ICCA Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinal at Rutgers University

The following review was written by Wayne Scheck and Alexandra Bancroft, both members of Rutgers University Deep Treble. Please note that the opinions expressed in this review are solely from the minds of the authors, and are in no way representative of the views of Deep Treble on the whole.

Wayne: I want to start off by saying I admittedly went into this quarterfinal without any real high expectations. Having only heard of one of the groups, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I have to say, I was definitely pleasantly surprised with the talent. There were the usual couple of groups that stood above the rest, but overall, the talent was there. I want to congratulate all of the groups for putting on a great show and making it a very enjoyable night.

Alexandra: The stage looked pretty sweet, colored with red, green and orange lights. There were 4 condensers, 2 solos, and 1 VP mic, for this show.

The hosts for the evening, Casual Harmony, walked on to the screams and cat calls of their fans. They sounded amazing. These boys have been through so much in the past year and I would just like to congratulate them on a great show last night. Their newest (self-titled) album is featured on BOCA 2009, Sing IV, and was nominated for 5 CARA awards. I’m so proud of them.

Wayne: came on to start out the show. Knowing Casual Harmony, I wasn’t surprised that they were a great host group. They started off the night with “The Sun” by Maroon 5. Although I wish the solo mic was louder because it was hard to hear the soloist at times, the song was still great. Casual Harmony started the night with a lot of energy and clearly got the crowd ready for an enjoyable night.

Wayne: After Casual Harmony left the stage and after ICCA Mid-Atlantic Producer Dave Rabizadeh made the usual announcements for the night, the improv comedy group, A 4 Effort, was brought on stage to mc for the night. I’ve seen them several times and I was curious to see how they would handle their job as emcees for the night. They blew me out of the water to say the least. The creative ways they introduced each group were hilarious and unexpected. It took me a while to figure out who was on next and I was constantly anticipating what they would do to introduce the next group. Kudos to A 4 Effort. It was clearly a very well run and hosted quarterfinal round.

Alexandra: The emcee’s for the evening, A 4 Effort, did a good job entertaining us by making fun of group names. Props to them for coming up with all the skits!

Let me preface my review of the rest of the showwith a few things:

There are a few things to keep in mind when you compete in the ICCAs, that I find are make-or-break you issues. One of them is conducting on stage. I find this to be extremely unprofessional, and distracting… especially if you are ignoring choreography to conduct. Just, don’t do it. It’s my hugest pet peeve. Just let your VP control the tempo, and if you don’t have VP, trust your group. You’re holding back their musical growth by controlling their every move.

Also, when deciding what choreography to use in your set… if you are in the Mid-Atlantic region, and you know that you will be performing in the presence of Casual Harmony, please refrain from doing the Casual Harmony slide step. That’s all!

Wayne: Now, on to the actual competitors. The first group to go up was Fordham University Satin Dolls. This all girl group looked really sharp and really classy with short black dresses and silver jewelry. I was really able to see the unique personalities of the girls based on their individual choices. They opened up their set with “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now” by Celine Dion, a song that obviously calls for a powerhouse soloist. The soloist didn’t disappoint, but I was still looking for a little more. If she had given maybe a little bit more, I think she definitely could have been best soloist material. The blend in the group was really nice and I have to give a shout out to the Alto 2’s in this group. I could hear them really clearly and they did a good job of making the sound a lot more full. With that said, the arrangement was bland and didn’t really impress or move me. I also have a problem with having someone conduct at a competition. I think that at the competition level, you shouldn’t need someone to conduct and I don’t really think these girls needed anyone to conduct them. The other problem I had was the lack of choreo. Not that there needs to be lots of choreo but I think that if you’re not going to do choreo, don’t do any choreo. They had a couple of step touches in the song and not everyone was in sync for them. I wish they would have just stood and looked straight out at the audience and let the song and the soloist speak for itself if they weren’t going to do choreo.

