Team

Amanda Newman has served as Executive Director of Varsity Vocals for more than a decade, 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.

Andrea Poole has served as ICHSA Director since 2009. Under her leadership, the ICHSA has grown from a handful of small semifinals to the robust, full-fledged tournament it is today, featuring 150 groups competing at sold-out events nationwide.Andrea's commitment to providing organized, engaging, and educational programming in the ICHSA, coupled with the thoughtful, personalized attention she gives to high school directors and students, is what makes her among the most influential people in the exponential growth and incredible vitality of high school a cappella today.Before becoming ICHSA Director, Andrea served as ICHSA Midwest Producer from 2007 to 2009. She is also a regular producer of ICCA and ICHSA competitions around the Midwest.

Andrea is an alumna of Michigan State University's Capital Green, having served as president for two of her four years in the group. During her tenure, Capital Green hosted and competed in the ICCA each year and advanced to the Midwest Semifinals in 2005, 2006, and 2007. Before singing with Capital Green, she was part of Pine Creek (Colo.) High School's female a cappella group, Nuance, and was actively involved in the choral program.Andrea graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor's degree in English in 2007 and a master's degree in public relations in 2009.

Andrew Poole has been the voice of Varsity Vocals in our social media and on our website since 2013. His work creating and promoting our events on Facebook, managing our website, designing our print media, posting competition results in real time, and live-tweeting the ICCA and ICHSA finals has been invaluable in bringing our content not just to the thousands of students who participate in our programs each year, but to our tens of thousands of fans around the globe.By day, Andrew works as an Educational Program Coordinator for Michigan State UniversityStudent Health Services. He holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Michigan State.Andrew has been involved with a cappella music for as long as he's known his wife, Andrea, who he met in 2005 when she was a member of Capital Green. His favorite singing role is that one time in the car when he had the volume turned up really loud.

Arvin Zabalerio joined Varsity Vocals in 2017 as the ICCA Central Producer and is ecstatic to be working with this amazing and beautiful team! Arvin is one of the first people to successfully complete the inaugural Varsity Vocals Production Assistant Program, through which he supported the ICCA and ICHSA Mid-Atlantic regions as well as the ICHSA Northeast region.

Arvin began his career in a cappella at Rutgers University with the all-male group Casual Harmony. He loved the a cappella community so much that he also joined the co-ed OrphanSporks at the beginning of his second year at Rutgers. Between the two groups, Arvin competed in the ICCA six times and hosted ten ICCA events. Arvin has won multiple awards for Outstanding Vocal Percussion in the ICCA, and his groups have placed at semifinals numerous times.

After graduating top of his class in chemical engineering, Arvin now works for PepsiCo as a Supply Chain Operations and Process Improvement Resource at a manufacturing factory that makes Gatorade!

Bronwyn Jensen, a native of Burbank, California, came to a cappella by way of competitive show choir. Her high school group, In Sync, consistently placed in the top three in the nation, competing in New York, Chicago, and Nashville. At Brigham Young University, Bronwyn sang in Women's Chorus as well as Noteworthy, which she also directed.

Bronwyn graduated with a degree in Family Studies and works today for the Utah Division of Child and Family Services Special Victims Task Force, which investigates child sex abuse. Consequently, she brings a great sense of perspective to a cappella drama.

Bronwyn lives in Orem, Utah, with her wife, Varsity Vocals veteran Courtney Jensen. Bronwyn and Courtney met when Courtney, an alumna of Noteworthy, returned to workshop the group. For those who may have wondered how Courtney managed to emcee and produce her own shows, the answer is simple: Bronwyn. They make quite the team, and Bronwyn is thrilled to join the Varsity Vocals team in 2019 in an official capacity.

Singer and beatboxer Courtney Jensen has been performing since a she was a tiny tot. She attended Brigham Young University, where majored in theater with an emphasis in directing and performed with Noteworthy for four wonderful years. In 2007, they won the ICCA, and to this day that is her favorite performing experience.

Since then, Courtney has appeared on The Sing-Off with The Backbeats and recorded an amazing album with The Riveters. She has also recently competed at The Open Finals at Carnegie Hall with JANE and HIVE.

Courtney lives in Utah with her wife Bronwyn Jensen, who is also a former member of Noteworthy and currently serves as an ICCA producer.

