Two of Washington University’s a cappella groups moved onto this year’s Midwest International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) Semifinals at the 560 Music Center on April 1. 

Mosaic Whispers kicked off the Semifinals with its monologue about love and grief. Its song arrangement included “Music For A Sushi Restaurant” by Harry Styles, the bridge of “The 30th” by Billie Eilish, and “Ceilings” by Lizzy McAlpine. The performance was heartfelt and genuine, and the crowd was moving with the flow. 

Leading up to the semifinals, the Whispers’ members added daily rehearsals on top of their normal time spent practicing, which is around six hours a week. 

“Prior to semifinals, I was a pretty timid soloist that didn’t have the best stage presence, and I never had to do a musical piece that involved 10 minutes of dancing,” Kidist Taye, one of the soloists in Whispers, said.

She learned a lot from the senior members of Whispers, including Noah Maguigad, Will Skubish, and Natalie Feldstein, on how to make her craft authentic and create art with her closest friends.

Taye is thankful that the semifinal experience brought the group closer than ever, with a deeper connection established through music. 

“We experienced so much laughter and cries, and I would love to do it all over again,” Taye said.

The other WashU group that performed was The Amateurs, an award-winning, all-gender collegiate a cappella group. It performed an elaborate arrangement of “Intro” by Chloe x Halle, “Bass Song” by Eryn Allen Kane, “Woods” by Bon Iver, and “Ride” by Lana Del Rey. Dressed in black and white, the Amateurs transformed the stage into a story of understanding one’s self and accepting one’s emotions. 

The storyline becomes apparent by the end of the first song, which finishes with the question “will you ever love?” and transitions into the second song, “Bass Song,” which is about escaping into nature to find oneself. 

“Overall, I think it’s really about exploring emotion and the tolls it can take on people, but also how emotion, bad and good, is what makes us human.” Grace Brady, a junior in the Amateurs, said.. 

Brady shared that the Amateurs members were excited going into the performance, and she thought it was one of their more confident runs. 

“Learning, performing, and working on this set has been such a great experience. Personally, I feel like I’ve improved from it, and I think overall it has brought us together,” Brady said.

The a cappella groups were examined by four judges, who are all experienced vocalists and accomplished performers. The groups were evaluated on factors of vocal and visual performance, and special awards that recognize exceptional vocals, arrangement, and choreography were given out at the end. 

Mosaic Whispers secured third place in the Semifinals, while Case in Point from Case Western University won second, and The Ohio State of Mind from Ohio State University took first and claimed a spot for the ICCA finals happening in New York City. Eli Cohen from Mosaic Whispers also won the award for Outstanding Vocal Percussion.