University. He is a singer, teacher, and arranger, born and raised in Arizona. Before coming to the Midwest, Sague graduated from Northern Arizona University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in music education. Soon after, he began teaching in urban Phoenix, where he directed the choral and music technology programs. Sague continues to sing with many choral, vocal jazz, and a cappella ensembles, as well as opera and oratorio, and is the director of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra Chorus.

Lynn Sill has over a decade of a cappella experience. In high school, she performed with Vocal Point from Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau High School, advancing all the way to ICHSA Finals twice and finishing as high as 3rd place. In college, she arranged and performed with Under-A-Rest at University of Wisconsin, competing in ICCA while fostering her art as a competitive beatboxer. She continues to hone her craft by training and workshopping with a cappella groups around the country.

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank Illinois State Center for Performing Arts, Nick Benson, Colette Reckamp, Improv Mafia, Rajeev Sigamoney, Sarah Baldwin, Mia Petillo, Maggie Heil, and Joseph Aquino; 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 Great Lakes 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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