Dwight L. Morgan

1955 -

Dwight Morgan, a trombonist, has taught music for over thirty years at all levels. He has also served as an administrator at three schools.

Dwight was born in Kingston, Jamaica, one of four children and the older of two sons of Albert and Muriel Morgan. He started piano lessons at an early age and later, after coming to the U.S., started playing trombone at age thirteen in a public school music program. Both parents encouraged him and his siblings in their music study.

He was active in all aspects of the band program at La Sierra High School. By the time he graduated from LSHS in 1974, he had received an award by the Bank of America for his musical accomplishments and, inspired by his music teacher, had decided to pursue a career in music.

Dwight enrolled at La Sierra University as a music education major with trombone as his performance area. He studied for four years at LSU and then attended for a year at the University of California, Riverside. He then worked at a medical center and was hired to teach music part-time at Fairview Junior Academy in Highland, California. During this time he completed coursework and student teaching requirements at LSU and graduated in 1981.

Morgan continued to teach at FJA, building a band program there, and also began teaching at Mesa Grande Academy, where he worked with their band. At the end of five years, he left MGA and worked full-time at FJA doing the full music program and also teaching computer classes for five more years, until 1990.

He enrolled as a graduate student in school administration at LSU that summer. At the end of the summer he took a position as music teacher at Hawaiian Mission Elementary and Intermediate School and beginning in his second year also taught at Hawaiian Mission Academy. In 2000 he accepted a position in another Adventist school on the island, where he served as an administrator/teacher until 2005. During his time in Hawaii, he had completed an M.A. in administration and leadership at LSU in 1994

Morgan returned to the mainland in 2005 to accept a position at Greater Boston Academy, where he served as vice-principal for the elementary school, homeroom teacher for the seventh and eighth grades, and choir director for the school. In 2007 he took a position as music director at Milo Adventist Academy in Oregon, teaching there until 2012. At that time, he became principal of Door Prairie Adventist School in La Porte, Indiana, a position he presently holds.

Morgan is married to Ellen Simpliciano, a musician, and they have two daughters, Melody and Calla. He also has another daughter, Maritza, by a previous marriage. All of his children have been or are active in music.

ds/2012

Sources: Interviews, November and December 2012; Online sources; personal knowledge.