2025 ICCA West Quarterfinal @ Downey Theatre

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 WEST QUARTERFINAL

Downey Theatre
Saturday, February 21st, 2026

WE'RE SOCIAL

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

varsityvocals

@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

Acasola is California State University, Northridge’s premier a cappella group. Since its birth in 2006, each generation of the group has built upon the foundation laid by those who came before them. Acasola has appeared on TV shows such as FOX’s “Raising Hope” and ABC’s “Castle,” where they recorded at Capitol Records Studio A with Corbin Bleu. As active members of the contemporary a cappella community, Acasola was featured on BOCA and Voices Only 2020, received the Best Mixed Collegiate Video award at the A Cappella Video Awards (AVAs), won Outstanding Soloist and Outstanding Vocal Percussion at the ICCA, and took 1st place at the Los Angeles A Cappella Festival (LAAF). Recently, Acasola released their debut full-length album, Resolution, a holiday single, “Christmas in L.A.,” and a single and B-side, “Fortress” and “Let’s Fall in Love for the Night,” streaming on all platforms!

In 1992, UCLA's Awaken A Cappella made history as Southern California’s first collegiate co-ed a cappella group! Since then, Awaken has released six studio albums, two of which won awards and were recognized by the Varsity Vocals’ BOCA series. Awaken alumni include Broadway actresses Nicolette Robinson (formerly Jenna in “Waitress”) and Joanna Jones (formerly Peggy Schuyler in “Hamilton”), members of the award-winning group ARORA, and nine-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles. The group shares their love for music by performing at events such as the UCLA Dance Marathon, the LEAP Gala, WOW2023 Mental Health Summit, ICCA, and others, both on and off campus. Awaken has placed 3rd in ICCA West Quarterfinals and has won awards for Outstanding Choreography and Outstanding Vocal Percussion. Known for their passion and storytelling, Awaken delivers powerful and emotionally resonant performances. This diverse ensemble includes talented individuals from all over the world, studying a variety of subjects, ranging from engineering to literature to musical theatre!

The ChapTones is an award-winning, co-ed competitive a cappella group at Chapman University in Orange, Calif. This fun-loving group performs on and off campus throughout the greater SoCal area. Recently, The ChapTones performed alongside the coaches on season 25 of NBC's “The Voice” and opened for Billie Eilish's masterclass at Chapman. As a competitive group, The ChapTones are seven-time ICCA Semifinalists, placing in the top 3 for the past three years and earning awards for Outstanding Choreography, Outstanding Soloist, and Outstanding Vocal Percussion this past year. This close-knit family of talented vocalists hopes to inspire by sharing their art with you!

Cloud 9 A Cappella is UC Santa Cruz's original and longest running a cappella group. This diverse group of students comes together from different backgrounds to create beautiful music. All of their music is arranged (or created) by members of the group and they perform all kinds of musical genres. Despite their status as the oldest group on campus, Cloud 9 loves to have fun together on and offstage. They hope you enjoy their performance as much as they enjoy singing for you.

Pitch, Please! was founded in the winter of 2017 and is a co-ed, competitive a cappella group at UCLA. Their music varies widely, from indie ballads to upbeat experimental pop hits, most of which is arranged by the group’s very own members. Their passion for a cappella has driven them to strive for bigger and better things. In 2019, they competed in ICCA, released a music video, and recorded their debut album, Made To Fly, which was nominated for three Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs)! They went on to win 2nd place at the 2020 West Quarterfinal, along with special awards for Outstanding Arrangement, Outstanding Vocal Percussion, and Outstanding Choreography. They were honored to receive special awards for Outstanding Vocal Percussion and Outstanding Choreography a second time at the 2022 ICCA West Quarterfinals. Pitch, Please! loves sharing their music with others, and plan to continue performing, competing, and releasing music in the future.

Random Voices A Cappella, UCLA’s premier all-treble a cappella group, was founded in 1999 and is the second oldest group on campus. The group is open to female, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming students, and they enjoy singing songs from a variety of genres. Over the past 25 years, Random Voices has been a prominent symbol of sisterhood in the UCLA a cappella community, performing at events such as Ms. Carol Block’s Women in Power and Leadership Luncheon, Spring Sing, UCLA First Thursdays, Chancellor's Welcome, and the LAAF, and hosting the annual California A Cappella Festival. Random Voices recently placed 3rd at the 2024 ICCA West Quarterfinals, following another 3rd placement in 2020. They are so proud of all of the their group’s members, alumni, and UCLA as a whole!

