The Pennharmonics, a coed a cappella group from Penn State, under the direction of senior Stephanie Allen, placed first in the Mid-Atlantic region semifinal competition of Varsity Vocal's International Championships of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) at Rutgers University. The JoePas, an a cappella group under the direction of sophomore Jim Hogan, placed second in the region. Both groups had advanced from the quarterfinal round held at Penn State on Feb. 25.
The Pennharmonics now advance to the ICCA International Finals at the Town Hall in New York on Saturday, April 28, as the representative for the entire Mid-Atlantic region of the country. They will be one of seven groups in the nation that will compete for the title of International Champion.
In addition, Allen and Hogan both were awarded with the Outstanding Soloist award for the competition for their features in "I'm not here," and "Higher," respectively. Michael Murray, a member of the Pennharmonics, also was awarded with the Outstanding Arrangement award for his work of "Uprising/Brick in the Wall."
"We are very proud of both groups from Penn State," said Luke Skerpon, chairman of the Penn State A Cappella Director's Association. "The Pennharmoincs and JoePas represented the Penn State a cappella community and the University very well at this year's semifinal. On behalf of the entire Penn State A Cappella Community, I would like to wish the Pennharmonics the best of luck as they compete for the international title in New York. I know they will represent us well in the competition."
To see a video of the Pennharmonics performance from the semifinal, visit http://vimeo.com/39179154 and to see a video of the JoePas performance from the semifinal, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw85m6G7ZKA&feature=player_embedded online.
The Varsity Vocals International Championship of A Cappella is the only international tournament that showcases the art of student a cappella singing. The program is dedicated to providing top-notch collegiate a cappella groups with valuable feedback from highly qualified judges. Vocalists also have the opportunity to showcase their talent to an international audience and develop relationships with each other, cultivating the art of a cappella singing and a lifelong love of music.