Cranbrook.edu

Vocal Music Instructor Jim Gabriel takes his bows

6/2/2025

Shanzay Ali '25, Senior May Project Intern, Cranbrook Schools Office of Advancement

Click here to share your well-wishes with Mr. Gabriel as he departs Cranbrook

After 15 years of connecting with CK students through music, Jim Gabriel, Cranbrook’s beloved choir director, is departing, as he sets off to achieve his longtime goal of composing and performing his own music. From leading winter and spring concerts to coaching soloists in the school musical, he has been a guiding presence to us both on and off the stage. While he will miss the students, faculty, and everyday moments, he says the concerts and connections made along the way will always be special to him. Truly, he has shaped a community through song, and his legacy will live long within the music he has created with us.

As the academic year draws to a close, our beloved choir director, James Gabriel, is retiring. When asked what he will miss most, his answer was simple: "Pretty much everything — the students, the campus, the faculty, my colleagues. Just the opportunity to teach music and teach choral music. And just interacting with the wonderful people that are in Cranbrook — students, teachers, everybody, it's been fantastic, a fantastic experience."

For him, Cranbrook has never been just a workplace, it has been a community, a stage, a family. His mentorship has become a staple of school concerts and assemblies, and his guidance has shaped generations of singers.

Reflecting on the most memorable moments of his career, he says "I think every year during the spring and winter concerts are always memorable to me because they're such wonderful experiences — for me, for the choirs, for the people who come to watch. I always find those really, really wonderful. Just having the opportunity to work with students is very memorable for me."

Mr. Gabriel is known for his fun presence and infectious love for choral music, turning every class into a place for connection and joy. His presence extends far beyond the choir room, as much of his work also is present and school events like Window to the World and the school musicals we love, where he works with soloists to make them truly reach their fullest potential.

Whether standing at the front of the stage with a conductor's baton or practicing in the Choir Classroom with his Golden Groot through rehearsal, he has always led his work with care. The performances had under his guidance thrived from his dedication. As he takes his final bow from the Cranbrook stage, we offer not just thanks, but love and respect, for he has truly shaped this community through song.

Thank you for everything, Mr. Gabriel.

~Shanzay Ali '25, Senior May Project Intern, Cranbrook Schools Office of Advancement

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