David Rabizadeh has played an active role in Varsity Vocals programming since 2008, spending his first two years as a producer for the ICCA before assuming his present role as ICCA Director. Under his leadership, the ICCA has more than doubled in size, expanding to reach more than 300 groups at 40 competitions in the US and UK this season. David's attention to detail, presence of mind, character, and genuine enthusiasm for our tournament make him a driving force in collegiate a cappella today.David began his a cappella career with the co-ed OrphanSporks at Rutgers University, where he earned bachelor's degrees in business economics and information technology. He also founded the university's first male a cappella group, Casual Harmony. Under David's leadership, Casual Harmony competed and hosted in several successful ICCA events.David is also accomplished in the a cappella recording world, having served both as a nominator and judge for the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards. He produced two full-length albums for Casual Harmony during his tenure, earning such critical acclaim as five CARA nominations and selection for the BOCA: Best Of College A Cappella album as well as other major compilations.

Elise Hackl-Blumstein joined Varsity Vocals in 2014. Elise’s music career began many decades ago, with her interest in a cappella taking off as a member of competitive show choir and Vocal Jazz groups. She began her a cappella career at Illinois State University with Secondary Dominance, serving as president, music director, arranger, choreographer, and section leader across her four years in the group, and she led the group’s effort in hosting an ICCA competition on campus. Elise has since taken on many roles in Varsity Vocals, including serving as the ICHSA producer for the Midwest, Great Lakes, and Southwest, Open Midwest Producer, serving as an associate producer for ICCA, and helping to create and run the Production and Media Assistant training programs.

By day, Elise is a school administrator in the suburbs of Chicago. In 2018, Elise was honored by the Illinois State Board of Education Teacher of the Year program. By night, Elise and her husband run an accessible arts company, providing training, inclusive performances, and services for creating more accessible spaces. In addition to articles and electronic journals, Elise's work regarding accessible music has been published by Hal Leonard, GIA, and Conway Publications.

Since joining Varsity Vocals, Elise has presented at State and National Music Education conferences on multiple occasions and led music education workshops locally. After earning Bachelors degrees in Special Education and Music Education (’14) and a minor in voice performance (’14), Elise continued to pursue lifelong learning with a Masters in Educational Technology Leadership (’17), a Masters of Music Education (’19), and a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership with a Principal Certification ('22).

Emily Flanders has been with Varsity Vocals since 2008, and has served as Director of Adjudication, ICCA Midwest Producer, ICCA Northeast Producer, ICCA Central Producer, ICCA Great Lakes Producer, and as an Associate Producer for ICHSA. Emily has served as the Artistic Director and Competition Producer of CASA’s BOSS festival since its inception, inventing the festival’s unique competition format and expanding it over the last 10 years. An alumna of The Washington University Amateurs, Emily served as both Concert Coordinator and Group Coordinator while in the group. She is also the voice of the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards, and she is happy to record your outgoing voicemail -- even if it's in Finnish. Emily is a proud resident of the city of Chicago, where she raises chickens, enjoys trips to the beach, and virtually never gets asked if that really was her on Sing It On.

Emily (they/she) dabbled in a cappella throughout high school and college, singing in all-gender and treble groups. While their schedule prevented them from staying on with her college group long-term, the experience instilled a deep respect for their dedication, creativity, and musicianship. (Plus, they'll always "da-da" along to the guitar part whenever Sara Bareilles' “Love Song” is playing).

A graduate of Johns Hopkins University, Emily holds a B.A. in writing and a minor in theatre arts & studies. They currently work in the arts world as an actor, intimacy director, and teaching artist, and in medical schools as a clinical skills educator and standardized patient. Check out their professional news and updates at www.emily-sucher.com.

Emily is thrilled to rejoin the a cappella world with Varsity Vocals.

Erica Tackett is a recent addition to the Varsity Vocals team, joining in the 2017 season as our Director of Marketing and Social Strategy. Bringing her digital and marketing background to our team, Erica's role is fun – she's responsible for interacting with our fans and creating online conversations with the a cappella community through newsletters, social media, blog posts and more. Erica also manages the nascent Varsity Vocals Social Team.Erica attended Michigan State University where she earned her bachelors degree in advertising, with a minor in public relations. (Fun fact: during her time at MSU she crossed paths with Andrea Poole, who introduced her to Varsity Vocals and the a cappella community!) By day, Erica works on the digital team at public relations agency Weber Shandwick, where she writes fun content for Chevrolet.

Although she's not an a cappella alumna, Erica promises her karaoke rendition of You Get What You Give by the New Radicals would fool any bystander.

A frequent judge at ICCA and ICHSA events, Evan joined the Varsity Vocals team as a producer in 2014 and is excited to continue to promote a cappella singing among high school students.

Evan Powers' a cappella career began when he was co-founder and the first music director of Reverb, the first all-male a cappella group at Florida State University. He was also a member of the FSU University Singers, Men’s Glee, Opera Chorus, and the Vocal Jazz Ensemble, and he graduated with a bachelor's degree in music education.

