Doctor of Humane Letters (1991)
Joyce Garrett, director of choral music at Eastern High School in Washington, D.C., is one of the first music educators to direct a high school gospel choir in Washington. Under her direction, the Eastern High School Choir has won national and international acclaim. After winning a silver medal at the International Youth and Music Festival in Vienna, Austria, in 1988, the choir has been featured in national magazine articles and made numerous national network television appearances. Mrs. Garrett received her bachelor’s degree from Bennett College in Greensboro, N.C., and a master of music degree from Catholic University. In 1989, the Washington Post named her Agnes Meyer Teacher of the Year, and she also received the Delores Kohl Education Foundation International Teacher of the Year Award. In 1990 she was awarded the American Red Cross Overseas Association Humanity Award. In addition to directing the Eastern High School Choir, Mrs. Garrett also directs the United States Naval Academy Gospel Choir and the Youth and Adult Choir of the Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, VA. She and her husband, James, are the parents of two children.
Notes:
- Just days after I created this page of information about Joyce Garrett’s Honorary Doctorate, I received word about the Eastern High School Choir Reunion Concert in Washington D.C. on July 7, 2018. Many WVWC Alumni were present for that event celebrating music and what it could mean to so many.
- Born in Kinston, NC
- BME Bennett College
- MM Catholic University
- Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters West Virginia Wesleyan College
- Eastern High School Choir: 1972-1999 (retired in 1999)
- The 1988 Eastern High School Choir was the first black choir invited to the Youth and Music Festival in Vienna. They won second place behind the Latymer School (London). No third place was awarded that year because the gap between the top two and the next group was so large.
- 1989-2014 Christmas in Washington. Following her retirement in 1999, Dr. Garrett recruited a choir to participate. The show was cancelled in 2014.
- Kennedy Center Honors
- Has served on the board of Chorus America.
- Music Director at Alfred Street Baptist Church
- Quote from Joyce Garrett: Choir is a tool for transforming lives.
Sources:
- Commencement Program: May 12, 1991
- Kelley, J. (2018, July 2). In 1988 the Eastern High School choir took on the world. They felt like winners. Washington Post.
- Member Spotlight for Chorus America
PLM 7/6/18, Updated 7/9/18