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On Saturday night, 15 pairs of orange pants, two bunches of bananas and a Nintendo Switch traveled to Binghamton University. When Otto Tunes took the stage for the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella central quarterfinals, the audience erupted in applause.

“What they just did there blew me away,” Syracuse University senior Madyson Diaz said. “They’re all so talented, I knew they were going to bring it.”

The ICCA is the only global competition for college a cappella groups to showcase their talents. Before its performance this year, Otto Tunes had previously attended the competition in 2024 and advanced to the ICCA semifinals. This year started rehearsing sooner, as Otto Tunes prepared to take on the competition again.

When Otto Tunes didn’t place in the semifinals in 2024, choosing to go back to the competition this year was a hard decision.

“A competition is a really big thing,” Micah Greenberg, a senior and the group’s co-public relations director, said. “It completely takes over everything you do as a group.”

Last spring, Otto Tunes unanimously voted to pursue the competition. They started preparing for the ICCA in August, before classes started on campus.

Otto Tunes have since participated in a group retreat, performed at their annual Cockappella showcase and toured the Northeast. The group used every performance as preparation for the ICCA, member Jack Elliott said.

Their 10-minute-long set features songs like “Mr. Roboto” by Styx and “Human Nature” by Michael Jackson. Elliott said he didn’t feel confident about the set until a week before the competition. Many other members agreed.

“We performed like half of it at Cockappella,” Elliott said. “It was really mediocre.”

Despite this, Otto Tunes performed throughout the year to various audiences, like at Cockappella, helped them build the stamina and confidence they needed for Saturday’s performance.

On Monday, Otto Tunes gathered in a Flanagan Gymnasium workout room to run through the whole set and iron out choreography issues.

Rowan Mastrangelo, Otto Tunes’ business manager, choreographed the set. While running through the dances, Otto Tunes used water bottles, umbrellas and phone cases as makeshift microphones.

Throughout the rehearsal, Mastrangelo retaught portions of the set to clarify any confusion among the group. They settled down to watch randomly selected groups of four run through the choreography for a game they call “spin the wheel.”

Mastrangelo knew everyone’s choreography, not just his own. Elliott said Mastrangelo “could coach the SU basketball team.”

Originally, Mastrangelo wasn’t supposed to choreograph the entire set, but took up the challenge. Logan Wagner, a SU senior and president of Otto Tunes, credited Mastrangelo with exceptional leadership.

“He is incredibly hungry,” Greenberg said. “I hope the next generation of Otto Tunes can be twice as hungry as Rowan, Logan and I have been.”

The day before Otto Tunes competed in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella central quarterfinals, the group convened in the Otto Tunes’ house for one final rehearsal. Otto Tunes joined hands, offering words of wisdom before the big day. Avery Magee | Photo Editor

On Tuesday, Otto Tunes focused on music. Led by sophomore Music Director Sean Beatty, the group ran through the entire set to clean up any mistakes. With only four days until the performance, the tired and stressed Otto Tunes squabbled over minor errors and identified who in the group made mistakes, freshman Grant LaMartina said.

LaMartina said passion and a desire for success are the reasons they argue, but their friendships and brotherhood make criticism easier to accept. Comments come in all forms, including weird looks, quick jokes and shoulder shakes that communicate the need for corrections, he said.

“At the end of the day, we’re all brothers,” Elliott said. “Brothers get snippy with each other, they fight. But we’re all working toward a common goal.”

To perfect their set, Beatty invited CC Cosenza, music director of Groovestand, a SU coed a cappella group, to critique the group during the late-night Tuesday rehearsal. Groovestand previously competed in the ICCA, and Cosenza shared insider experience and wisdom with the Otto Tunes ahead of their performance.

Cosenza gave notes throughout the rehearsal, focused on timing, dynamics and blending the group’s vocal parts. She said they needed to trust themselves and trust each other above all else.

“We really want to see these guys succeed,” Cosenza said. “We’ve all been through this and know how difficult it is. Their progress these past few days has been amazing.”

On Wednesday, Otto Tunes hosted an impromptu showcase in front of other SU a cappella groups and other students to address any notes and critiques. For Greenberg, seeing the entire a cappella community show out for Otto Tunes gave the group the boost of confidence they needed.

Otto Tunes’ participation in the ICCA has attracted “Pitch Perfect” fans. In the hit 2012 musical comedy, a cappella groups like the Barden Bellas and the Treblemakers compete at the ICCA.

