PWHS musicians Katie Abai and Ace Cratin continue District ensemble run

Congratulations and good luck to Plymouth Whitemarsh High School instrumentalists Katie Abai and Ace Cratin whose performances have allowed them to continue to compete at the District level. 

After a rigorous audition process on December 14, Katie and Ace both qualified for the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 11 Band. Katie will be playing String Bass and Ace will perform on bassoon. 

"I'm looking forward to playing music with my friends," said Ace, whose musical journey has introduced him to other dedicated musicians in Bucks and Montgomery counties. "A lot of my friends made it this year, so that's really cool." 

After years of musical study on other instruments, both Katie and Ace are relative newcomers to the string bass and bassoon.

For Katie, her hard work has also earned her a position in the District 11 Orchestra — making her the first PWHS musician in more than 10 years to qualify for all three district ensembles in one year. UPDATE: Ace has now also made history by qualifying for all three district ensembles in one year.

"It’s completely unexpected," she said. "I just started on the bass in August, and I feel like I’ve been able to make so much progress with it. I’m really proud with how far I’ve come, and I'm looking forward to learning from this experience and from the other players in the section." 

The District Orchestra festival will take place January 8-10 at Spring-Ford High School, and the District 11 Band festival will happen January 23-24 at Wissahickon High School. These events include auditions for the regional festivals, full-day rehearsals, and a public concert.