Teachers
Kayla Werlin, Department Chair and Vocal Music Director
413-565-4220 ext. 2353
A native of Lexington, Massachusetts, Ms. Werlin holds music degrees from the University of Michigan and the University of Massachusetts. Although she has over 40 years of experience teaching music at every level, from kindergarten through college, it is the high school level where she has found her true passion. Ms. Werlin came to Longmeadow in 1995 to teach General and Choral Music at Williams Middle School. She moved to Longmeadow High School in 1999 to teach vocal music, and became Department Chair in 2013. She's currently the director of all choral ensembles at LHS. Under her direction, LHS choirs have earned awards at the annual MICCA state choral festival as well as the 2011 American Prize for Choral Performance. They have received invitations to perform at state and regional music education conferences, and they have performed in New York (at Carnegie Hall), Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Los Angeles, New Hampshire, Rhode Island as well as Italy, Germany, Sweden, England and Austria.
Ms. Werlin's work has been recognized by a number of professional organizations. In 2018, the Massachusetts Music Educators Association awarded her the Lowell Mason award for excellence in teaching. In 2019, the Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association honored her with induction into their Paul Smith Hall of Fame. In 2020, Werlin was one of 10 educators nationally who were recognized as Music Teachers of Excellence by the Country Music Association, and she was recognized at the CMA Awards in Nashville. In 2023, tthe Massachusetts Music Educators Association recognized Ms. Werlin with its Distinguished Service Award.
Married to another conductor, E. Wayne Abercrombie, Ms. Werlin is step-mother of six, grandmother of fourteen and great-grandmother of eight. When she’s not at LHS, she’s likely either climbing rock walls at the gym (not yet very successful on 5.11 routes 😕) or at home reading books, watching birds, or cooking for her friends. She loves travel, and has visited Haiti, Israel, Japan, Taiwan, France, England, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Denmark. She loves studying languages, and tries to speak at least a little of the language every place she visits.
Arthur Thovmasian, Instrumental Music Director
413-565-4220 ext. 2332
athovmasian@longmeadow.k12.ma.us
A native Rhode Islander, Arthur Thovmasian earned a Doctorate of Musical Arts from Boston University, a Master’s degree from the Eastman School of Music and a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of New Hampshire. As a trombonist, he has has performed nationally and internationally with numerous ensembles. These groups include the American Institute of Music’s Orchestra based in Graz, Austria, the Symphony Orchestra Academy of the Pacific in Vancouver, British Colombia and the Monterrey Symphony Orchestra in Monterrey, Mexico. Locally, he has performed with groups including the Albany Symphony Orchestra, Portland Symphony Orchestra (Maine), the Lexington Symphony Orchestra, the University of New Hampshire faculty brass quintet. In 2012, he was a finalist in the American Trombone Workshop’s International Solo Competition.
Prior to his appointment at Longmeadow High School, Arthur was on the faculty at Southbridge High School where he led the school’s concert band, jazz ensemble and marching band. During his first year at SHS, he was named Southbridge High School’s Educator of the Year. Arthur has additionally taught for the Boston University Music Education Department, the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, the University of Rochester Department of Music and Southern New Hampshire University.
During his free time Arthur is an avid runner and has completed ten marathons/ultra-marathons and other mountain races. He is a proud resident of Longmeadow and enjoys spending time with his wife Natalie and their Bernese Mountain Dogs, Armand and Maeby. Arthur is also on the state executive board for the Massachusetts Music Educator Association as well as MICCA (Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductor Association).