“We saw they were competing for the same competition as ‘Pitch Perfect,’” Kate Schmidt, an SU freshman who attended the showcase, said. “We love ‘Pitch Perfect,’ so we thought that this was so cool.”

However, Otto Tunes members don’t see many similarities between their group and the Treblemakers, John Fitzhenry, Otto Tunes’ co-PR director, said. Still, they acknowledge the humor in the comparison and occasionally post on social media, inspired by the fictional group.

“We’re not having riff-offs every weekend,” Fitzhenry said.

After a week of rigorous rehearsals, the group gathered at the Otto Tunes house for one final meeting and rehearsal on Friday.

Huddled around the TV, Otto Tunes watched their showcase video to spot any mistakes they might have made and clear up any lingering confusion. Just 24 hours before the competition, members were still disagreeing over how to finalize the choreography and vocal arrangements. By the end of the meeting, Otto Tunes knew how to improve their set, down to breath placement and eye contact.

“It’s never done,” senior Dylan Adamczyk said. “All of the groups competing are still trying to figure out what they can do better.”

At the end of their get-together, Otto Tunes joined hands, as they do after every rehearsal. Standing in a circle, executive board members took turns offering wisdom to their fellow Otto Tunes ahead of their big night.

LaMartina said that when they join hands, the group is one, in complete unison. He said that in that moment, it is clear that Otto Tunes are far more than just an a cappella group. They’re a brotherhood.

Some members roll their eyes at the term, as their bond is more than just a brotherhood. There is a common understanding of pressure and pride, a shared devotion to their craft and an adoration for music that lingers among inside jokes and booming laughter, Wagner said.

After months of rehearsals, Otto Tunes gears up to take the stage for the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella central quarterfinals at Binghamton University. Other Syracuse University a cappella organizations made their way to Binghamton to support Otto Tunes. Avery Magee | Photo Editor

During the sound-check rehearsals on Saturday, the group had only 15 minutes to run through all their material, working quickly to familiarize themselves with the stage.

To proceed to the semifinals, Otto Tunes needed to place first or second; anything else meant the end of their ICCA run. The pressure stirred nerves among the group. SU junior Sander Schwartz said his previous experience in the ICCA left him nervous during Otto Tunes’ long wait before their performance.

“I’m just excited to go out there and sing,” Schwartz said. “We’ve been cooped up here for a while, and I’ve gone a little stir crazy.”

As always, Otto Tunes joined hands ahead of their performance. With the tense atmosphere, Wagner and the executive board reassured the group, reinforcing their pride one last time.

Other SU a cappella students traveled to Binghamton to support Otto Tunes. Sitting in the front three rows, the students cheered with words of encouragement as Otto Tunes took to the stage.

Diaz, a member of Groovestand, said she was astonished by the performance. Compared to Wednesday’s showcase, Otto Tunes’ confidence improved and so did their sound, Diaz said.

As the set finished, the audience exploded with applause and cheers. Otto Tunes skipped offstage, proudly hollering as they made their way up to the dressing room for a post-performance conversation.

Screaming, dancing, crying and some still singing, Otto Tunes agreed that this was the best performance they’ve put on. They didn’t need a judge to tell them their performance was amazing, Wagner said.

“This feeling, this is what matters,” Wagner said. “This is why we compete.”

Two hours later, the results came in, and Otto Tunes placed third. They did not advance to the ICCA semifinals.

On Saturday, Otto Tunes placed third in the central quarterfinals of the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella. Rowan Mastrangelo won the “Outstanding Vocal Percussion” award for his beatboxing skills. Avery Magee | Photo Editor

But, their placement didn’t end the night; judges recognized Mastrangelo for his beatboxing, earning the award for “Outstanding Vocal Percussion.” The group embraced Mastrangelo in a hug on stage. Wagner later called him the MVP of the season.

Rather than allowing disappointment and sadness to consume them, Otto Tunes celebrated. Car dance parties, a light saber and a hangout at the Otto Tunes house closed out their 2026 ICCA chapter.

Before the competition, LaMartina wrote a final message to himself before the results of the performance.

“We are bigger than a 10-minute performance in Binghamton, New York,” he said. “After that, we are still a brotherhood.”

Published on February 1, 2026 at 11:51 pm