Music is his life. A native of Buffalo, N.Y., he's taught music to all ages from elementary school to college. Now under the auspices of the Lincoln Arts Festival, a Boothbay region-based philanthropic organization dedicated to preserving, developing and showcasing the arts in Lincoln County, Reynold Scott has a chance to again do what he loves best, sharing his love of music with his favorite summer haunt, the Boothbay region.

A former music professor at the State University of New York in Buffalo, he plays mostly woodwind instruments in various genre bands including Sun Ra Arkestra, which has played all over the world. On Friday and Saturday, Sept. 14-15, Scott will bring his passion for jazz and avant-garde music to school aged children and general audiences in the Boothbay region. 

Rey and his ensemble “Unusually Different” will entertain and teach students simple melodies, harmony, rhythm and improvisation. The band, which comprises five musicians on acoustic bass, drums, vocals, flute, oboe, baritone saxophone, bass clarinet and clarinet, will play and teach for 40 minutes during a class period in the morning on September 14. In the afternoon before school ends, they will perform a concert for the school bringing the great sounds of ragtime, jazz, bebop, swing, avant-garde and fusion to local children.

The Scott family has been coming to the Boothbay region for 22 years. Scott and his wife Lucinda Scott's favorite place to stay while here is Southport, where they spend a few weeks with their sons Reynold Scott Jr. and John Scott.

Scott grew up in the same town where jazz great Grover Washington grew up. “Grover Washington, 'Mr. Magic' on saxophone, went to the same high school that I did; he was a year older,” Scott said. “From the 1930s to the 1960s, there was no saxophone in orchestras. American composers changed that.”

“I was playing the flute in school. My father was a music teacher and he taught me. Our school finally got one baritone sax, Grover got it; he opened the case, it was one of those moments where the sun was shining all over it. So then, I said 'I’ve gotta play sax.' The teacher got another one at the pawn shop and gave it to me,” Scott said. 

Back in New York, Scott is currently composing an opus called “Ode to the Buffalo River,” which has five movements and many different instruments. He and his band are thrilled at the prospect of coming back to Boothbay in September to share their passion with children.

There will be an evening concert at the Congregational Church on Saturday, Sept. 15. Students will receive free tickets for this concert and all who attend will get a free CD of the evening.