Gary Spellissey      

CHS Class of 1968

CHS ‘68 Marching band (1,2,3,4), Yearbook Staff, Varsity Track (2,3,4), Talent Show, Musical, District Band, Recipient of the Bernie Larkin Award as the Outstanding Music Student (4)

University of Lowell BA Music ‘72 Brass Choir, Wind Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, Stage Band  

Boston University M Applied Percussion ‘73 Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble

Career
Belmont, MA Public Schools Music educator for 40 years Powers School, teacher and Department Chair. Taught percussion at: UMass-Lowell, Gordon College, Lawrence Academy, University of New Hampshire, Plymouth State College, and Eastern Nazarene College. Performance resume includes: Boston Pops, Chatham Corale, Merrimac Valley Philharmonic, Portland Symphony, Worchester Music Festival, Cape Cod Center for the Arts, Jazz Factory Big Band, Ronald McDonald House, Brigadoon, Cabaret, Hello Dolly, Annie, Mame, Chorus Line, The Kig and I, Oliver and Gigi. Worked with Cyd Charisse, Mel Torme, Nipsy Russell, Donald O’Connor, Pearl Bailey, and Sammy Davis, Jr.

“I consider myself lucky to be able to help so many people through the use of percussion. I have seen people that were shy, introverted, lacking self-respect and confidence, I have seen how percussion has changed their lives. Autism and all its variations have been pushed aside by the use of music and percussion”.