Alexandra: The Satin Dolls walked on in black dresses and looked very put together. My first impression of them was: Very Pretty. The soloist on this song did a very good job at keeping the energy up, while battling a very challenging vocal line. Doing this song is a risk in and of itself because you must have a phenomenal soloist to pull it off. Satin Dolls gave us a good soloist that got the job done, but didn’t leave me with my mouth hanging open. The song was broken up into periods of standing still, and periods of step-touching, which I thought was minimalist and effective.

Wayne: The second song in the set was “Be My Baby” by The Ronnettes (I want to preface by saying I’m awful at remembering song names and artist names, but I did my best). The transition into the start of the song was a little sloppy and the director played 4 different pitches before starting the song. I don’t think that was necessary and I’m sure they practiced the song more than enough that they didn’t need all the pitches played. This song continued the group’s streak of having a great blend. I have to again give props to the low voices in this song because they were great. The choreo in this song was better, but still left something to be desired. I also think that when the group is singing a line from the solo, they need to milk it and make it clear and as loud as the solo. In all, the song had a great blend, but the presentation was lacking.

Alexandra: This song started out with some solo Alto II notes, and they were very strong. Props girls! We got some step-touches again in this song, with some well-placed arm movements. What really stuck to me in this song was the girls’ attitudes. They all looked like they were having fun, and were very pleasant to watch.

Wayne: The last song in the set was “No Rain” by Blind Melon. The group could work on their transitions because this one was also a little sloppy. I really enjoyed the soloist’s performance of this song. There’s something to be said for a girl soloist with a pure straight tone and a great voice. I enjoyed the beginning of this song and the blend was all around very good again, but the streaks of the entire set continued. The choreo was uninspiring and a little cheesy at times. The song was a little long and stagnant but clearly the best of the set.

Alexandra: This song was a good choice for the Satin Dolls. The soloist had great presence and a great voice to back it up. She could have easily over-sung this song, but held back and made a very pleasant presentation. The choreography for this song was cute, and kept their happy attitude going.

I would have liked to see these ladies center themselves and take a bow before walking off stage, instead of half the group starting to walk, while the other group half-bowed. But, that’s just a minor detail. All in all, every one of these girls should be proud of their performance.

Wayne: The next group up was Faux Paz from the University of Maryland. The group burst out wearing colored shirts and suspenders, including the women. I really liked their first impression and when they got into position for their first song I was intrigued. It immediately caught my attention and got me really excited to see what they were going to do.

Alexandra: I’ve never seen Faux Paz perform before but had high hopes for their set the minute they walked on the stage. They marched on in black dress pants, white dress shirts and black suspenders that helped unify them while also helping their group stand out.

Wayne: Their set opened up with “Can’t Take my Eyes off of You” by Frankie Valli. The opening choreo was, again, really nice, but I had a problem finding the soloist at first. I eventually found him walking through the group from the back towards the right. It was a little distracting, but the choreo itself kept pulling me back in. In the end, that was their biggest problem. The choreo was a huge distraction from the sound. I admittedly forgot they were singing for the first half of the first song. There was just way too much choreo, albeit good choreo, and they were moving all across the stage. There were many times when I couldn’t hear the group because they were no where near the mics. The soloist was alright in the beginning and pulled it out towards the end of the song. I wish the vocals were a little better in the beginning of the song though. The ending into the transition was very good, but overall the choreo took all the attention away from the sound.

Alexandra: Faux Paz started this song out in an interesting formation that smoothly moved into an arc. The song quickly evolved into a cool hip-hop version, and kept my attention easily. I couldn’t really hear the group on this song, and I’m going to attribute that to their formations on stage. There was A LOT of really amazing choreo throughout the Faux Paz set but it hindered their musicality. The soloist didn’t impress me at first but certainly proved himself by the end of the song.

Wayne: The second song in the set was “Time is Running out” by Muse. Throughout the song, my comments kept being how distracting the choreo was. Again, it was excellent, but I couldn’t concentrate on the sound. When I did hear the sound, it was boy heavy (probably due to the distance from the mics) and there were some bass 2 low notes that were lost. The blend of the group was pretty good, but it was hard to hear due to mic positioning. Another problem I had is that, with this much choreo, there are bound to be mistakes and, since it is so intricate, I was drawn to them instantly. There were points when I heard a really nice sound, but otherwise the choreo dominated once again. The soloist was pretty good. Overall, some good sound, but distracting choreo again.

