Deaftones Head to A Cappella Semifinal

The Deaftones, the fourth-year pop a cappella group from Westminster Choir College of Rider University, recently won the Mid-Atlantic quarterfinals of the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella at Rutgers University, and will advance to the Mid-Atlantic semifinals.

The Mid-Atlantic semifinals will take place on Friday, March 27, at 8 p.m. at Rutgers, and will also feature AllNighters of Johns Hopkins University, Deep Treble of Rutgers University, Ithacappella of Ithaca College, Melismatics of Lehigh University, Pointercounts of SUNY Potsdam, Rhythm Method of Binghamton University and Shades of Blue of Penn State University.

Jessi Franko, adviser to the a cappella group, said she is proud of the Deaftones’ recent success.

“Their hard work and dedication certainly paid off with a first-place win and best choreography,” said Franko, creative services manager at Westminster.  “When you consider all of the other obligations and responsibilities that our students have, the fact that they can devote time and attention to an extracurricular activity like the Deaftones is really remarkable.”

If the Deaftones succeed in the next round, the ensemble will perform at the International Collegiate A Cappella Championship on Saturday, April 18, in Alice Tully Hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York.

The ensemble includes Keri Acer, a sophomore Voice Performance major; Justin Andrews, a freshman Music Education major; Jaclyn Beardsley, a sophomore Music Education major; Leah Creary, a junior Music Theater major; Cliff Goldberg, a senior Music major; Ben Houghton, a senior Piano and Music Theater dual major; Lauren Hunt, a senior Voice Performance major; Heather Hussey, a sophomore Music Theater major; business manger Billy Mattison, a senior Sacred Music major; Erina Pearlstein, a senior Music Education major; Phil Provenzano, freshman Music Education major; Ben Sutley, a sophomore Voice Performance major; Jackson Williams, a senior Voice Performance major; and Karuss Williams, a sophomore Music Education major.

Pearlstein, the ensemble’s student director, who leads all the rehearsals, said all the students arranged the songs and designed the choreography. The competition arrangement includes Stevie Nicks’ Edge of 17, Goo Goo Dolls’ Black Balloon and KT Tunstall’s Suddenly I See.

“It really was a great group effort. Everybody deserved the win we got because we all worked together,” she said.

Each year the ICCA takes place from January through April in six regions: West, Midwest, South, Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and Europe.