As the drum major conducts the Revere Marching Band to start their show, the first sound the audience hears is the front ensemble. Within the small group of students at the front of the field is sophomore Sammy Rich on the vibraphone (a large-looking xylophone). Throughout the five-minute show, he hits the metal keys with mallets to make a melodious sound on his vibraphone. 

Sammy Rich has played music almost his entire life. He plays around ten different instruments, participates in Revere’s marching band and concert band and played piano for the spring musical. 

Rich’s interest in music started when he was young. His mom, Courtney Rich, could not remember exactly when he gained an interest, but she explained where she thinks his love for music started. 

“I listen to a lot of music. I’m always playing music so maybe that sparked it? I think just hearing music all the time was kind of the spark,” Courtney Rich said. 

With years of experience, Rich has picked up a number of different instruments. He listed which ones he knows how to play. 

“Flute, clarinet, the keyboard, I have a trumpet but I can’t play it. Snare drum, guitar, ukulele, violin and steel drum,” Rich said. 

Rich picked up the keyboard last school year. He explained that Katie Pflueger, the Revere Middle School band director, convinced him to play for Revere’s spring musical last year, Mamma Mia! Rich is already looking forward to playing the keyboard for the musical again this spring. 

“He already asked me what the next musical is going to be,” Courtney Rich said. 

Rich taught himself the keyboard for Mamma Mia! in about three months. Courtney Rich spoke about how easy it is for Rich to learn new instruments. 

“Sammy can hear a song one time and just play it . . . he’s self taught on the keyboard and he can read music but he can also just hear songs and play them. It’s pretty easy for him to pick stuff up,” Courtney Rich said. 

Courtney Rich also spoke about another instance when Rich learned a new instrument in a short amount of time. 

“He got [a steel drum] for his birthday, and we opened it up at the restaurant. He immediately started playing songs without ever having played it before,” Courtney Rich said. 

Courtney Rich explained her favorite part about Sammy’s talent.

“I just love that I can say ‘Sammy play this,’ and I can play it, and then he can replicate it on any instrument he has,” Courtney Rich said.

Rich has nonverbal autism (Courtney Rich translated quotes said by Rich), because of this, he has an aid that is with him for most of his school day. Karrie Kulhawica has worked with Rich since he was in sixth grade and has seen him grow in his music career. She spoke about how, even when he is in his other classes, Rich is always thinking about music. 

“We’ll sit in class and instead of paying attention in class he’s playing the piano on his desk or on his arm or he’ll be drumming,” Kulhawica said. 

Although it seems like Rich would rather be playing music, Kulhawica spoke about the other subjects Rich has accelerated in and how she thinks music helps him in his other classes. 

“He’s really good at math and he does really well in science also. From what I understand, those kind of correlate with music,” Kulhawica said. 

When Rich is at marching band practice, he spends a lot of his time with front ensemble tech, RJ Marcoz. Marcoz is a music student at Kent State University who, this marching band season, has started directing the front ensemble section of the Revere Marching Band. Marcoz spoke about what makes Rich stand out as a music student. 

“He always shows up the most prepared. He’s just a hard worker and that pays off. . . . [He is] very talented in music. I can see that he enjoys it,” Marcoz said. 

Marcoz also explained how he and Rich are able to communicate with each other since Rich is nonverbal. 

“Either he’ll write something on the board or he’ll go up to my phone and write something on the notes app [and] I know what he’s saying. Because he’s nonverbal, obviously he can’t speak, so there’s other ways that we have to communicate,” Marcoz said. 

Band Director Tom Chiera also spoke about his experience with Rich in the marching band. 

“I see Sammy grabbing onto such cool aspects of music and how our band works.  He isn’t vocal about what he is learning, but next thing you know, we start a tune and he is rocking the part on vibraphone,” Chiera said. 

Chiera is new to Revere this school year and told a story about the first time he met Rich. 

“I was standing in front of a band class and suddenly Sammy stands up, walks to the white board next to me, and writes numbers. He then turns, smiles right at me, and I am in awe because I see that unprompted with no information from me, Sammy wrote my birthdate on the board for the class to see. He had done his research on who the new band director was and wanted to share what he found,” Chiera said. 

Rich is surrounded by many different types of instruments and styles of music, but he does have favorites. He spoke about his favorite instrument, song and genre of music he likes to play. 

“Keyboard . . . Stay by Justin Bieber . . . pop music,” Rich said. 

Rich is already planning for his future in the music field. Courtney Rich shared one of Rich’s goals in the marching band world. 

“He told me he wanted to try out for Matrix, which is a drum corp,” she said. 

Matrix is an independent percussion ensemble based out of Akron. The group travels around Ohio and performs for different audiences throughout their winter season. Rich says that he would like to try out once he is out of high school. 

Courtney Rich reiterated that music is a constant in Rich’s life. 

“He listens to music and plays music. . . . Music is life,” she said. 

Rich will finish out the fall marching  band season and transition into concert band later in the school year. He also has plans to play the keyboard again for Revere’s musical in the spring. 

Click HERE for more Lantern coverage on student musicians.

This story was originally published on Lantern on October 3, 2023.