In a time when colleges across the nation are operating virtually — and even small ensemble singing is prohibited for its super-spreader potential — college a cappella is still, as ever, thriving.
Despite the global pandemic, the 25th season of our ICCA tournament will take place in a fully virtual style and will feature 3,500 performers in 250 groups from universities across 33 states and 5 countries!
This season, competitors face the challenge of creating a 4-minute music video in lieu of a traditional competition set, all while maintaining appropriate social distancing measures. The difficulty of learning and performing music, and creating something vocally and visually artistic and appealing — without being able to come together in a traditional way — is considerable. And: all audio and video recording, mixing, and editing must be done by group members and their director — which means many are already working on acquiring these new skills. (A helpful, community-sourced resource guide for audio/video tutorials and trainings may be found here: VV RESOURCE GUIDE.)
We at Varsity Vocals are honored and humbled that so many of you have risen to the challenge this new ICCA format presents. Instead of having a lost year of a cappella, we will now get to see so many amazing groups pivoting to new ways of artistic expression. We can’t wait to see what you create, and the ways in which your new skills will advance the art form.
2021 ICCA COMPETITION STRUCTURE
Collegiate groups will compete in 8 regions: Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Central, Great Lakes, Midwest, South, West, and International. The tournament begins in the quarterfinal rounds, where the top two groups advance to the regional semifinal. The top group from each semifinal will advance to ICCA Finals.
All “events” — quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals — will take place virtually, as playlists of the groups’ competition videos. (Competitors, your videos are due to us Feb. 26, and you may edit or fully change them between rounds; check your acceptance email for further detail.)
This year, we are thrilled to offer the entire ICCA tournament completely free of charge — there is no fee to participate, and no ticket to purchase to watch the shows.
Please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updated details.
COMPETITORS: Please see below for your quarterfinal assignment. If you applied and don’t see your name on the list below or if you have any questions about your placement, please contact us.
Congratulations to our accepted groups, and welcome to the 25th season of the ICCA!
Please note that all quarterfinal assignments are subject to change at the discretion of headquarters.
(Click here for the 2021 ICHSA Competitors and 2021 Open Competitors!)
2021 International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella Lineup
NORTHEAST REGION
Quarterfinal 1
The AcaBellas | Central Connecticut State University
The Bottom Line | Bryant University
Cadence of Yale | Yale University
Doox of Yale | Yale University
The Legends | Quinnipiac University
L’Shir | University of Hartford
Triple Major | Wesleyan University
Quarterfinal 2
The Chorallaries | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Doo Wop Shop | University of Massachusetts – Amherst
The LowKeys | Harvard University
Pace Frequency | Pace University
Vocal Pride | Springfield College
The Vocal Suspects | University of Massachusetts Amherst
Voicemale | Brandeis University
Quarterfinal 3
The Downbeats | Northeastern University
The Dynamics | Boston College
Hawkward | Roger Williams University
Pitch, Please! | Northeastern University
Treble Threat | Berklee College of Music
Upper Structure | Berklee College of Music
The Vocaholics | New York University
Quarterfinal 4
Cleftomaniacs | New York University
The Dutchmen | Hofstra University
The Hofbeats | Hofstra University
Makin’ Treble | Hofstra University
The Mixtapes | New York University
Sigma’cappella | Hofstra University
Vocollision | New York University
Semifinal
Featuring the top 2 groups from each quarterfinal
MID-ATLANTIC REGION
Quarterfinal 1
Juxtaposition | Virginia Tech
MelUDees | University of Delaware
No Ceiling | The College of William & Mary
The Notochords of VCU | Virginia Commonwealth University
The One Note Stand | University of Mary Washington
Untitled | Towson University
The Vocal Chords | Johns Hopkins University
Xenharmonics | Frostburg State University
Quarterfinal 2
The AllNighters | Johns Hopkins University
Castle Point Crescendos | Stevens Institute of Technology
Faux Paz | University of Maryland
Ramifications | Virginia Commonwealth University
