Merrick's Musical Roots

 

Wickenden Chapel is still and quiet, spare the lull and hum of an overhead fan. Light pours in through large, paneled glass, framing a Scarlett Oak tree that, like the students it watches over from the window, transforms throughout the seasons of the school year. On this day, September 4, 2023, the tree stands tall and proud, its branches full and leaves bright green, catching the late summer sun like eager hands reaching for new opportunity. A newly minted sophomore, with a guitar strapped around his shoulders, Merrick Brannigan ’26 crosses the stage in front of his peers—all 500 of them. Surrounded by a sea of students, he erupts into song. Opening of School Convocation is now a concert, Wickenden Chapel its venue.

He sings, “Take your time and speak your mind / Hold your ground, recall your sound / Close your eyes and live with ease / and you will be among the trees / drifting through the breeze.” 

Brannigan wrote this song, titled “The Breeze,” after getting a request from his choral director, Dr. Tian Zhou, to perform something uplifting to kick off the opening of school. He admits the lyrics are an homage to Tabor’s coastal campus and a message to embrace the ebb and flow of life. He says, “That song is undoubtedly written [for] and inspired by Tabor. That’s reflected in a lot of the lyrics and messaging of the song. It was really cool because the performance at Chapel was the song’s debut.’ 

Fast forward a year to September 2024, “The Breeze” has been released as part of an even bigger project—Brannigan’s debut EP, which consists of six original songs. While the music style ranges from folk and acoustic to rock-inspired sounds, there is a consistent theme throughout: change. 

He explains, “One thing I’ve always been open about is the transition from being younger and having less to worry about to being older and having a little bit more to worry about. A big theme on this EP is the idea of navigating change, which Tabor has played a role in. Tabor helped make that transition between middle and high school so smooth.” 

Brannigan first picked up the guitar when he was seven, with formal lessons following shortly thereafter. A few years later, he began writing his own music and in 2019 he won “Nantucket’s Got Talent,” a defining moment in his music career. Since then, Brannigan has launched himself as a musician at Tabor and beyond.  

“Challenging myself to perform original music at Chapel, in front of peers who know me personally, has built my confidence … choosing to perform original music is a vulnerable thing for me to do. One thing I mention before I sing is how supportive the community has been. After Chapel and All School performances, when I get a, ‘Great job, Merrick,’ it goes a long way,” he reflects. 

In addition to Wickenden Chapel, there are several other locations for performances at Tabor, from formal spaces like the Fireman Stage and Will Parker Black Box to casual settings like bonfire sing-alongs by the waterfront and open mic nights in the Martignetti Student Union. Brannigan emphasizes, “Being able to know my audience and pick what songs to play or arrange based on that, was super instrumental in learning how to adapt to performing in different venues.” 

In addition to performances, Brannigan’s music studies at Tabor have contributed to both his EP and overall growth as a musician. In ninth grade, Brannigan took Recording Studio for his TaborX (TX) experiential learning activity. His instructor, Mrs. Laura Espinel, taught him how to properly record a song, which he says was almost like a practice run for recording his music at Grand Street Recording in Brooklyn, New York. “That was a really great experience for me. It was low pressure, but also super educational and set me up really nicely for when I went into a real studio to record my original stuff.”  

In the Applied Music co-curricular, Brannigan learned how to collaborate with his classmates to explore different styles and genres of music. It also allowed him to write music in a focused environment and get feedback on his ideas. In fact, Brannigan says at least two of the songs on his EP were written in a practice room in Hoyt under Mrs. Espinel’s supervision, with her support.  

“I really think a lot of where I am right now as a musician, Tabor contributed a crazy amount to that,” he admits. “Some of the more technical aspects of [my] songs, like the harmonies, are really influenced by Madrigals and Dr. Zhou’s class.” In Madrigals, Tabor’s choral group, students learn vocal techniques through both performances and projects, like a group assignment to arrange a song of their choosing. “That experience of him putting the song in our hands and giving us the control to choose the elements of a song, really helped me build and blend harmonies in my [own] music.” 

One of Brannigan’s favorite memories at Tabor has been connecting with Roman Douglass ’24 and organizing sing-alongs on the turf. He adds, “It highlights how fun music can be, to do it with somebody else. We go out in the winter and even though it’s cold and I can barely feel my fingers, we go out and play, we all bundle up and get close. That’s been one of my favorite experiences at Tabor, it just highlights the close-knit community here.”  

In addition to Douglass, Brannigan also performs frequently with Ashley Byrnes ’25. Despite their different, yet complementary musical styles, he says that, “It’s been really good for me and challenged me to see different perspectives … exposing myself to other styles of music, voice, and vocal technique has been really interesting and has actually influenced some of my songwriting as a result.” 

The Tabor community’s willingness to show up for each other has had a large impact on Brannigan’s passion for music. In addition to collaborating with classmates in a musical context, Brannigan worked with Seawolves to create visual artwork for his EP. Andy Mai ’24 offered to take photos of Brannigan to help promote his music and use as album and single artwork. They held the photoshoot at a local cranberry bog where Cami Hartigan ’25 acted as a creative director. She also contributed hand-drawn artwork to the album art that Wyeth Schapiro ’24 took and then created a mixed-media graphic with—combining both a photo, drawing, and graphic elements—to help reflect the music in the art and bring it to life.

Brannigan says, “I want to emphasize how influential and supportive the Tabor community has been with my music. It has genuinely pushed me to be a better musician in so many ways and I wouldn’t be the musician I am today without Tabor. Everyone being so receptive of my music has been a really great motivator for recording and releasing original music. I could name all the names, but as a whole I am really lucky to go to a school that cares so much.” 

Like the tree outside Chapel, that stands as a symbol of steady growth through the changing seasons, Brannigan is rooted in his experiences at Tabor. The challenges, the performances, and the connections he cultivates within this supportive environment tend his foundation as a musician. While looking ahead to life after Tabor, Brannigan says, “There’s a lot of different directions you can go in the music world; whatever it ends up looking like, I’ll just be happy that it’s something I get to do.”