Alexandra: First impression: Semi-finals 2007. Maybe it’s just me, but this song has been way over sung and I definitely wasn’t expecting it to make an appearance in this year’s ICCAs. That being said, Faux Paz still managed to keep my attention throughout this song and keep it fresh with their choreography. Again, it was hard to hear the group and it was obvious that choreo and formations were to blame.

Wayne: They closed their set with “Mercy on Me” by Christina Aguilera. The choreo in this song was, again, outrageous. A girl was held up in a chair like position in the back and I thought she was going to be the soloist, but I was wrong. I didn’t really get that. Maybe a religious reference? Anyway, the choreo in this song was too artsy for my taste especially the leaning people over and playing them like instruments? The sound was pretty good and the soloist was out of this world great. There were a couple of shouty points, but it’s Christina so it’s okay. Overall, the sound was good when I heard it so if the choreo was literally cut in half, they would have been great. Also, a general note, mics need to be kept in mind when designing choreo. Don’t do choreography that will put your group no where near the mics. They won’t be heard and that hurt this group in particular.

Alexandra: The first move of this song made me seriously nervous, as a girl from the group stood up on the knees of two guys and spread her arms like a crucifix. This visual is still burned in my brain as one of the most original formations I’ve ever seen. The soloist completely blew me away with not only the impressive range of her belt, but the beautiful tone as well. She performed the song like she owned it and stole the stage for the night. There was some other very cool choreography in this song, as well as the “playing a girl like string instruments” move which was extremely cool and very effective.

Faux Paz was very impressive, especially with their choreo and stage presence. I just wish I could have heard the group sound more.

The third group up was The Earth Tones from the University of Albany. They strutted out wearing vests, matching graphic tees, and aviator sunglasses that practically begged me to judge them before they even opened their mouths.

Wayne: The first song of the set, “I Love the Way,” opened and they had a very nice sound. The only problem was their vowels. All of the songs in their set had super bright vowels making the sound super bright and it was troublesome. The blend suffered because of it as well. Overall, the sound was nice, other than the problem with the vowels. The choreo was minimalist and refreshing compared to the previous group. The soloist was good but he had a nervous habit of bouncing to the song the entire time at the solo mic. It was distracting and hurt his sound a little bit.

Alexandra: The Earth Tones started off in a backwards triangle formation with, and I was glad the soloist decided to remove his shades. We were hit with a wall of distinct all-male sound at the very beginning of the song that they mostly maintained throughout the set. Their vocal percussion for the first two songs was FANTASTIC. I found myself just listening to the VP, which is very odd for me. A very “dance club” fist pump and sharp diction on the final chord ended the first song with a relatively large bang.

Wayne: The second song was “The Side”. The group started the song with some interesting and cool syllables, but they needed to be tuned more. The same problem with their bright vowels was present. The soloist was nice and his tone fit the song very well. The guitar solo was great and there was some good choreo throughout the song. Towards the end, there were some really nice dynamics, something that was particularly missing from this ICCA quarterfinal. They did do a Casual Harmony slide in their choreo at Rutgers. You shouldn’t do a Casual harmony slide especially in the presence of Casual Harmony.

Alexandra: All the boys took their sunglasses off for this song to match the mood, and I’m guessing they were supposed to be showing us some emotion, but I didn’t really get any. I liked how the harmony soloist brought a mic with him into the formation so he didn’t have to awkwardly step forward but left me wondering, “Why didn’t the guitar soloist do this too?”

