Ashfield Community Band seeks conductor
After 14 remarkable years, Ashfield Community Band conductor Cynthia Mangsen has stepped down from her role leading the group, and the band is now searching for our next conductor.
The Ashfield Community Band has come a long way since our informal beginnings in 2008, when a handful of local musicians came together on short notice to ensure the Memorial Day parade would have musical accompaniment. What started as a one-time effort took root and grew into something lasting. Under Mangsen’s steady and demanding leadership, the band developed from a scrappy pickup group into a polished ensemble of more than 30 members, performing six times a year at community events including Memorial Day, the Ashfield Fall Festival, and our annual holiday concert and carol sing.
Mangsen’s approach was straightforward: raise the bar, and trust that people would rise to meet it. They did. The band’s growing reputation has in turn attracted stronger players, and the result is an ensemble that punches well above our weight for a volunteer group of hobbyists and amateurs.
Now, with Mangsen’s departure, the band faces our first major leadership transition. She left the organization in strong shape: well-rehearsed and deeply woven into the civic life of Ashfield and beyond. As she put it herself, the time for a change is when the foundation is strong.
The Ashfield Community Band rehearses April through November and performs at events throughout the year, drawing members from across the region who share a love of live music and community. It’s a passionate and talented group, and the right conductor will find it a rewarding one to lead.
Anyone interested in the conductor position, or who knows someone who might be, is encouraged to reach out to AshfieldMABand@gmail.com or see details at http://tiny.cc/ashfieldband.
Jeff Gang
Buckland