2026 ICHSA Great Lakes Quarterfinal @ Lockport 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

Lockport High School
Saturday, March 7th, 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 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 Angelics, Plainfield North High School’s premier treble a cappella group, is an innovative and passionate group of musicians. They seek to push the boundaries of contemporary treble a cappella, using their angelic voices to connect, inspire, and empower others. In their two years of competing in the ICHSA, The Angelics have placed 3rd in the Wildcard round, advanced to two Great Lakes Semifinals, earned a Champion title at Quarterfinals, won three Outstanding Choreography awards, and took additional wins for Outstanding Soloist and Outstanding Vocal Percussion. The group centers collaboration in their process, creating leadership opportunities for different group members through choreography, arranging, song selection, and event planning. They are proud to foster a supportive space for music, celebrating each member’s authenticity and encouraging everyone to share ideas. This connection and sisterhood helps The Angelics’ music transcend the notes on the page. They are thrilled for their third ICHSA and excited to bring top-tier musicality, choreography, and heart.

Business Casual is Amos Alonzo Stagg High School's premier a cappella group, hailing from Palos Hills, Ill. This year marks their fifth ICHSA and they couldn't be more thrilled! With 16 talented and passionate members, Business Casual is constantly growing, learning, and pushing the boundaries of what they can do as a team. They are inspired by all of today’s amazing groups’ talent and dedication and beyond grateful to be part of such a vibrant and supportive community.

Enharmonic Fusion is a mixed a cappella ensemble from DeKalb High School in DeKalb, Ill. Established in 2010, they advanced all the way to ICHSA Finals that first year and repeated that accomplishment in 2012, 2015 and 2016. In 2017, they returned to Finals as ICHSA Midwest Champion and ultimately placed 2nd overall. When they are not rehearsing or performing, they enjoy getting ice-cream and listening to a cappella jams. They also enjoy hearing Mr. Erikson gently remind them to clean up their water bottles and music binders. They would like to thank everyone who helped them prepare for this event, as well as friends and family for their support. Enharmonic Fusion would also like to thank Varsity Vocals for the opportunity to participate and wish the best to tonight’s other contestants!

Gold Nation is the premier a cappella ensemble at Harold L. Richards High School in Oak Lawn, Ill. Founded in 2019, Gold Nation consists of 17 talented and dedicated vocalists, ranging from ninth through 12th grade. The group members represent diverse musical backgrounds and participate in various extracurricular activities, including sports, theatre, speech, and more. Gold Nation hopes that their passion for a cappella music shines through every note of their performance.

Hawkappella is the after-school mixed a cappella group at Bartlett High School! They love to have fun, sing together like a family, and make amazing music. Hawkappella loves performing at ICHSA each year and getting inspired by all the other amazing groups!

MadCap is the one and only a cappella group at Highland Park High School! The name MadCap comes from blending Madrigal and A Cappella, a perfect reflection of this group’s dual personality. In the winter, they bring holiday cheer to the community with traditional caroling around the North Shore, and in the spring, they turn up the energy with vibrant pop a cappella performances. Ranging from freshmen to seniors and featuring some of the finest SATB voices in the school, MadCap is led by director Maria Barnhill. These talented students are dedicated, hardworking, and always eager to take on new challenges. They love performing, harmonizing, and growing together as a team. This year, they’re thrilled to make their debut on the ICHSA stage. Get ready for MadCap’s bold and joyful sound!

Minor Renovation is in its ninth year at Buffalo Grove High School, founded in fall 2017. Minor Renovation is composed of 16 members, ranging from freshmen through seniors. The Minor Renovation singers are very active in their school, participating in athletics, theatre, and many of the 14 vocal ensembles at Buffalo Grove. Minor Renovation is very excited to compete in the 2026 ICHSA season.

The Barrington High School Overtones are in their fifth year of performing and competing. Composed of the top 19 voices from Barrington High School, this group enjoys performing for audiences throughout the community. The Overtones have performed in venues domestically and internationally, including Lincoln Center in New York City.

St. Croix Sound is one of Prescott High School's two a cappella groups. They've participated in three previous ICHSA Quarterfinals and they’re very excited to be back! It's become a group tradition to rent a house for the weekend to run around, play games, talk around a fireplace, and spend time together. The ICHSA is a highlight of their year. St. Croix Sound is incredibly close and includes four aspiring music educators! Most importantly, they are incredibly jovial! Their favorite things include stopping at Starbucks, being as close as possible, and never ever saying goodbye.

Vocal Point is the premier treble a cappella group at Lockport Township High School! Over the past several years, Vocal Point has earned multiple awards for Outstanding Choreography and Outstanding Soloist, and most recently took 4th place at the 2025 ICHSA Finals in New York City. Their rendition of “Desire” was also featured on the 2024 BOHSA album. Vocal Point is beyond excited to share the world they’ve created through their 2026 ICHSA set! Their performance is a journey filled with power, mystery, and reflection. Listen closely as you hear their mesmerizing call from far away.

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.

Samantha Rich began her a cappella journey in a mixed ensemble from Georgia Institute of Technology and never looked back. Since her days arranging, competing (yes, in the ICCA!), and serenading Atlanta audiences with her smoky voice, she spent the last decade performing and recording with various semi-professional groups. After moving from the sunny South to the Midwest, Sam is super excited to judge in the Chicago area and can't wait to hear this season's competitors!

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.

Walter Smart is a dynamic vocalist, arranger, and educator, whose artistry bridges contemporary commercial music, a cappella performance, and professional stage work. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in music with a focus in contemporary commercial music from the University of Wisconsin–Parkside, where he was selected by the music faculty as the department’s nominated recipient for the prestigious Outstanding Graduate award. An accomplished arranger, Walter has created and published numerous a cappella scores, showcasing his distinctive musical voice and technical expertise. His performance accolades span a variety of a cappella workshops and competitions, with a career highlight as a background vocalist for Josh Groban in 2022. Beyond arranging and performance, Walter is a familiar voice in local major sporting arenas as a multi-year national anthem performer for The Milwaukee Bucks.

A native of upstate New York, Erin (Shults) Smith developed her passion for contemporary a cappella as a member of Premium Blend, Ithaca College’s Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (CARA)-winning treble a cappella group. Erin quickly discovered a love for arranging and vocal percussion in college. She received her B.A. in music from Ithaca College in 2010 and went on to obtain her M.A. in arts management at the Florida State University College of Music. Erin served nonprofit organizations and universities in Texas as a fundraising professional for nearly a decade. In 2022, she moved to the Chicagoland region, joining the leadership team of the Northern Illinois University Foundation. As Senior Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, she helps NIU faculty and staff connect their transformative research projects and impactful programmatic initiatives with philanthropic support and external engagement opportunities. Outside of work, Erin continues to arrange and has volunteered as a Varsity Vocals adjudicator since 2018. She also previously served as a master clinician, workshop presenter and panelist at SoJam and briefly supported the fundraising efforts of the A Cappella Academy. She remains a dedicated advocate for the contemporary a cappella discipline and for the performing arts.

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