Evan is now the choral director at Fleming Island High School in Fleming Island, Florida, where he was recently named "Teacher of the Year." He conducts four traditional choirs at the high school, as well as the vocal jazz ensemble The Dynamics, and two pop a cappella groups, Desperate Measures and Key of She.Evan also directs The Orange Park Chorale and the children's choir at Riverside Presbyterian Church.

As an educator, Evan is a huge believer in the educational power of the ICHSA. If you're a teacher considering being a part of this event, he would love to hear from you!

Gemma Davies joined the world of a cappella in 2015 via a then-brand new endeavour led by rebellious barbershoppers called The Bristol Suspensions. Many mashups, choreo sessions, and terrible puns later (plus a short stint in an all-female group, Pitch Fight), Gemma moved back home to London and formed her own group with a fellow Suspension. Though short-lived, this helped to keep her fire for a cappella singing burning, alongside organising social mixers for aca-graduates in London, including the UK A Cappella Ball.

Gemma began her Varsity Vocals journey as a Production Assistant in 2018 and 2019, and she is excited to support and build upon the rapidly growing ICCA UK region.

Henry has been a strong advocate for pushing the ICCA to new and exciting realms. Whilst* a student and three-year member of the Techtonics at Imperial College London, he was the chair of the a cappella society and worked closely with Varsity Vocals to bring a semifinal round to the UK. During his tenure with the Techtonics, he toured the US with the group twice, acted as the group's record producer, and performed in the 2016 ICCA Finals, where they became the first international group to win the Championship.Since graduating, Henry is living in London and working as a freelance producer and technician.

* As a proper Brit and the official international face of the ICCA, Henry reserves the right to use British grammar, style, and idioms in all Varsity Vocals communications. Cheers!

** can't stand hard cheese

An alumna of James Madison University's School of Theatre and Dance, Holli Kitching was a member of the BluesTones for five years, serving as music director and president.Since graduation, Holli has served as an event coordinator and workshop instructor for multiple a cappella festivals. While living in New York City, she was the music director for the all-female group Empire, while also serving as the ICCA Northeast Producer.Currently, she lives in Washington, D.C., where she works at an independent school coordinating after-school programming and teaching theater and voice. Holli is the music director for The District and is a member of the all-female pro group, VXN.

Holly Hayes kicks off her Varsity Vocals career in 2016 as the ICCA Northeast Producer and is absolutely thrilled to be a part of our community. Holly has been singing since the ripe age of 4, but she started in a cappella at Marblehead (Mass.) High School as a member of the all-female group Luminescence, with whom she competed in the ICHSA.

Holly went on to study in the Questrom School of Business at Boston University, where she sang with the co-ed a cappella group, In Achord. Holly served as the group's secretary and a choreographer for their ICCA sets in 2014 and 2016. Competing in the 2016 ICCA Northeast Semifinal in Boston remains one of her all-time favorite aca-moments. Since graduating, Holly has continued her love affair with Boston, where she works as a site merchandising associate for the online furniture company, Wayfair.

Jillian Kimberlin is an alumna of Rutgers University and was a member of its all-female a cappella group, ShockWave, where she served as the Business Manager and President for the majority of her time. Through close personal connections and her group's participation in the ICCA during her time, she joined the Varsity Vocals team back in 2012 as ICHSA Mid-Atlantic Producer (when the competition was so new there weren’t even quarterfinals)!

Since she can remember, Jillian has been involved in the arts, mostly thanks to her sisters and her mother. She has been heavily involved in New Jersey community theatre, where she ran multiple performing arts youth programs alongside her family and close friends. Though her time in the community theatre world has come to an end (for now), she is grateful to continue to be a part of the a cappella community to give more young artists the opportunity to do what they love, just as she did when she was their age.

Jillian lives in Mount Laurel, NJ, with her partner, Saqib, sweet daughter, June, and their crazy pup, Sansa. She spends her days in marketing, her nights cooking and playing, and her weekends with the ones she loves (at least when it’s not a cappella season).

Leah Alrutz joined the Varsity Vocals team in 2012, and she has since been unparalleled in her enthusiasm and support for ICCA competitors in her region.

Leah started singing a cappella at Parkway South High School, where she founded and directed the all female group, Bella Voce. At Missouri State University, Leah served as Music Director, Business Manager, Publicity Director, and Tours Chair for A Cub Bella, leading the group to many ICCA quarterfinals and semifinals.

After graduating from Missouri State in 2011 with a degree in vocal music education, she moved to St. Louis, where she now teaches vocal music in the Ladue School District. Leah is a member of the Missouri Music Educators Association, the Missouri Choral Directors Association, the American Choral Directors Association, and the Missouri State Teachers Association.

Leah adores the Midwest a cappella community and is always eager to hear what groups have in store each year!

