Amanda Newman

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

 

Amanda Newman has served as Executive Director of Varsity Vocals for 20 years, dedicating her career to promoting, encouraging, and providing unique performance opportunities for young musicians. Amanda has extensive experience producing educational and entertaining concerts, festivals, and competitions, as well as handling recorded music distribution and production.

In her capacity as Executive Director, Amanda has brokered high-profile licensing and development agreements, facilitating the use of the ICCA brand and related properties in the major motion picture Pitch Perfect as well as the development of Sing It On, a docu-series produced by CORE Media Group (American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance) that follows college a cappella groups on their journey through the ICCA tournament. Amanda serves as Co-Executive Producer on the series, which debuted in 2015 on the Pop Network, a joint venture between CBS and Lions Gate Entertainment.

Under Amanda’s leadership, the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) tournament has more than tripled in size and currently features 3,500 singers from more than 300 competing groups each year. Amanda was also responsible for the creation and development of the International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA) in 2006, a program that has significantly expanded since its inception and has helped foster a passion for a cappella in thousands of high school students.

Since 2008, Amanda has been responsible the selection of tracks for the albums BOCA: Best of College A Cappella and BOHSA: Best of High School A Cappella, along with the compilation founder Deke Sharon. Amanda manages and oversees the coordination, production, licensing and distribution of both albums.

Amanda originally joined Varsity Vocals in 2003, as ICCA Midwest Producer. In college, Amanda was an ICCA competitor herself, serving as business manager and choreographer for the University of Illinois vocal jazz a cappella group, No Strings Attached. Under her leadership, the group earned second place and accolades for Outstanding Choreography at ICCA Midwest Semifinals, as well as their first track on BOCA. Amanda has also served as Publicity Manager for the Apollo Chorus of Chicago, and as Operations Coordinator for Ravinia Festival‘s Steans Institute for Young Artists.

Interests

Yoga, barre, photography, Jackson Hole, good coffee, LaCroix, wine gums (Maynard’s only). She has two children, Emily and Ben, with her husband Rob, who she met in her college a cappella group!