Musical Tribute for Gerry Wright
Gerry Wright became the choral teacher at Messalonskee High School in the early 1970s. And over the next 27 years, an amazing metamorphosis occurred: Wright the teacher turned into Wright the institution.
Sunday at 2 p.m. Messalonskee will celebrate the memory of Wright, who died recently, in a free concert at the Messalonskee Performing Arts Center.
The concert will feature the Al Corey Big Band and two special guest musicians, both former students of Wright who went on to successful professional careers. Pianist Chris Neville has played with some of the giants of jazz and also served as the pianist for the Broadway tour of The Lion King. Trombonist/vocalist Darmon Meader, a Messalonskee alumnus, leads the New York Voices, an award-winning jazz vocal ensemble.
Long-time Messalonskee band director Andy Forster organized the concert as a tribute to his friend and former colleague, a man who left not just a musical legacy, but a legacy of what the best teachers are all about.
“He was kind of the model for having a teacher represent more than just the subject area,” Forster said. “He was always interested in all of the other aspects of students’ lives. He was a big sports fan, and he was always interested in how his students were doing at games and practices and tried to attend them. He was always interested in the overall health and well being of his students.”
At the same time, Wright demanded maximum effort from his students. He had high standards, and he wanted his students to strive to be the best they could be.
“If you weren’t doing something correctly,” Forster said, “he made sure you knew it, and I think that is really important because we sometimes forget it’s our job to get students to a higher level.”
Wright demanded the same of himself as a musician. By all accounts, he reached quite a high level as a pianist. Forster speaks in reverent terms in describing Wright’s talent and dedication as a musician.
While Wright “retired” as a teacher at Messalonskee after 27 years, he never truly retired as a musician. In fact, he played a gig just last month and prior to his passing was the piano accompanist for both the Messalonskee High School and Messalonskee Middle School choirs.