Remembering Maritri Garrett: A Howard Artist Whose Music Carried Light
The Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts community is remembering the life and legacy of Howard alumna Maritri Garrett, a singer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist whose artistry and spirit touched audiences and collaborators across the country.
Garrett studied music at Howard University, earning both a Bachelor of Science in Composition and a Master of Fine Arts in Jazz Studies. Her time at Howard helped shape a creative voice that would blend classical training, jazz sensibility, and deeply personal storytelling into a body of work that resonated far beyond the stage.
A gifted multi-instrumentalist, Garrett was known for performing on piano, guitar, cello, and percussion while crafting songs rooted in reflection, community, and emotional honesty. Over the course of her career, she performed alongside and opened for iconic artists including Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, and Barbra Streisand, while also contributing music to theatre, dance, and interdisciplinary creative projects.
Yet those who knew Garrett often speak first not about accolades, but about her presence.
Friends and collaborators consistently described an artist whose warmth and openness made people feel seen and welcomed. Her music carried that same spirit, inviting listeners into spaces of reflection, healing, and connection.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Garrett created a livestream gathering called “Reunion of Souls,” using music as a way to bring people together during a time of isolation. The series became a place where audiences could reconnect with one another through song, conversation, and shared humanity, reflecting Garrett’s belief that music could build community even across distance.
That belief echoes a tradition long held within Howard University’s College of Fine Arts: that art is not only something we perform or study, but something that connects, heals, and illuminates the human experience.
Garrett carried that spirit throughout her life and work.
In a message shared with her community, her family described her as someone who lived “with openness, warmth, and a genuine love for people and music,” a presence that brought light into every room she entered.
As the Howard community reflects on her life, we remember an artist whose journey through this institution helped shape a creative path grounded in generosity, joy, and purpose.
Her music, her spirit, and the communities she nurtured continue to resonate.