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Thomas Wright Jr.

(1975-2025)

Thomas Wright Jr. was part of the New York ACDA leadership as a repertoire & re-
sources co-chair for high school music. He taught at several high schools in his home state
of Maryland and in New York before joining the staff of Edward R. Murrow High School
as the music teacher.
He was a lifelong musician, playing alto sax and singing at an early age. His mother was
the guitarist in his childhood church. In addition to teaching beginning, intermediate, and
advanced piano at Edward R. Murrow High School, Thomas directed the gospel choir
and was the vocal director for the school’s musical.
A new teacher profile written in April 2024 cited some of his extroverted recruitment
efforts: “He will stop students in the hallway and ask, ‘Can you sing? Come sing for me!’
He’ll get them to sing for him and determine whether they are alto, soprano, tenor or bass.
‘Then, they just have to rearrange their schedule,’ he says cheerfully.”
1
With his deep curiosity, broad musical interests, and a “particular joy” in teaching
2
gospel and twentieth-century Black composers, Thomas touched many lives and is remem-
bered with fondness by many students and colleagues.

1. Leigh Anderson, “With a song in his heart” (United Teachers of Freedom, https://www.uft.org/
news/building-your-career/new-teacher-profiles/song-his-heart, April 11, 2024). Accessed
June 12, 2025.
2. Ibid.

66 CHORAL JOURNAL September 2025 Volume 66 Number 2