Westford Academy Salsa Band will not be available for students to join during the 2025-2026 year due to budgetary and staff constraints. The decision comes after the district-wide budget cuts in the 2023-2024 school year forced the Westford Academy Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) department to lose...

Everyday, in class and after school, band teacher Adam Shekleton teaches his students in preparation for their performances. One of those performances is the yearly Apple Blossom parade, which is a part of the Apple Blossom festival. In this year's Apple Blossom parade which took place on May 18,...

The Ghostwriter had the opportunity to sit down and interview Alvah Fletcher for our Student Spotlight series. Sophomore Alvah Fletcher discusses topics such as their love for music and how they had joined both the concert band and the marching band this year. Read the transcript below for our...

WA’s Music Department is going on a field trip to Philadelphia and New York during spring break in April. The group will depart from WA on April 12th at 7:00 a.m., and return on April 14th at roughly 8:30 p.m. On the first day of the trip, the students will perform in a band, orchestra, and chorus...

Within thirty minutes of WA’s first ever Salsa Band meeting, trumpets are playing, drumsticks are moving, and even cow bells are ringing. A catchy, upbeat rhythm echoes throughout the band room and nearly 15 students tap their feet as they read the music on their stands. While it may not be perfect...

On Friday, March 10th, the Music Department held WA's first Talent Show in three years, putting a spotlight on student and teacher talent throughout the school. A photo gallery of the event and full video of each performance can be found below. To view the full playlist, click the playlist...

The Westford Academy band, choir, and orchestra recently performed their first concert of the 2022-23 school year on Dec. 15 in the PAC. It was also the first-ever concert the freshmen participated in. Overseen by Adam Shekleton, the band teacher, Karen St. George, the choir teacher, and Ken Culver,...

To kick off their rehearsal season for the MICCA Symphonic Band Competition on April 1, the Westford Academy Band held a game night on Monday, March 14, in the WA Band room, before a group practice session. The night was full of Uno, Apples to Apples, Jenga, video games, and so much laughter.

On Friday nights, crowds of students, parents, and faculty line the Westford Academy Trustees’ Field stands to watch the home football game. While the primary focus of these games is the football team, another team’s presence substantially adds to the experience of the night. The WA Marching...

A band is a group of people that work in unison to achieve a similar musical goal, much like a team or club works on their goals.  A band can be electric to pump up crowds or soothing to calm your nerves.  On Friday, the marching band pumped up the crowd throughout the game and gave energy to the...

In the summer of 2018, the Westford Academy Band welcomed Michael Soo as its new band director, but now, three years after accepting his position, Soo has decided that it is time to say goodbye. Soo will be leaving to accept a new position in the Acton-Boxborough School District. He attended school...