With weeks of preparation culminating at the International Championship of Collegiate A Capella (ICCA), Biscaydence was equipped to take the stage. The competition, which was the basis of the popular 2012 film Pitch Perfect, boasts over 400 collegiate a capella teams from the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., competing for the winning title. With a short yet rich history, Biscaydence enjoys numerous accolades since their creation in 2011—most notably their 2019 runner-up placement at the 2019 ICCA finals and the release of their own EP. The group has made their mark at nearly all of their competition appearances, and their successful run shows no signs of stopping. At the ICCA South Quarterfinal this past weekend, the team placed second against teams from all over the southern-most United States, along with an individual special award.
"We have been working incredibly hard over the past 8 weeks arranging, choreographing and rehearsing with our members. We went into the competition with an open mind ready to have fun performing as a group and share our work with an incredible community of musicians,” said Sydney Altbacker, a junior here at the University and one of the music directors for Biscaydence.
Accompanying the team’s top two finish was the “Outstanding Solo” award presented to Julia Barrist and Josh Mims for their duet performance of “Teeth” by the band 5 Seconds of Summer. For their performance at the quarterfinal, the team will travel to Durham, North Carolina to compete at the semifinal during spring break—hoping to mimic their 2019 run and win the competition to advance to the final round of the tournament.
“Advancing to semi-finals was the icing on the cake. Everyone in the group is extremely inspired and ready to refine our set before we head to Durham," added Altbacker.
To learn more about Biscaydence and follow their ICCA journey, visit their website and follow them on Instagram. Also, be sure to check out their EP, Blue Horizon, available on Spotify and Apple Music.