Wayne: The last song in the set was "There's A Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey. You Just Haven't Thought Of It Yet" by Panic! at the Disco. The soloist was all right—his tone was a little strange for the song but it worked. The choreo was nicer and the syllables were really interesting again. The choreo about explosion and dynamite was really cool and I really enjoyed it. I had a little problem for when the group sings a trumpet solo only because it should have been louder. The song overall was really good and the best of the set. Overall their set had good choreo and a good sound, but the vowels were too bright and really hurt their sound overall. If they worked on darkening their vowels, they could do really well in the future.

Alexandra: This was a really odd song choice, especially for an ender. The formation transitions were excellent in this song, and we got more of the playing fake instruments with some trumpets in the background but their choreo could not compare to the former group (that’s not an insult… it’s just a fact, Faux Paz had 10X more choreo). The arrangement of this song was pretty cool, with awesome “laced” and “with” syllables on chords.

I enjoyed the Earthtones set, they definitely win points for being the most “urban”/”cool” group at the show in terms of attitude.

Wayne: The next group was The Deaftones from Westminster Choir College. They walked out in black with splashes of green and looked really nice.

Alexandra: The Deaf Tones were the home team this go-around and they certainly knew it. Greeted with the loudest cheers of the evening (save for Casual Harmony), I noted that their green flairs were not as sharp as in previous years, but had more of a funky edge to them. One girl was wearing antennae, I thought that was super fun!

WayneThe group opened their set with "Edge of Seventeen by Stevie Nix. The soloist was phenomenal, although it didn’t show off her range. I wish I could hear her do something that shows off her voice because I can tell she’s really fantastic. The blend in the group was incredible. There was a little tuning needed on the basses when they repeated a jigajiga type syllable and it flatted a little sometimes. The choreo was simple and effective. Their diction was incredible and they were the first group of the night to show some real dynamics. The song ended wonderfully. I have very little to say, I really liked this song.

Alexandra: The Deaf Tones' sound was very well-rounded, and the soloist was pretty good. But it was the basses that impressed me the most, they sustained that line throughout the song. The echo of “just like the one winged dove” caught me off guard every time and I loved every time it happened. This arrangement was spectacular!

Wayne: The second song in the set was “Black Balloon” by The Goo Goo Dolls. The group as a whole could be louder and this song needed more dynamics. The group sounded great and the blend was great, but it was missing that extra something that dynamics could have brought. Their diction, though, again, was phenomenal. The soloist was great, but I still wanted a money note to make me know how amazing he was.

Alexandra: "Black Balloon" started out with some very cool whistling that caught my attention. Throughout this song I couldn’t help but think how much talent each of these kids have. There’s no doubt that they all have excellent voices, but there’s so much more they could have given us. Their performance was perfect in the way that left me holding my breath, waiting for more to come. This feeling also shone through in the soloist who was too worried about their tone, and forgot to show us what the song was about.

Wayne: The last song in the set was “Suddenly I See” by KT Tunstall. The guys sounded really good at the beginning of the song. The tempo was off at times; the soloist and VP needed to communicate more and stay together. The soloist was all right. Not as good as the other two, but still good. The choreo was fun again and the ending choreo was really nice. I want to compliment them because they were so into their whole set and looked as though they were having so much fun. Again though, another group did the Casual Harmony slide, but I forgive them. Overall a really good set but I wanted a little more dynamics on the second and third songs. Other than that two thumbs up.

Alexandra: “Suddenly I See” was clearly their “choreo” piece. I wasn’t as impressed with their moves as I was with Faux Paz, but Deaftones certainly showed us what they’re made of. The soloist was really good, this is the kind of song you don’t have to really worry about the meaning of the words. It ended in a cute formation with the soloist sitting on the knees of the boys in the group.

After intermission, Drew University’s On A Different Note opened up the second act. As an all-female group, they have a lot of stereotypes to break and a whole ton to live up to. It’s a good thing On A Different Note did exactly that. These girls impressed me to no end with their group sound, VP, soloist, and choreography.