Stockapella | Stockton University
Vi-BROAD-O | Temple University
Quarterfinal 3
8 to the Bar | Drexel University
Broad Street Line | Temple University
Echoes | Lehigh University
Rowan Vocals | Rowan University
RU RAAG | Rutgers University
The Trentones | The College of New Jersey
Under A Rest | West Chester University
Villanova Supernovas | Villanova University
Quarterfinal 4
Chromatic | Millersville University
The Deaftones | Westminster Choir College
Harmonic Combustion | Susquehanna University
LiaChorus | Temple University
Measure Up | Villanova University
The Melismatics | Lehigh University
The Octaves | University of Scranton
Off The Record | Lehigh University
Semifinal
Featuring the top 2 groups from each quarterfinal
CENTRAL REGION
Quarterfinal 1
Absolute A Cappella | Cornell University
Binghamton Vibes | Binghamton University (SUNY)
Brick City Singers | Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
Groovestand A Cappella | Syracuse University
Note to Self | Binghamton University
Tributones | Monroe Community College
Vocal Point | University of Rochester
Quarterfinal 2
A Sharp Arrangement | SUNY Potsdam
The Buffalo Chips | SUNY Buffalo
C Sharp Singers | Carnegie Mellon University
Counterpoint | Carnegie Mellon University
Partial Credit | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Pitch Please | SUNY Albany
The Pitt Pendulums | University of Pittsburgh
The Rusty Pipes | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Quarterfinal 3
Macappella | McMaster University
The MacaFellas | McMaster University
On That Note | Ryerson University
The Pitches | SUNY Potsdam
PitchSlapped | McMaster University
The Pointercounts | SUNY Potsdam
Ryenamics | Ryerson University
Stay Tuned | SUNY Potsdam
Quarterfinal 4
The AcaBellas | University of Waterloo
Equivox | University of Western Ontario
The Musical InterDudes | University of Waterloo
Repercussions | University of Western Ontario
Surround Sound | University of Toronto
The Unaccompanied Minors | University of Waterloo
The Water Boys | University of Waterloo
Wibi A Cappella | York University
Semifinal
Featuring the top 2 groups from each quarterfinal
GREAT LAKES REGION
Quarterfinal 1
Perfectly Authentic | Carthage College
Fundamentally Sound | University of Wisconsin – Madison
Amazin’ Blue | University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Melodytroit | Wayne State University
Counterpoint Acapella | Loyola University Chicago
The Ransom Notes | University of Chicago
Touch of Class | Illinois Wesleyan University
Quarterfinal 2
Nova | Alverno College
The G-Men | University of Michigan
Gold Vibrations | Oakland University
The Harmelodics | Northern Illinois University
Medusa | University of Chicago
Vocal Affinity | Illinois Weselyan University
Clef Hangers | Illinois State University
Quarterfinal 3
Pitches and Notes | University of Wisconsin – Madison
Maize Mirchi | University of Michigan
No Strings Attached | Western Michigan University
Unaccompanied Women | University of Chicago
Z minor | Illinois Institute of Technology
Silence Interrupted | Illinois Wesleyan University
The Xtension Chords | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Quarterfinal 4
Under A-Rest | University of Wisconsin – Madison
On the Rox | Central Michigan University
Summit Street A Cappella | Eastern Michigan University
Dissonance | Millikin University
On the Brink of Normal | Illinois State University
The Rip Chords | University of Illinois
Semifinal
Featuring the top 2 groups from each quarterfinal
MIDWEST REGION
Quarterfinal 1
11th Avenue | University of Northern Colorado
Boots & Cats | University of Nebraska-Lincoln
The Enchantments | University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
Fermata the Blue | Drake University
Mainstreet A Cappella | Colorado State University
Pitch Please | University of Nebraska-Lincoln
The Red Keys | University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Take Note | University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Quarterfinal 2
Audacity | Kansas State University
Beyond All Reason | Saint Louis University
Crimson & Blues | University of Kansas
Hibernotes | Missouri State University
Minor Detail | Truman State University
Shockappella | Wichita State University
Six Eight Christian Acappella | Saint Louis University
Quarterfinal 3
Case in Point | Case Western Reserve University
Dhamakapella | Case Western Reserve University
Majors & minors | The Ohio State University
Obertones | Oberlin College
The Ohio State of Mind | The Ohio State University
SŌL | Baldwin Wallace University
Ten40 | Bowling Green State University
Tonal Eclipse | Bowling Green State University
