Frank Hickey and the Dracut High Music Program

DRACUT — On April 25, the Dracut High String Orchestra held its 17th annual Italian Banquet at the Four Oaks Country Club. Long-time string teacher Robin Mallory initiated this event to showcase the incredible talent of the students in the string orchestra. Over the years, it has become one of the most anticipated events of the school year.

This year, 39 students performed a wonderful array of musical selections for the attendees. It is also a night to honor senior music students. As always, it was a special night that is only possible through the collaborative work of teachers, parents, and the Music Boosters. It has become a wonderful tradition in the Dracut Music Department.

However, the Dracut High Music Department has a long history and one of those who helped build the foundation was long-time music teacher Frank Hickey.

I first met Frank Hickey over 10 years ago. We sat down several times to talk about how he helped create the instrumental program for Dracut Public Schools. He was an interesting man and definitely the right man for what Superintendent Christos Daoulas was looking to do.

Frank Hickey was born in 1932 to Thomas and Alma Hickey; he was the youngest of eight children. The family lived in the old Goodhue home. Hickey attended Dracut schools as a young man and was always musically inclined. The family moved to Lowell and he graduated from Lowell High School in 1949. He enrolled at Lowell State College but ended up auditioning for the Navy’s music school. He then enlisted in the Navy and served during the Korean War.

After the war, he returned home, finished college, got married, and was hired by Dracut Schools Superintendent Christos Daoulas in 1962. Hickey, during our conversations, said that Daoulas wanted him to create an elementary school instrumental program. He understood that this is how a school system creates a high school program, by creating a feeder program with the younger students. Hickey went to work and created the elementary program and then the high school program. Daoulas had found the right man for the job. He taught music at Dracut for 33 years.

Frank Hickey passed away in 2020 at the age of 88.

His students may not have known it, but when he wasn’t teaching music, he was out playing in the evenings with Al Rogers’ band. He loved music and was very proud that Dracut’s music program had grown so much over the years. He would have loved the annual Italian party.

Originally published: July 26, 2024 at 5:36 p.m.