Herb Pomeroy - Teaching Career

Teaching Career

In addition to his performing career, Herb Pomeroy also enjoyed an active teaching career. He helped found the Jazz Workshop on Stuart Street — under the leadership of Charlie Mariano - which included such musician/teachers as Varty Haroutunian, Ray Santisi, Serge Chaloff, Dick Twardzik and Pomeroy on the faculty. Later Pomeroy joined the faculty of the Berklee School of Music in Boston where he taught for 41 years. In 1963 Pomeroy was enlisted to revitalize the Techtonians big band at MIT. It was renamed the Festival Jazz Ensemble, and he continued as its director for 22 years. During his time as director he helped the FJE perform throughout the US as well as abroad, even helping them become the first college ensemble to appear at the Swiss Montreux Jazz Festival. His contribution to Music at MIT is well known and on May 10, 2008 the university had a memorial concert for him in the Kresge Auditorium. He also taught at the Lenox School of Music, where he conducted a full orchestra of his own students. After his retirement, Herb Pomeroy gave his time helping people study jazz in the Greater Boston area. In the later part of Pomeroy's life he did several workshops for local Middle and High School aged students, most notably with the Gloucester Educatation Foundation.