2026 ICHSA Great Lakes Quarterfinal @ Lakeville South High School

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

ICHSA GREAT LAKES QUARTERFINAL

Lakeville South High School
Saturday, February 21st, 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 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.

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.

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 AHS Accidentals is a 17-member, auditioned, a cappella vocal group all the way from Arcadia High School, a small school district in Wisconsin. Their high school has under 400 students. Ranging from freshmen through seniors, The Accidentals has become a close-knit family. Directed by Pam Siewert, the group shares a powerful bond. Even though they are all involved in several different extracurricular activities, they come together to celebrate their love for music and harmonize as one! They are called The Accidentals because they always look SHARP, their singing is a NATURAL talent, and their personalities are never FLAT.

The Southwest Christian High School Accidentals is a small student-led group which has competed at the ICHSA Quarterfinals for seven years and once at the Semifinals. The group ranges between 10 and 15 members and loves to sing jazz, pop and gospel music. The group members hold diverse interests, including lacrosse, dance, football, saxophone, music-arranging, acting, and volleyball.

Lakeville South Encore is a high-energy a cappella group, known for its bold sound, tight harmonies, and creative performances. Encore has competed in the ICHSA for seven years, earning 3rd place finishes at their Great Lakes Quarterfinals in 2020 and 2024 and winning the 1st place title in 2025, advancing on to the 2025 Great Lakes Semifinal. They were also the SingStrong NYC Runner-Up in 2020 and Second Runner-Up Grand Champion in 2025, earning Judges’ Choice for Best Choreography. Their music video of “The Pretender” (opb. Foo Fighters) was nominated for 2025 Best Rock Video at the A Cappella Video Awards (AVAs). You can check out their latest single, “Bye Bye Bye” (opb. NSYNC), on Spotify and Apple Music.

Knight Club is Oak Creek High School's premier mixed-voice a cappella group. They have been heavily involved in the high school a cappella scene since 2014. During that span of time, they have participated in ICHSA every year, including the year that it was a virtual competition. They have been fortunate to advance to ICHSA Great Lakes Semifinals and ICHSA Finals on multiple occasions. Knight Club enjoys hosting a cappella workshops and concerts, like OCAP (Oak Creek A Cappella Party) and AC in the OC (a cappella in Oak Creek). They have been featured on BOHSA compilations, and have a growing catalog of songs available on various streaming services. Knight Club prides itself on creating powerful performances that tell their stories. You can follow Knight Club on Instagram @ochsknightclub

Jordan High School's Noteworthy is a mixed ensemble of auditioned students, representing grades nine through 12. As an ensemble, their goal is to celebrate and elevate the human voice through performance.

Out of the Blue comes from Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau High School in Galesville, Wis. The influx of students interested in a cappella grew at their school so quickly, that they formed a second group and named it Out of the Blue! OOTB ranges from freshmen to seniors and is no stranger to the ICHSA stage. They have participated in many ICHSA Quarterfinals, notably earning a Runner-Up title in 2019.

Red Knotes is the pride of the Benilde-St. Margaret's music program! The group has grown over time and this current iteration is stronger than ever! With various performances on campus and throughout the community, these singers work hard to improve their musicianship. The Red Knotes are excited to participate in another ICHSA season as part of their performance year!

Hailing from the small, but spirited town of Shell Lake, Wis., Tonal Recall is a mixed contemporary a cappella group that proves big talent can come from the smallest communities. Despite representing one of the smallest schools in the region, Tonal Recall brings powerful vocals, creative arrangements, and energetic performances that rival much larger programs. Formed as part of Shell Lake High School’s growing music department, Tonal Recall has become a source of pride for both the school and the surrounding community. The group members share a deep love for contemporary a cappella and work together to push the boundaries of what’s possible in a small-school setting. With every performance, Tonal Recall showcases their musicianship and teamwork, as well as the heart and determination that define Shell Lake’s students. Whether they’re performing at local events or sharing the stage with some of the top groups in the region, Tonal Recall celebrates the joy of music, the strength of collaboration, and the power of small-town passion.

Vocal Point is an a cappella vocal band based out of Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau High School in Galesville, Wis. Previously dubbed Vocal Jazz, they took a new name in preparation for Interkultur's 2012 World Choir Games in Cincinnati. In 2015, they were invited to take part in the first-ever a cappella festival at Carnegie Hall, hosted by “Pitch Perfect” musical producer Deke Sharon. Over the years, Vocal Point has performed all over the Midwest, opening for nationally touring a cappella groups, such as Six Appeal, Street Corner Symphony, Revoiced, Cantus, Vocalosity, DCappella, and The Exchange, They have performed in some of the biggest venues in the country, such as New York City’s Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Beacon Theatre, and Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre and The Chicago Theatre. They also opened for Gavin DeGraw and Andy Grammar, performing for a crowd of over 50,000 people. Recent ICHSA honors include an appearance at Finals in 2022 and placing at Finals in 2017 and 2018.

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Bobby Buehler has just shy of a decade of experience performing a cappella and even more as a vocal percussionist. He began his a cappella musical journey with Brookfield East High School’s Unaccompanied Minors before matriculating to the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. While there, he performed with 7Days, making it to ICCA Great Lakes Semifinals three times, winning Outstanding Arrangement four times, and Outstanding Vocal Percussion twice. He also won Outstanding Vocal Percussion at Acapocalypse. Bobby is very much looking forward to tonight’s event!

Phoebe Crumpton is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she was a member of Pitches & Notes, the university's upper-voiced competitive a cappella group. A licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP), she has worked on cases with professional vocalists. In addition to practicing as an SLP, Phoebe has also returned to her alma mater as a Ph.D. student studying communication sciences and disorders. Returning to the University of Wisconsin-Madison also brought the opportunity to clinic with her old a cappella group, Pitches & Notes. Recently, she has also had the chance to judge for the Contemporary A cappella Recording Awards (CARAs). After having amazing experiences as a competitor with Pitches, Phoebe is excited and honored to return to the a cappella community as a judge!

Luke Dutelle is an experienced Varsity Vocals judge currently residing in Minneapolis, and he is elated to be back for the 2026 season! Luke studied music education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was a key member of the lower-voiced, competitive (and TikTok-famous!) group, Fundamentally Sound. He served as music director from 2014-2017, guiding the group to three top ICCA Semifinal placements and gaining national recognition as an ICCA and CARA-winning arranger. Though he now has a career as a professional golf instructor, Luke stays engaged in the a cappella community by arranging for high school and collegiate groups across the nation and serving as a masterclass clinician at a cappella festivals.

Borna Riazi is a Wisconsin native and a former ICCA competitor from the Great Lakes region. Currently, Borna is a Ph.D. student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he competed with his undergraduate a cappella group, Fundamentally Sound, as a key member (even moreso than Luke). Borna was rresident of Fundamentally Sound during the 2020-2021 competition season, when they placed 3rd at ICCA Finals. Borna continues to stay involved in the a cappella community, arranging for groups in his area and judging for the AVAs, CARAs, ICHSA, and ICCA. He's delighted to be judging again this year and can't wait to hear what the groups have in store!

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 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 finishing groups at this event will advance to the 2026 ICHSA 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

#ICHSA