Dennis Montgomery III facts for kids

Dennis Montgomery III, born on June 19, 1965, in Shreveport, Louisiana, is a talented pianist, organist, and professor. For almost 30 years, he has led the amazing Reverence Gospel Ensemble at Berklee College of Music.

Early Life and Music

Dennis Montgomery III grew up surrounded by music in Shreveport, Louisiana. He started singing and playing in Baptist churches from a young age. His parents, Dennis Montgomery II and Eddie Mae Montgomery, taught him a lot.

By the time he was nine, Montgomery was very good at playing the Hammond B3 Organ. He was even hired to play alongside his father at Stonewall Baptist Church. He also played at St. Mary's Baptist Church nearby. His father was the music minister at Stonewall Baptist Church. His mother also played the organ and had classical training. This helped Montgomery learn many different kinds of music.

Studying at Berklee

In 1983, Montgomery came to Berklee College of Music. He chose piano as his main instrument and studied Music Education. Soon after arriving, he joined the gospel choir. At that time, it was just an extra club.

Montgomery quickly became a student director and accompanist for the choir. He helped former Berklee faculty member Orville Wright. A year later, the gospel choir became a regular class. Students could earn two credits for it. Montgomery was very happy about this. He believed it was important to learn everything about your chosen field. He said that gospel music is the "mother" of many American music styles. He also noted that jazz music has its roots in gospel.

Leading the Reverence Gospel Ensemble

Montgomery graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1988. He then became a full-time professor and took over the Reverence Gospel Ensemble. Since he became the director, the choir has become one of the most famous groups at the college.

Montgomery believes the choir is very important for international students. Students from places like Asia, South America, Europe, and Australia join the choir. He feels it helps them experience a true form of American music. He explained that when he was young, he had to learn European musical styles. So, he thinks it's important for foreign students to learn American music.

Many famous musicians have been part of the choir. These include Paula Cole, Lalah Hathaway, Susan Tedeschi, Claude Kelly, Rob Lewis, and Mark Whitfield.

Music Recordings

• 2003: Come And Have Church With Me