By Jennifer Igbonoba
Reuben Lael is known for his resonant voice and utilizes the power of music to motivate and captivate people, regardless of their artistic background.
“I love to use the power of music to inspire people to live their best life, and then to make this world a better place,” Lael said. Lael’s musical roots run deep in the Garland area. As the son of the co-founders of the St. Mark Baptist Church, Linda Griffin, president of the Garland ISD Board of Trustees, and the late Rev. Dr. Roosevelt A. Griffin; Lael was surrounded by music from a young age.
“My dad also loved Motown and classic soul, so I grew up listening to a lot of those great hallmark artists, and they had a major influence on me,” Lael said.
Lael graduated from Southern University and A&M College – Baton Rouge as a political science major and vocal performance minor in 2008. He said obtaining a degree in political science allowed him to use his music to “support social justice issues,’’ and compared one of his songs from 2020, “Stand Up”, as the modern-day equivalent of “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye.
Lael said he has been the creative director of the GISD Martin Luther King celebration “Lift Every Voice and Sing” musical for about 15 years and the experience helped prepare him for his role as a fine arts teacher at Oliver Wendell Holmes Middle School.
“Our students need to have a creative balance,” Lael said, adding that as an educator his job is to help guide students in discovering and nurturing their artistic talent. “I think that’s what helps them be problem solvers, as well as change agents in the world, and music allows for that creative scene to work and be a cutting edge for them.”
As a hometown kid, Lael was the proud speaker at the City of Garland’s Juneteenth celebration in Audubon Park last month.
“Personally, Juneteenth to me is about liberation and justice,” Lael said. “And that is something we all can relate to and because of that, everyone can join in the celebration of Juneteenth no matter your background, nationality, or ethnicity.”
Growing up in Garland, Lael was surrounded by people from different cultural backgrounds.
“I think it exposed him at an early age to the true story of America being the melting pot because we had so many nationalities right here in Garland,” his mother said. “And then also with integrating the Christian perspective of his father being the pastor and serving all types of people, all kinds of people.”
Early in Lael’s life, he witnessed the dedication and hard work of his mother to learn new music, as she served as the church’s choir director and musician at the time.
“Reuben has what I consider gifted musical skills,” Griffin said. “I was taught music, but Reuben’s gift of music comes naturally to him.”
Griffin said she has seen the “maturity” as Lael has grown further in adulthood and his commitment to making the community a better place for people of color. She added that conversations around culture in their house is a factor in his cultural awareness.
“The thing that I hope and dream and pray for him is that his music and his spiritual background along with his ability of service, that he will enter something and make a lasting impression on the community and that he’s recognized for his skill, his service, and his abilities.”
