NCC’s A Capella team Sonata Problem have qualified for the 26th season of the Varsity Vocals International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) championship competition. The team will be initially competing in the Great Lakes participant region, from which they can compete against teams internationally.
ICCA
The ICCA is one of the largest international tournaments for college A Cappella groups. Participants from the United States, Canada and United Kingdom come every year to take part. It has been operating since 1995 and this year’s season features over 400 groups and 6,000 performers.
Sonata Problem
Three friends wanting to fill a gap in the school’s extracurriculars founded Sonata Problem in January 2012. Since then, the club has become an official student organization and competed in several different tournaments, including the 2018 and 2020 ICCA. They are the main competitive A Cappella organization for students at NCC.
Enrica Uhlen, ’22, has been on the team for three years and enjoys the competition every year.
“Something I’m most excited for is recreating some memories and traditions we’ve created when we perform – we have this little chant we do every time we take a stage that gets us really hype,” says Uhlen.
The experience is more than just competing. The opportunity to meet so many people with similar interests from abroad is important, too. The team is working hard to give a fantastic performance. Additional practices will begin closer to when ICCA approaches, but the tight-knit group have the advantage of their friendship.
“In past years at ICCA we’ve gotten comments about our group’s friendly dynamics and chemistry between each member which, believe it or not, really shines through during our performance and makes for a more realistic aspect,” says Uhlen.
Upcoming Season
The competition begins in January of 2022 and goes through March of 2022 for quarter and semi-final rounds. It will either be held in-person or remotely depending on venue availability and COVID-19 policies. Tickets for viewing go on sale Dec. 1. The winners will be going to The Town Hall in New York City for the finals.