Founded as a quintet in 2012, Resonance has since transformed into one of UCLA's premier all-gender a cappella groups. Their love for music unites students from all fields of study and they pride themselves on high-level performance, competition, and content creation. Above all else, this community of like-minded artists is a true family. Since 2017, Resonance has competed annually in the ICCA, advancing to Semifinals in 2017, 2018, 2020, 2024, and 2025, and all the way to Finals in 2021. Their competitive spirit does not stop there. Over the years, they have qualified for and performed in the LAAF Scholastic Competition and in UCLA’s most competitive talent showcase, Spring Sing. Guided by their passion for performance and community, Resonance is a diverse family of musicians who hope to make a lasting impact with their music.

Simply Vocale is Chapman University’s only all-treble a cappella group. They are a family of loving and inclusive people who share a passion for music. Simply was founded as a way to bring a community of women and gender nonconforming singers together. Simply Vocale's mission is to reclaim what it means to be feminine. This is their third year back competing after taking a hiatus to rebuild. They are excited to show a new side of Simply Vocale after their award-winning set at last year's ICCA Southwest Quarterfinal.

Vocal Percussion Radio (VPR) hails from California State University, Northridge (CSUN). Established in 2008, VPR is a dynamic and passionate a cappella group dedicated to celebrating the power of the human voice. Over the years, the group has become a vibrant part of the CSUN community, offering its members a creative outlet to explore their love for music and share that passion with their community through birthday grams, Valentine’s Day serenades, and spontaneous performances on campus! They create original arrangements for songs representing various musical genres, such as pop, rock, and hip-hop. They hope to showcase their versatility and creativity through musical storytelling and create lifelong memories. VPR proudly represented CSUN in the ICCA in 2011, 2019, 2020, and 2021, they are thrilled to be back after a five-year hiatus.

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

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!

Mateo Gonzales is a vocalist, songwriter, and music educator based in Los Angeles. A recent graduate of the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music, he earned his bachelor's degree in popular music. With a strong background in the a cappella community, Mateo has performed with groups such as Unstrumental (Calabasas High School), Legacy (Rob Dietz), Pitch Slapped (Berklee College of Music), and served as president of The SoCal VoCals (University of Southern California). He is now a coach for Unstrumental and sings with the professional vocal group, LOCKED, known for their lush harmonies and intricate arrangements. @whereismateo @lockedvox

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.

Selame Scarlett hails from Lansing, Mich. and is extremely thankful for this California weather. She is excited to see and hear some great music tonight! This season marks her 10th year judging for Varsity Vocals! As an undergraduate at Michigan State University, she was the music director, arranger, and vocal percussionist for the mixed group, Capital Green. Post-college, she served as the percussionist/vocalist for the CARA-winning treble group, Lady Jaye, and the gospel powerhouse group, Traces, featured on NBC's “The Sing-Off,” In addition, Selame taught for A Cappella Academy, a Los Angeles-based vocal summer camp for young adults (ages 13 to 17), for nearly a decade. She has been fortunate to record alongside groups like Naturally 7, The Boxettes, Pentatonix, Duwende, and Traces of Blue (formerly Afro-Blue). She is a sought-after clinician for high school and collegiate a cappella groups all over the country, leading vocal percussion workshops and individual and group masterclasses. For inquiries, please visit www.mamasahllama.com. Outside of music, Selame is a STEM-inist dedicated to health equity for all. She holds a bachelor's degree in microbiology and molecular genetics, a master's degree in healthcare management, and 20 years of service within the healthcare system. She is the Clinical Manager for the Cardiology Division at UCLA Health and she wants to hear nothing BUT heart tonight!

Parker Wright is a professional tenor and vocal percussionist with over 15 years of experience performing and directing contemporary a cappella. Parker has performed at major theme parks, including Disneyland, Universal Studios, and Six Flags, and has worked extensively in live entertainment and vocal production across Southern California. He is the founder and Executive Director of Totality Entertainment, a Los Angeles–based entertainment company, specializing in live contemporary a cappella and custom entertainment. Through Totality, he produces and directs multiple professional ensembles, including holiday, pop, and specialty performance groups, creating paid performance opportunities for singers, vocal percussionists, and character performers throughout the region. In addition to performing, Parker is deeply involved in artistic direction, casting, rehearsal leadership, show development, audio production, video editing, and vocal arranging. His work focuses on blending modern pop sensibilities with high-level vocal technique, modern rhythm sections, and strong visual presentation. As both a performer and producer, Parker balances his understanding of vocal excellence on stage with behind-the-scenes leadership required to build sustainable professional groups. He is passionate about elevating contemporary a cappella, supporting performers as working artists, and helping the next generation of groups thrive artistically and professionally.

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank tonight's emcee, Aaron Jung; production assistant, Valentyna Simon; audio rental, Auntie M; our volunteers, Angela Cuckler, Juan Cabrera, and Bernadette Dimalanta; and all the staff we've partnered with from the Downey Theatre to make this event happen, especially our sound engineer tonight, William Harper; 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 West 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

#ICCA