Dedicating the “Melvin Harris Way”
There’s a new street in Salisbury in honor of a man who came to town decades ago with a few things on his mind mainly music and teaching.
At the intersection of Lake and Booth in Salisbury the streets have a new name…
“I never thought that in my 85 years of life that a street would be named after me.”
But don’t try telling anyone inside the Bennett High Auditorium Wednesday afternoon that Melvin Harris doesn’t deserve it.
Although most of them know him better as “Mr. Harris”.
“Mr. Harris was probably one of the coolest sort of most electric educators you could ever want to have.” Said Chris Demone, one of Harris’ former students.
Another one of Harris’ former students, Nate Clendenen, a musician, also spoke highly of Harris’ influence, saying, “He very literally laid the foundation of what I ended up doing for the rest of my life and what I will continue to do for the rest of my life.
Harris came to Salisbury from Virginia in 1961 accepting the position of band director at Salisbury High at that time a segregated, “blacks only” school, where he established the elementary band program.
Five years later as more local schools became integrated, Salisbury High School closed.
But Harris was just getting started, becoming the first band director at the new Bennett Junior High, spreading his love of music to hundreds of students.
Harris tells 47 ABC, “I’m so proud of the ones that stayed in and became band directors. Some of them went to army band, some of them went to play in drum and bugle corps.”
The bands he directed garnered national attention.
In 1980, Harris left Bennett to teach younger students, working simultaneously at four elementary schools, before wrapping up his career at Pinehurst Elementary.
In retirement Harris didn’t miss a beat serving as the director of the Salvation Army Band and the Wi-Hi Band for 13 years all on a volunteer basis, and while Harris came for the music, he was always there for the people.
“I lost my dad my sophmore year of high school.” And “one of the memories that sticks with me is Mr. Harris pulling me in and telling me “hey man I’m so sorry, your daddy was my buddy.” Said Demone.
As the late Bob Marley said “the greatness of a man is not in how much he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.”
The words of one great music man reflected in the life of another.
