Coming in with a win from their previous Sing Strong competition in New York, the Acatonics earned another victory at the International Competition for high school a capella, in the mid-Atlantic quarter final round on Feb, 22.
The ICHSA took place in Waldorf, MD, and hosted 10 schools. This specific competition was founded in 2001, after seeing a growing interest in the high school level of a capella. Since it has been founded, there has been a steep incline in the amount of participation and talent.
Because the competition allows for groups of any age, experience or origin, the Acabellas and the Supertonics come together to form the Acatonics for their competitions. It is required, however, that the groups must consist of permanent, full-fledged participants who are students enrolled at a school or university. Each group has 12 minutes to perform, and groups who exceed this time may be penalized by one place.
The team is proud of their win streak and overall performance. “I am very proud about the result of the most recent competition. We worked so hard for this competition and I am very happy the work paid off,” junior Alex Ochman said.
The team sang “Freak” by Little Mix, “When the Party’s Over” by Billie Eilish, and “Alive” by Sia. They were able to perform these songs with skill because they have a strict rehearsal schedule and take their practices seriously. “We practice for the competition by rehearsing every single day in class, including many after school rehearsals for about three to four hours,” Ochman said.
This victory puts this school as the first group in Montgomery County to place in this competition. Their victory leads them to the semifinal round in New Jersey. The groups that place second or third in the semifinals will be invited to submit a video for the Wild Card round, where the top scoring group will be invited to the ICHSA Finals. “I am very excited for the upcoming competition. It is really going to bring us together,” Ochman said.
Members of the team will continue to follow their passion and work hard moving forward. “My favorite part is getting to do what I love with all of my friends who love singing just as much as I do,” senior Macy Fewell said.
On Apr. 4 in Allendale, NJ, at the Northern Highlands Regional School Auditorium, the Acatonics will compete against seven different schools.
