On February 14th 2015, the ICCAs were hosted in Stockton University’s performing arts center. Ten acapella groups came to Stockton from different colleges all over New Jersey, incuding the teams from Rutgers, Ramapo, and Montclair. Tickets had to be purchased ahead of time at the box office. The show was opened by one of Stockton’s non-competing acapella groups. They sang a few songs, and then the hosts, Christian and Julie, introduced the first group.
The show was so interesting to watch. It was clear that so much goes into an acapella performance. The music is so complex and beautiful. The songs were prepared and practiced a lot. Thought had to go into which songs to sing and the order to sing them for the judges. The music takes so much effort to get right, and then the teams also have to consider choreography and outfits. You wouldn’t think outfits are that important, but when there are many teams competing an outfit choice can make a group stand out.
All of the groups were great. They sang contemporary and older songs, faster and slower songs, and serious and fun songs. They were on for about ten minutes each. It was truly a great night with many wonderful performances. After the last group performed, another Stockton University acapella group that does not compete performed. They sang a medley of songs to entertain the audience while the judges deliberated. In the end, an all male group from Rutgers University won. Stockton University came in 3rd. Overall, it was a very enjoyable night.