Wayne: On a Different Note kicked off its set with “Dude Looks Like a Lady” by Aerosmith. I had trouble hearing the group at times, but the soloist was good and strong. She overpowered the group a little but was good in her own right, and the group could have been louder to try and match her. There was a little bit of a tuning issue when the group sang the word “yeah” and when the VP dropped out towards the end, but other than that, it sounded good. The choreo was nice and not distracting. The song needed more dynamics, but was good overall.

Alexandra: I was instantly drawn into this group's sound, and their soloist’s ability to tear the song to shreds (in the really good way). The arrangement was pretty cool with a break that led into “Sweet Emotion”, which I thought was a tad awkward for some reason, with really awesome arm movements. Their ending pose was fantastic, with two girls going down into splits in the front of the group.

Wayne: The next song was “Fix You” by Coldplay. The soloist was good. The group really needed to tune on this song because it’s so much slower and simpler than the others. It didn’t sound bad, but it could have tuned more because it’s so simple. Some of the vowels were a little bright but it was still nice. There was one point in the middle (I’m sorry for not knowing exactly where) at which the sound was amazing. It was really nice and it stayed that way until the end. This was also the only song of the entire night where I actually noted how good the VP was. Kudos to a great female VP. The end was really nice and overall, the song ended on a really nice note, while the beginning could have been stronger.

Alexandra: I internally cringed when I heard the first chord of this song… not because they were singing badly, but because I knew what song it was right away. That being said, their blend in this song was absolutely amazing. The dissonant chords tuned perfectly, and they were the first group of the night to impress me with their dynamics. The only criticism I have for this song is: more emotion girls!!! Use your chest voices if you have to! Show me what you got!

Wayne: The last song was "The Ocean" by The Format, the transition into which was very good. The choreo was cute, but some parts were a little out of tune. The song choice, especially to close the set, was strange to me, especially since the other two were better. The soloist was all right, but, again, the song was very strange. They looked really happy and like they were having a lot of fun, so maybe the song is special to them. Either way the set was nice and had some good stuff going on although there were a couple of tuning issues here and there.

Alexandra: This song didn’t impress me as much as the last two. And, consequently, I don’t have much to say about it, other than to reiterate my note about showing me what you have… because, trust me, you have it.

I think On A Different Note should have opened their set with “The Ocean” and closed with “Dude Looks Like a Lady”, but, that’s just me. Also, their vocal percussion was fantastic throughout the entire set. It’s nice to see more and more girls who are great at percussing every single year!

Wayne: The next group up was Rhythm Method from Binghamton University. The men walked onto stage in red and black while the women wore black dresses. The look was good, as were most of the looks throughout the night.

Alexandra: They looked uber sharp coming on stage in black and red, and I think this is because of their approach to their color accent. The guys wore red dress shirts with black vests, and everything else was black. It was a nice way to jazz their outfits up.

Wayne: They opened up the set with “Call Me” by Blondie. The group had some really interesting syllables and the soloist was great. The blend, dynamics, and choreo were all really great. As the song went on the syllables kept getting better and better and they started interjecting interesting phrases here and there. The arrangement was really great and the group lived up to the arrangement. The ending was amazing and this was defiantly one of my favorite songs and arrangements of the night.

Alexandra: “Call Me” didn’t start right away. I think there was some confusion with mics or a pitch being given or something, because there was a good 15 seconds of awkward silence on stage before they started. But when they did, they really started it up. The song started with a recognizable melody from “Funky Town” being used as a sound effect for someone dialing a phone… call me.. get it? Anyway, their sound was amazing right off the bat, with a blend that blew me away and dynamics that should have made all the other groups cry. The only thing missing in this song was an amazing soloist. She was good, but not as great as the group that was backing her up.

Wayne: Next up was “Saving All My Love for You” by Whitney Houston. The very beginning could have been tuned a little better, but the song sounded really great besides that. The choreo and the sound were really sharp and really classy. The soloist was great and didn’t outshine the group. The syllables again were really interesting and the arrangement was great again. Overall another really really great song.

Alexandra: This was a stark change from their last selection, but they made it work. The choreography was good throughout the song, and the soloist was simply lovely. Her tone was dripping with excellence and her high notes were impressive. Speaking of high notes, the sopranos of the group needed to tune better on theirs in this song. The final chord with head snaps was a phenomenal end and had me really rooting for them.

