The power to share memories

I have been watching a community of disparate people come together today on Facebook to share memories of a music teacher who touched all their lives.

The news element in this is that Dennis Wrenn died this past Friday, as he was wrapping up a trip to Greece with the Algonquin Regional High School band. Mr. Wrenn was a longtime music teacher, active in his school and in music programs throughout New England. Community members, students and alumni have been learning of the sad event since then, and they have been turning to Facebook to share their thoughts in remarkable numbers.

Four separate groups have been formed – the largest, called simply “Dennis Wrenn: A Tribute”, has 1232 members as I write this. 297 have signed up for “Dennis Wrenn – Students Giving Back”, 279 are members of “For those in favor of a Dennis F. Wrenn Music Scholarship”, and more than 50 have signed on to “For the naming of the Auditorium after Dennis F. Wrenn”. Mr. Wrenn’s family members are reading the messages and thanking people for their support, students, alumni and colleagues are sharing their memories, and in the process, they are building a lasting tribute that is much more than a scrapbook of his life. It is a lesson in the difference one man can make, and the power of social tools to share those memories.

There are 190 wall posts (and growing), 43 photos in the ever-expanding photo library – and a wonderful series of anecdotes about Mr. Wrenn and the difference he made. I won’t excerpt them here – but phrases like “wonderful educator”, “tremendous influence”, “amazing musician”, and “a special gift” are woven throughout the stories, which come from retired teachers, L.A. musicians, friends and students. They come from different eras and different states. But they have something bringing them together.

And I know this isn’t the first time a sad event has brought together people online. But it is another powerful example social media tools at work, and I hope that it is helping Mr. Wrenn’s family cope with their loss.

I never met Dennis Wrenn. Never knew of him until today. But now I feel a little like I got a taste of who he was – and wish I’d had a chance.