Sophomore Akash Sriram, a choir student, is the first student at MHS to be accepted into the American Choral Directors Association National Honor Choir in Dallas, Texas in the middle of March 2025 and the second student at MHS for the Coastal Regional Choir at Santa Clara University on November 9, according to choir director, Emily Moore.
Sriram’s talent and dedication to choir have helped open up many excellent opportunities for his future, as he plans to bring his passion for choir to college while pursuing medicine, he said.
“I loved that I was able to represent my school and be in the choir,” said Sriram.
Sriram’s audition for the Regional Honor Choir was successful but complex because of the many components he had to take part in, he said.
“So first, of course, I’d have to do a solo, like an excerpt from a famous Italian aria song.” Sriram said. “Then after that, what I did was I went through some vocal exercises to test my range, and they found out I’d be good for tenor one, which was the voice part that I ended up singing in.”
Sriram is extremely appreciative for this experience of singing in top competitions and having this exciting experience, he said.
“I really do like choir, and I’m really grateful for having this opportunity and especially having Mrs. Moore, I wouldn’t have even known about the Regional Honor choir, or any of the honor choirs, in fact,” Sriram said. “I’m really, really grateful that I was there and I was really, really excited because honor choir is like a place where you get to meet a lot of people who are like you, who love music and stuff, and that fact that in three days we’re able to make such great music; that’s really something which I feel proud of and really happy about.”
Moore has helped Sriram grow as a choir student and acknowledged his natural talent for singing since he was a freshman, she said. Sriram is always improving and always getting better; from making regional and all-state as a freshman to making regional all-state and nationals as a sophomore, his dedication and hard work are recognized, she added.
“He’s amazing, like everything, he’s probably one of the best singers I’ve ever had, probably in my career,” Moore said. “He just keeps getting better.He started out wonderful, and just, it’s always improving.”
Sriram’s mother, Srividhya Vijayakumar gave insight into Sriram’s childhood and about his personality as a person and a choir student, she said. Sriram’s passion for singing and dancing at a very young age was clear, and he has always been musically intelligent, she said.
“When he was three, four months old, and if he liked (the music), he would dance,” Vijayakumar said. “He has a way of expressing that he’s very happy.”
Sriram’s father, Sriram Srinivasan spoke about Sriram’s musical journey from middle school and how he has brought that passion into high school, he said.
“He joined choir in seventh grade for his elective because he was interested in music, and he loved singing,” Srinivasan said. “So that’s the transition, and from then on, he was really motivated to be in the choir program.”
Vijayakumar enjoys seeing her son pursue his passions at this young age and is excited for the upcoming years ahead, she said.
“So seeing from there, all the way to his interest and the opportunities he’s been given, and for him to make use of opportunities, it’s a warm, good feeling for us,” Srinivasan said.
As an adviser, he tells Sriram to always try to have an optimistic attitude and view on all the experiences you bring to your life or journey, Srinivasan said..
“Just always keep it positive, you know, enjoy it,” Srinivasan said. “And then, you know, sometimes you may get in, sometimes you may not. It’s a journey and that is something that should be more scenic and enjoyable.”