Wayne: “Right Here Waiting For You” by Richard Marx was up next. After seeing the first two songs I had high expectations for this one. Within the first couple seconds of the song, I had chills because the blend and the sound was so good. The soloists were good, but I wanted a little something more from them. Also, the harmony line between the two soloists needed a little bit of work to get it just right. Towards the end, this song didn’t really do it for me. The group sounded really nice and started to outshine the soloists. I didn’t really like this as the closer, because it almost made me forget how good the other two songs were. Almost. Overall, a great set that, with work, could be amazing.

Alexandra: Their set ended with “Right Here Waiting For You” was turned into a beautiful duet. The “doo” vowel was super crisp, so props for that! The male soloist, though good, was a bit distracting throughout the song. He kept conducting or something weird with his hands that made me feel like the song was going to turn into a dance remix… which might not have been a bad thing. I personally wouldn’t have picked this song as a closer, simply because it is a slow song. Usually this kind of song goes in the middle of a set… not the end. (See: ACB’s Do’s and Don’ts section!)

Rhythm Method was amazing. Their blend, diction, and dynamics were absolutely delicious, and their choreography just added to their amazing sound.

Wayne: Up Next was Serendipity, an all female group from University of Albany. The girls opened up their set with “All These Things That I’ve Done” by The Killers. The blend was nice, but the arrangement was too simple and boring. The choreo was nice, but the VP could have used some work. When the song got to the “I’ve got soul but I’m not a soldier” part, it got better and more interesting, but the song was just very boring overall.

Alexandra: Serendipity was dressed in all black with pink color accents.
They chose to open with “All These Things That I Have Done.” Their formation at the beginning was super cool, and their sound was very pretty, but it wasn’t enough, and they sounded like they were holding back. The sopranos had really nice high notes that resonated in the hall… but, they were so unnecessary and ill placed in the arrangement. They drew my attention away from the rest of the group, because they stuck out like sore thumbs (in the best way possible). But, all in all the song was very nice.

Wayne: The next song was “Don’t Speak” by No Doubt. Again, this song suffered from a boring and overly simple arrangement. The choreo was nice again and the vp was a little better, but overall it was just lackluster.

Alexandra: Again, Serendipity had very nice choreography. I couldn’t hear the group as much during this song, I don’t know what to blame it on though. We were graced with our second awkward guitar solo of the night with this song, but at least it sounded nice.

Wayne: The last song of their set was “Hit ‘Em Up Style” by Blu Cantrell. The soloist here was great and I really enjoyed her performance. The group had a little bit of a brightness problem with their vowels but this song was a step above the rest. The arrangement was much better and the sound was very full and nice. The ending was good but it could have been a bit louder and more powerful. Overall, the set was lackluster, but the last song was a step in the right direction.

Alexandra: In the style of our favorite all-female group, Divisi, Serendipity ended with a hip-hop song we all know. “Hit ‘em Up Style” started with a sound we hadn’t yet heard from the group. This song was by far their best of the night, mostly because we could actually hear the group. They did a really nice job performing this song, and I was sucked into it.

Wayne: The last group of the night was The Ford S-Chords from Haverford College. This all guy group came out wearing overalls and just really strange brightly colored clothing. It also took me a really long time to figure out they were barefoot the entire time. They clearly got the audience’s attention when they came onto the stage.

Alexandra: I have to ask: Where did that name come from? It’s very creative. And in the true nature of all things that are quirky a cappella, the S-Chords came on stage, barefoot, wearing white overalls. I don’t get it, but I’m willing to bet there’s a really good story behind their attire.

