By the Ashland Music Association

Ashland continues to distinguish itself as a community rich in musical talent! 

Twenty-eight outstanding band and vocal music students from Ashland Middle and High Schools have been selected to participate in the prestigious Central District Massachusetts Music Educators Association (MMEA) Festival Concerts, with two students also earning selection to the All-State Festival. These events bring together top student musicians from across the region and state to work with renowned conductors and experience the excitement of performing in high-level ensembles. Auditioning for and being selected to these festivals reflects not only the students’ dedication and hard work, but also the strength of Ashland’s music education programs.

For both the Senior and Junior Central District Music Festivals, Ashland students were selected through a rigorous audition process involving over 70 schools across the region. Vocal music students were selected to the Chorus ensemble, while band students were placed in either the Concert Band (primarily consisting of woodwind and brass instruments) or the Orchestra (including a full string section alongside woodwinds and brass).

Senior District Festival Concert Participants

Auditions for the Senior District Festival Concert were held in mid-November, and the concert took place on January 17th at the historic Mechanics Hall in Worcester. Congratulations to the following students who represented Ashland at the Central District Senior Festival Concert:

Concert Band: Jonah Bloom (French Horn), Millie Jaiswal (Bass Clarinet)*, Rebecca Kriegsman (French Horn), Daniel Lee (Clarinet)*, Sabrina Lin (Clarinet), Hasani Reddy (Tuba), Neha Ruthramoorthy (Bass Clarinet)*, Kaiya Smits (Oboe)Ashland High School band students prepare to take the stage at the Senior District Festival Concert.

Orchestra: Andrew Martin (Bassoon)*

Chorus: Erick Almeida (Tenor), Caroline Diamond (Soprano)*, Gabby Ilin (Alto)*

From this group, six students (marked with an asterisk*) earned an All-State recommendation based on their audition scores, qualifying them to audition for the MMEA All-State Festival.

All-State Festival Selections

Following highly competitive auditions with the state’s most talented student musicians, two Ashland High School students earned acceptance into the MMEA All-State Festival, an all-day event that will be held at the Hanover Theater in Worcester on March 21. Senior alto Gabby Ilin returns to the All-State Festival for the second consecutive year and will perform in the All-State SSAA (Soprano, Soprano, Alto, Alto) Chorus. She is joined by talented bass clarinetist Neha Ruthramoorthy, who earned placement in the All-State Orchestra. Congratulations to Gabby and Neha on these outstanding accomplishments!

Junior District Festival Concert Participants

Auditions for the Junior District Festival Concert were held on Feb. 7. This year, 28 students from Ashland Middle School (grades 7–8) and Ashland High School (grade 9) participated in the audition process, including—for the first time in many years—a chorus student from Ashland Middle School. Sixteen students were selected to perform in the Central District Junior Festival Concert, which will be held on May 2nd at Whitcomb Middle School in Marlborough. Congratulations to the following students:

Concert Band: Daniel Achildiev (Alto Saxophone), Sam Apostola (Clarinet), Marcus Coombs (Tuba), Ben Deibler (Bassoon), Nathan Follett French Horn), Alex Gonzales (Trumpet), Lily Hutter (Clarinet), Inesh Kanakaraju (Trumpet), Elisha Marfil (Trumpet), Avyukt Sairam (Bass Clarinet), Samantha Yung (Clarinet)

Orchestra: Viraj Harish (Violin), Mark Mayatskikh (French Horn)

Chorus: Charlotte Dowd (Soprano), Torsha Maji (Soprano), Kyleigh Vento (Soprano)

The Ashland Music Association (AMA) is proud to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of our students! We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Ashland Select Board for its generous BAA Grant that has helped support our students’ participation in District and All-State auditions and concerts, as well as other enrichment opportunities.

Spring Concert Season 

Come see these talented students—and many others from our schools—bring their music to the stage this spring at the Ashland Public Schools’ Spring Band and Vocal Music Concert Series. This season’s lineup promises to be an unforgettable celebration of musical excellence, featuring a variety of performances, including:

MICCA Festival Preview Concert – As part of another exciting spring festival, this concert gives the community a sneak peek at the exceptional music our band students are preparing for the Massachusetts Instrumental & Choral Conductors Association (MICCA) competition. Come see our award-winning ensembles—all of which earned Gold and Silver Medals at last year’s MICCA Festival! You can continue to support our students, including the AHS Chorus, by attending the MICCA Festival later in the spring. 

AHS Choral Concert – Diving Through the Decades: Celebrating 100 Years of Song – Join the Ashland High School Chorus as they take the audience on a musical journey through the past century, showcasing the skill, versatility, and passion of our student vocalists.

Mindess Choral Concert – Thanks to Mindess Elementary’s expanded chorus program this year, we are excited to announce this new concert to the spring season! Come enjoy the music of the Mindess Chorus (grades 4–5) as they showcase the voices of our youngest student singers. 

Whether you’ve been following our music programs for years or are attending a concert for the first time, these performances are sure to entertain. Mark your calendars, gather your friends and family, and come experience the power of music in our community. We can’t wait to see you in the audience!

Community Support for Music Education

The AMA is a volunteer-run non-profit organization that provides financial and volunteer assistance to music performance groups in Ashland Public Schools.

Visit AshlandMusic.org to learn more and sign up for Clocker Beats, our newsletter that keeps the community connected to Ashland’s school music programs—featuring student achievements, concert information, updates on important issues impacting music education, and more!