Lindsay Howerton-Hastings has been on the Varsity Vocals team as ICCA South Producer since 2008. She has also taken on additional roles throughout her tenure to help grow our programming, including tournament director and judge coordinator. Lindsay graduated from Elon University in 2008 with degrees in Psychology and International Studies and a minor in Asian Studies. While at Elon, Lindsay sang with the all-female a cappella group Sweet Signatures, serving as their treasurer for two years. Lindsay currently lives in Greenville, South Carolina, where she is Development Manager for Public Education Partners, a nonprofit that raises money for public schools. She is working on her masters in Clinical Mental Health at Clemson University. She also owns a catering company and writes a food blog about her kitchen disasters. She is active in her church music ministry as a lead singer for the contemporary band.

Lucy Jacobs joined Varsity Vocals in 2008 as ICCA West Producer, after a lengthy and successful career in student a cappella. She first entered the world of collegiate a cappella at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she sang with the co-ed a cappella group, Naked Voices (as well as the University Singers Chamber Choir, Opera Scenes, and Opera Productions). After transferring to the University of Southern California, Lucy joined the SoCal VoCals, where she served as the group’s business manager, album producer, and president leading into the group's first ICCA Finals win in 2008. Lucy was also a member of the Concert Choir and Opera Productions at USC, and she served as director of music for Alpha Phi sorority. After graduating, Lucy sang with a few contemporary a cappella groups for fun, but most notably appeared in the first season of NBC's The Sing-Off as a member of The Socals.

During her tenure with Varsity Vocals, what was once the West region has now triple the number of groups competing, leading to the creation of the newer Southwest region. In 2016, Lucy became the founding director of the International Championship of A Cappella (“The Open”).

Today, Lucy lives in Northern California with her husband and two sons, continues to produce the ICCA West Region, and sings with San Ramon Valley Chorale.

Matt Shirer is responsible for pioneering the effort to make the ICCA more truly international. His efforts launched our first live ICCA semifinal in London in 2015, and with his continued leadership, we anticipate that the UK region will expand to include quarterfinal rounds this season.Matt is a graduate of the University of Michigan, where he held several leadership roles with the acclaimed G-Men. During his tenure, the group hosted several ICCA quarterfinals, placed in the top three at semifinals for four consecutive years, advanced to ICCA Finals for the first time in 2013, and won the 2014 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award for Best Male Collegiate Arrangement Award for Matt's arrangement of "Radioactive."

Matt recently moved to San Francisco, where he is a member of the Golden Gate Men's Chorus.Matt's favorite ICCA venues come with headsets.

Nicole officially joined the Varsity Vocals team in 2018 as the ICHSA Northeast Producer, following her successful completion of our production assistant program. During her time as a PA, Nicole assisted in the ICCA Central region as well as the ICHSA and The Open Northeast regions.Nicole’s jump into the a cappella world began during her time at SUNY Potsdam, where she double-majored in Music and Childhood/Early Childhood Education. Nicole was a member of the Potsdam Pitches and served on their executive board for six semesters as events manager and vice president. Nicole competed at four ICCA events with the Pitches, and, as choreographer and soloist during her senior year, she helped lead her group to place at semifinals. While in the group, Nicole was fortunate to record two EPs and an album, which feature her on three solos.Nicole currently serves as the Assistant Director of Development for CASA. During her free time, she also sings in a contemporary worship band.

Sara Yood has been a producer for Varsity Vocals since 2003 and has been singing a cappella since her high school years. Sara currently serves as Producer for ICCA Finals, ICHSA Finals, and The Open Finals. She is also a regional producer for The Open as well as ICHSA Northeast Producer. She has previously served as ICCA Midwest Producer and ICCA Northeast/New England Producer.Sara served as both Concert Coordinator and Group Coordinator for The Amateurs at Washington University in St. Louis, leading the group to their first appearance in the ICCA.After moving to New York City in 2004, Sara sang with Treble, New York's all-female a cappella group. Sara then attended Fordham Law School, where of course she directed the law school's co-ed a cappella group The Tortfeasors. She is now an intellectual property lawyer in Manhattan, where she also sings with the New York City Master Chorale.

Virginia began her a cappella career singing lead in her high school's first female barbershop quartet with her three best friends. She then attended Florida State University where she spent two years in All-Night Yahtzee followed by two years in the AcaBelles. She served as Public Relations Chair for one year in Yahtzee and arranged music for both groups, even after graduating.Virginia is the Program Manager for Volunteers on the CASA board of directors and served as Collegiate Competition Coordinator for SoJam 2011. She has produced and judged ICCA/ICHSA events and has previously served as Volunteer Coordinator for Varsity Vocals.Virginia lives in beautiful Asheville, NC, where she has just recently started up a (currently) all-female a cappella group and works on a recovery farm for adults with mental illness.