When Shams Ahmed’s name came across the screen as a winner at the 44th Sports Emmy Awards, he was taken by surprise. After all, Ragged Old Flag: An American Chorus, the piece he was the music arranger and director of alongside world-famous a capella group Pentatonix’s Scott Hoying and Ben Bram, was up against titans like John Williams, renowned for composing music for Home Alone, Jaws, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, and Star Wars.
But when it happened, Ahmed felt an outpouring of support worldwide as the first Bangladeshi-American to receive a Sports Emmy for music direction. “Winning the award, especially as a person of colour and a child of immigrants, was a truly special experience,” he shares. The Emmy-winning video, aired during Super Bowl LVII in February 2023 and directed by Rachel Neubeck, showcases children singing songs with a patriotic flavour at American landmarks as Johnny Cash narrates his song, Ragged Old Flag.
THE EMMY-WINNING VIDEO, AIRED DURING SUPER BOWL LVII IN FEBRUARY 2023 AND DIRECTED BY RACHEL NEUBECK, SHOWCASES CHILDREN SINGING SONGS WITH A PATRIOTIC FLAVOUR AT AMERICAN LANDMARKS AS JOHNNY CASH NARRATES HIS SONG, RAGGED OLD FLAG.
Born and raised in New Jersey, Ahmed’s journey as a music arranger, vocal producer, and creative director began at Northeastern University in Boston, where he directed a cappella heavy-hitters and two-time International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella winners, The Nor’easters, while studying Finance. The leadership that he was able to exercise in that group gave him a weekly practice ground for arranging and composing music, and set him up for a lot of success later in life.
Alongside Finance, Ahmed took up East Asian Studies with a focus on Mandarin Chinese, completing a certification course at China’s Nanjing University. After graduating, he continued to pursue musical projects while juggling a busy career in investment banking and finance in Boston, before full-fledgedly shifting to music in 2018.
In partnership with Hoying and Bram, Ahmed helped launch an all-female pop and R&B band called Citizen Queen, who signed a record deal with Sony Music’s RCA Records within the first two years of their formation. Cosmopolitan compared their origin story to the movie, Pitch Perfect, noting that “after going through a cappella boot camps and auditions, the girls joined forces to create pop anthems and covers.” In December 2020, Citizen Queen released their first original song, Call Me Queen, written by Justin Tranter, Nova Wav, and Shawn Wasabi, and accompanied by a music video directed by Lauren Dunn. They are now preparing for the release of their first major original project as an independent group.
AHMED WORKED WITH SHREYA GHOSHAL, ONE OF BOLLYWOOD’S MOST BELOVED SINGERS, AS A COORDINATOR, ARRANGER, AND VOCAL PRODUCER ON HER FIRST ENGLISH-LANGUAGE TRACK, INVINCIBLE, ON PENTATONIX’S 2022 STUDIO ALBUM, HOLIDAYS AROUND THE WORLD.
Ahmed, Hoying, and Bram also co-founded a children’s a cappella group called Acapop! KIDS, who have racked up over 100 million views across YouTube and Facebook, and consistently roll out music videos. “The kids performed a medley of Kelly Clarkson’s songs on her talk show, and an original track on America’s Got Talent, which they dedicated to their friend who passed away. I am really proud of their exceptional accomplishments and excited about their future,” adds Ahmed.
He serves as the Director of Talent and Creative for Northeastern University signature events, producing entertainment for events such as Commencement Ceremonies at Fenway Park, as well as EXPERIENCE, Northeastern’s $1.5 billion fundraising campaign. Currently based in Los Angeles, he is also a music director at A Cappella Academy, a unique summer camp aimed at cultivating the skills of young artistes in vocals, beatboxing, arranging, directing, songwriting, engineering, and production.
Ahmed looks to incorporate his cultural influences into his productions as a Bangladeshi-American. He has a deep interest in South Asian music. “I was exposed to Rabindra Sangeet and Bangla folk songs from a very young age. My father is a talented vocalist, even though he does not sing professionally. I used to sing Bangla songs with him at different cultural functions,” he explains. “I have a maximalist approach to making music, and I believe it stems from the fact that the region of Bengal is rich with art and culture.”
Ahmed worked with Shreya Ghoshal, one of Bollywood’s most beloved singers, as a coordinator, arranger, and vocal producer on her first English-language track, Invincible, on Pentatonix’s 2022 studio album, Holidays Around the World.
“Growing up, I loved Bollywood music as well as vocal harmony and a cappella singing. To participate in a beautiful collision of the two worlds was a career highlight for me. Shreya is a joy to work with and a stunning talent,” he shares.
As he gazes towards the future, Ahmed’s aspirations are clear. “I love live music,” he declares, “but my sights are set on television and film. Executive producing and making music for those mediums is my next dream.”