Wayne: They opened up their set with “Don’t You Forget About Me” by Simple Minds. The syllables were good and the blend was nice. The soloist was good, but they didn’t really have any choreo. This was another group that did a tiny bit of choreo and it wasn’t all together. I think I would have enjoyed it more if they did no choreo than the tiny bit they did. The sound was really nice on this one, but the presentation was a little boring for my taste. There was also a slight habit of performing only to each other and not to the audience. You’re putting on a show for the audience, so look at them. This group also conducted and, at one point, I saw more than one person conducting. I really don’t enjoy when people conduct at competition only because I know everyone is capable of doing the songs without it. It’s just an unnecessary distraction to the audience.

Alexandra: The S-Chords' sound was really good from the very start, and though I’m biased to think that it’s easier for all-male groups to blend, I think that the S-Chords did a really good job of it. The choreo in this song was a bit sloppy, but nothing too overly-distracting. Except, when whoever was conducting did a move that resembled a taebo double time hand movement. That was confusing.

Wayne: The second song in the set was “No Diggity” by Blackstreet. The blend and sound were really good once again, but the presentation was a little bland. There was no choreo in this one (maybe a tiny bit of stuff, but I wouldn’t call it choreo) and I got bored halfway through. The soloist was good and he held himself well. The group again only looked and performed to each other leaving the audience out of the loop. The song was good sounding, but presentation was lacking.

Alexandra: “No Diggity” threw me off guard. The song was a good choice for “mixing it up”, but didn’t really hold my interest. There were too many repeats and too much of the same old stuff, which isn’t a fault of the group. I think that adding some choreography in this song would have really jazzed the song up and kept the audience’s attention much better.

Wayne: They ended their set with “Happy Ending” by Mika. I always love when I see a guy group do this song, because the soloist is usually phenomenal. This was no exception. A great closer, the sound and the soloist were great. The soloist started a little rocky for me but blew me away by the end. They lacked choreo in this one again (they did have some sways) but its okay in this type of slow song. Overall, the set sounded really great, but lacked in the visual department.

Alexandra: The soloist was the showcase of this song, he had a beautiful tone on the top of his range. This song was really nice, and sounded really blended and wonderful. But, it definetly wasn’t an ending song.

I can’t help but think that the S-Chords would have done a whole ton better in this quarterfinal if they had picked the right songs. As it is, they didn’t have a “winning set”. And, while there’s no way to know what the judges will be feeling, I think there is a standard for the kind of songs that get picked, and where they get placed in the set.

Casual Harmony entertained us while the judges deliberated, and they were AMAZING.

Wayne: After the last group, Casual Harmony came out once again to keep us entertained during the deliberation. The group sounded great and was definitely comparable to the competing groups of the night. The group sound and the soloists were both amazing and really kept me interested. I really enjoyed the “American Girls” solo and thought it was really great. I wish they had performed for a little longer and did a couple more songs, but A 4 Effort was more than capable of holding us over for the rest of the deliberation. It was overall a very well run and entertaining night.

Wayne’s Picks:
2nd Runner Up – Faux Paz
1st Runner Up – The Deaf Tones
Champions – Rhythm Method

Best Soloists
1. "Mercy on Me” – Faux Paz
2. “Happy Ending” – Ford S-Chords
3. “Hit ‘Em Up Style” – Serendipity

Arrangement
Rhythm Method (Either of the first two songs)

Choreography
Faux Paz

VP
On a Different Note

Official ICCA Results:
2nd Runner Up – Ford S-Chords
1st Runner Up – Rhythm Method
Champions – Deaftones

Best Soloist
“Happy Ending” and “Mercy on Me”

VP
On a Different Note

Arrangement
Rhythm Method – “Right Here Waiting”

Choreo
The Deaftones

Alexandra: I stand by the judges’ decision. This quarterfinal had a lot to offer, and I think they made their decision based on a great many things that I probably don’t even understand.

I would, however, like to shout out a few groups that I thought were exceptional:
Faux Paz for their excellent choreography and performance, as well as their soloist who won.

The Deaftones for their arrangement of “Edge of Seventeen”

On A Different note, for their VP, congrats on the award!

Rhythm Method’s Choreography for “Right Here Waiting For You”.

And the S-Chords soloist, who also won… great job!