POPLARVILLE, Miss. — The Voices, Pearl River Community College’s premiere vocal group, competed in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) Quarterfinal in Miami, placing third in their first ever Quarterfinal competition. 

This year’s ICCA tournament included over 400 groups across nine regions: Central, Great Lakes, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, South, Southwest, West, and the United Kingdom. The South Region had five Quarterfinal competitions with eight to eleven groups each.  

The Voices were the only community college competing in the South Region and the only first-time competitor for their Quarterfinal. The Quarterfinal included groups from the University of Florida, the University of Miami, Florida International University, the University of Central Florida and the University of South Florida. 

“Our goal was to do our best and represent PRCC to the best of our ability,” said Dr. LaDona Tyson, Director of Choral Groups. “We wanted to compete with universities to prove that community colleges can produce the same level of excellence.  

“I’m so proud of what our students put on the stage. It was a truly life-changing moment for many of us.” 

Student members of the group found incredible value in the competition. They performed a 10-minute set that included “How Long” by Tove Lo, “Let Somebody Go” by Coldplay, and “Fall Into Place” by Couch. 

“This is my last year being a part of The Voices,” said Nicholas Williams. “I was excited finding out that we would be competing for the first time this year. We worked hard pushing ourselves and each other out of our comfort zones. We grew as singers and performers, but I am most proud of us growing closer as a family.  

“We walked off stage knowing we gave it our all, and I wouldn’t change a thing. We truly love what we get to do, but love the people we get to do it with even more which made competing and the trip as a whole that much more special.” 

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