A cappella honors
UD's Vocal Point finishes 2015 ICCA season with second place in wild card round
2:57 p.m., April 10, 2015--After winning a spot in the top three collegiate a cappella groups in the world at last year’s International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA), the University of Delaware’s Vocal Point advanced just short of the finals this year, taking home second place in the ICCA wild card round.
Vocal Point earned a spot as a wild card in the competition, which is like March Madness for vocalists, by first taking second place honors at the ICCA Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinals in February. The group then advanced to the ICCA Mid-Atlantic Semifinal, held last month at Drexel University, where they were named the first runners up.
Honors Stories
National Medal of Science
Warren Award
The wild card round invites the first and second runners up from each of the seven regional and international semifinals to submit a video recording of their performance for a chance to compete in the ICCA Finals on April 18. Five of Varsity Vocals’ judges who have not judged any previous round of the current competition season evaluate the submissions using the same rubric as the live ICCA events, and the groups are notified by email.
Vocal Point submitted their 12-minute performance set of Take Me to Church by Hozier, sung by Colin Daingerfield; Stay With Me by Sam Smith, sung by Matthew Pisciotta; and Break Free (feat. Zedd) by Ariana Grande, sung by Julie Peacock.
They landed a score of 338 – 15 points higher than their semifinal honors – but it was The Nor’easters of Northeastern University who took the top spot with 405 points. Third place went to University of Pennsylvania’s Off the Beat.
“We received various comments from the judges ranging from some harsh realities to uplifting messages,” said Kameron Ghanavati, publicity manager for Vocal Point and a junior vocal performance and music management major. “Overall, they saw a lot of potential in us and a few of them even ranked our soloists very high. They really liked our sharp look and confidence as we took the ICCA stage.”
And despite coming home one round sooner than they hoped, members say the experience at ICCAs has only strengthened their bond as a group and given them confidence to continue to strive for more.
“The ICCAs have always been my favorite part of the semester,” said Pisciotta, president of Vocal Point. “We are already such a close-knit group with so much drive and when the ICCAs come around its amplified.”
Natalie Cardillo, the group’s music director and a sophomore choral music education major, said the group’s drive was evident even in the first-year students.
“One of my favorite parts about this year’s competition was watching our new members pick up the music and choreography so quickly,” said Cardillo. “You would not be able to tell that they’re ‘newbs’ because they’re all so talented and committed.”
“Our fingers were crossed for the wild card group, but however nerve-wrecking performing on the ICCA stage may be, I’m always comforted when I see my friends next to me,” she added. “They remind me to let go and have fun.”
For Pisciotta, a senior with a double major in finance and marketing and a minor in international business who will graduate this year, ICCAs are just a part of the whole.
“The group constantly continues to surprise and amaze me throughout the season,” he said. “I couldn't be happier to have spent the last four years with such talented individuals.”
A noteworthy record
Competing in the ICCAs is just one element of Vocal Point’s repertoire. The group’s recent album recordings have been featured in a variety of outlets.
Varsity Vocals selected the group’s version of Miley Cyrus’ Wrecking Ball, sung by Samantha Hitchell, from over 1,000 tracks for inclusion in its 2014 Best of College A Cappella album. Vocal Point was also included in Voices Only 2014, Vol. 1, a selective, two-volume scholastic a cappella compilation that features top collegiate and high school recordings, for their rendition of Sara Bareilles’ Chasing the Sun, sung by Hannah Futterknecht.
Vocal Point’s most recent endeavor is an EP recording, currently underway, with 2014 UD alumnus Jon Smith and Dave Longo from The Vocal Company.
The group’s history of performance accolades at ICCAs include:
- 2014 ICCA South Semifinal outstanding soloist award for senior Colin Daingerfield’s performance of I Had Me a Girl;
- 2014 ICCA South Quarterfinal outstanding arrangement award for 2014 UD graduate Jon Smith’s arrangement of Dark Side and outstanding choreography award for the entire set;
- 2013 ICCA Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinal outstanding soloist award for 2013 UD graduate Brooke Bartolo’s performance of Good Girl;
- Third place overall at the ICCA South Quarterfinal in 2012;
- A 2011 outstanding arrangement award from the ICCA South quarterfinal at JHU for 2011 UD graduate Lauren Wells’ arrangement of Secrets; and
- An overall third place win at the 2007 ICCA Mid-Atlantic quarterfinal at Lafayette College and outstanding soloist award for 2009 UD graduate Alfredo Austin’s performance of Sir Duke.
Spring performance
Vocal Point’s spring concert is scheduled for Saturday, May 16. Check the Facebook page for location and ticket details.
Article and photos by Kathryn Meier