The Elizabethtown College women’s a cappella group, Melica, went to the International Championship of Collegiate A cappella (ICCA) Quarterfinals Saturday, Jan. 28 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
This year’s ICCA took place at Philadelphia’s Drexel University in its main auditorium where Melica competed against eight other college a cappella groups from around the mid-Atlantic region of the United States.
Melica sang a medley of four different songs for their performance this year.
These songs were “Castle” by Halsey, “River” by Bishop Briggs, “Lie to Me” by Sara Bareilles and “Bird Set Free” by Sia.
Each section of the set featured a solo by one of the group members.
The first solo was performed by sophomore Christina Dark, followed by solos from seniors Corey Falcone, Audrey Barrett and Alivia Schaffer in the other three sections.
Other a cappella groups that performed at the event included Echoes and Off the Record from Lehigh University, High Street Harmonix from West Chester University, Soulfege from Lafayette College, the Cleftomaniacs and TrebleMakers from Drexel University, the Villanova Supernovas from Villanova University and Under A Rest from West Chester University.
At the end of the competition, the judges announced the third, second and first-place scores on stage.
While they handed out the complete scoresheets to the competitors after the announcement, they only gave specific placing up to fourth.
Therefore, groups that did not place fourth or higher did not receive official placement.
This year Melica did not place at the event, but according to senior member and music director Kathryn Griffith, they most likely ended up somewhere in the middle of the board based on the group’s overall scores.
The group that finished off in first place was the Villanova Supernovas, with Under A Rest following close behind in second-place and Soulfege in third.
The groups in first- and second- place will later move on to the ICCA mid-Atlantic Semi-Final.
Griffith said that although she is somewhat disappointed that they did not place for the Semi-Final this year, she still has a positive attitude about the situation due to the subjectivity of judges in competitions.
She has also indicated that receiving a high placement in the competition is not what means the most to the group, and that “the most important thing was how much fun we had leading up to that night.”
Melica Vice President senior Rachel Brubaker said that while this year was her third time going to the ICCA Quarterfinal, it was an excellent experience because each time has been so unique.
“Our group this year is very supportive of each other, so we were able to have a lot of fun,” she said.
The group also had plenty of its fans, friends and family visit Drexel to support the performance, and Brubaker said that was the best part and made the whole experience worth it.
On the other hand, Dark had a different perspective for this year’s show, as it was her first time taking part in the ICCA competition.
As the first singer with a solo in her group’s performance, she was anxious to sing well and be confident on stage in order to get her teammates off to a good start.
She said that while being on stage in front of the audience was quite a rush for her, waiting at the end for scores was a long and nerve-wracking process.
However, Dark said that her time with Melica has been rewarding and that she is proud to be a part of such a close group.
“Sometimes if the day is hard, practicing with Melica is the highlight of my whole day,” she said.
Both Griffith and Brubaker agree that being a part of Melica has made their years at Etown more fulfilling and that it brightens their days.
“You don’t really understand the meaning of sisterhood until you’re part of something like Melica,” Griffith said. “I’m so grateful for this group, the skills I’ve developed through leading rehearsals and especially the relationships I have now because of it.”
While Melica did not place in the ICCA Quarterfinal, the group will be back for a spring show in April at Etown.