Quarterfinal 4
Avocalypse | University of Cincinnati
Ladies’ Choice | Ball State University
Sedoctave | Ball State University
Soundtracks | Purdue University
Vocaholics | University of Cincinnati
Underscore | University of Dayton
Unexpected Resolution | Ball State University
Semifinal
Featuring the top 2 groups from each quarterfinal
SOUTH REGION
Quarterfinal 1
BisCaydence | University of Miami
HEARTbeats | Florida International University
Infinite Harmony | Georgia Institute of Technology
Lochs & Keys | Clayton State University
Scarlette Fever | University of Tampa
Tampa Tones | University of Tampa
Tones of Gold | University of South Florida
Quarterfinal 2
Acappology | North Carolina State University
The Accidentals | University of Georgia
Central Songbirds | North Carolina Central University
Ecotones | The University of Georgia
Nothin’ but Treble | Georgia Tech
Sympathetic Vibrations | Georgia Institute of Technology
Toccatatones | High Point University
Quarterfinal 3
Chordination | North Carolina State University
Codachrome | University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Dynamix | Clemson University
Tar Heel Voices | The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The Tarpeggios | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Wolfgang | North Carolina State University
Quarterfinal 4
Ascension | East Tennessee State University
Harmonic Notion | Vanderbilt University
Harmonium | East Tennessee State University
Pitchmen | Belmont University
UT Singers | University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Vandy Taal | Vanderbilt University
Quarterfinal 5
HardChord DynaMix | Texas A&M University
The Horned Tones | Texas Christian University
OneSound | Collin College
Overly Chromatic | University of Texas at San Antonio
Prismatics | Belmont University
RISE | The University of Texas at Arlington
Semifinal
Featuring the top 2 groups from each quarterfinal
WEST REGION
Quarterfinal 1
Amplified | University of Arizona
CatCall | University of Arizona
Devil Clefs | Arizona State University
Noteriety | University of Arizona
Pitchforks | Arizona State University
Priority Male | Arizona State University
The TEMPEtations | Arizona State University
The Undertones | Arizona State University
Quarterfinal 2
Eh? Cappella | University of British Columbia
Furmata | University of Washington
Headband | Willamette University
The Northwest Collective | University of British Columbia
OUTSPOKEN | Oregon State University
Pacific Note West | Western Washington University
Pacific Pitches | the University of British Columbia
UBCO Beats | University of British Columbia Okanagan
Quarterfinal 3
Business Casual | University of Utah
The Harmonics | Stanford University
The Liquid Hotplates | University of California, Davis
Lounge Lizards | UC Davis
Noteworthy | Brigham Young University
The Spokes | University of California Davis
Vocal Track | University of Utah
VoiceLine | Utah Valley University
Quarterfinal 4
Acamazing | University of California, San Diego
Daughters of Triton | University of California, San Diego
The Green Note | Portland State University
Mind the Gap | University of Oregon
Naked Voices | University of California, Santa Barbara
Sitaare | UC San Diego
SoundWave | San Diego State University
The Trebles | University of California, San Diego
Quarterfinal 5
Acasola | California State University, Northridge
Aerodynamix | University of california, irvine
Awaken A Cappella | UCLA
Bruin Harmony | UCLA
The Mendicants | Stanford University
Pitch, Please! | UCLA
Resonance | UCLA
Uniting Voices | University of California, Irvine
VPR | California State University Northridge
Semifinal
Featuring the top 2 groups from each quarterfinal
INTERNATIONAL REGION
Quarterfinal 1
Acappellads | Cardiff University
The Bluebelles | University of Exeter
DeciBelles | Cardiff University
Illuminations | University of Exeter
Pitch Fight | University of Bristol
Semi-Toned | University of Exeter
The Bristol Suspensions | University of Bristol
Vox | Cardiff University
Quarterfinal 2
The Accidentals | University of St. Andrews
Cloud Nine | University of Edinburgh
Licence to Trill | University of Edinburgh
Northern Lights | Durham University
NUmen | Newcastle University
The Songsmiths | University of Leeds
Tone Up | Edinburgh University
Tune Army | Newcastle University
Quarterfinal 3
Aca-Pocalypse | University of Nottingham
Aquapella | University Of Bath
Factory A Cappella | University of Sheffield
RadioOctave | University of Nottingham
Sussinct | University of Sussex
The Techtonics | Imperial College London
Unplugged | University of Nottingham
Semifinal
Featuring the top 2 groups from each quarterfinal