Our Forgotten But Notable Neighbors: Gertrude Goldstein-Maged, Part 2

Although her innovative programs combined with her infectious enthusiasm helped to touch countless students with the love of music during her tenure, one of the greatest indicators of her achievements is the amazing array of youngsters that she personally taught who became famous and accomplished professional musicians. All graduates of Nyack High School between 1932-1935, this home-grown crop of talent, had been with her starting as early as 3rd grade and stayed with her for as many as eight-years.

Included among them are Bill Smith, who, graced with an innate mellifluous bass voice, went on to sing major roles in Broadway shows, as well as becoming an internationally renowned soloist; drummers Harold (Buddy) Christian and Maurice (Sunny) Oliver, both of whom performed for decades with some of the most well-known jazz and R&B small groups and large ensembles;  and Bobby Parks who, although still wet behind the ears, led his own society orchestra in many of the nation’s most prestigious nightclubs, including the legendary Stork Club. Another of her students was Leonard Goldstein, her younger brother (there was a 12-year difference in age) who went on to Juilliard for advanced studies and, while there, was the first to ever lecture on the saxophone.  He would then go on to play reed instruments in a number of famous jazz big-bands, including the one fronted by Red Norvo and Mildred Bailey. During WWII, Leonard would become the leader of the 73rd Infantry Division band, and later that of the First Army. But the most illustrious of Gertrude’s students was Eddie Sauter, a certified musical genius whose innovative arrangements for such jazz greats as Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw and Stan Getz are still being admired. For more information about Eddie Sauter, see Jerome’s RCT article from June 1, 2025.

Interviewed decades after graduating from high school, they all credited Gertrude with having a great influence on starting their musical careers. In 1963, Eddie Sauter is quoted as saying, “… she led you into music, explained to you what it was all about, emphasized it was something you had to live with, and then showed you how to live with it.”

When she identified students as having both talent and a burning desire to pursue music, she would go the extra mile to help.  Such was the case with Eddie and Leonard. Both were musically precocious youth, and she realized that if they were to reach their full potential, they would need more advanced tutelage than she could offer.  Gertrude took the two with her on Saturdays to Columbia Teachers College, where she was working toward her Master’s degree.  While she took classes, the boys, 7-year-old Leonard on clarinet and 11-year-old Eddie on trumpet, played with the adult members of the college’s symphonic orchestra. In addition, Gertrude arranged for the boys to be given advanced musical lessons from the college’s accomplished professors. The results of her efforts speak for themselves.

In 1933, Gertrude became the bride of Dr. Alan Maged, a pediatrician from Suffern. Thereafter, she was identified in local newspapers as Mrs. A.J. Maged. Deciding to focus on her new family obligations (she would have two daughters), she resigned from Nyack at the end of the following school year.   However, even in her absence, the momentum derived from the innovations that she began and the atmosphere of fervent love of music that she punctuated continued to propel the Nyack music department forward. 

Years later, her younger brother Leonard decided to follow in Gertrude’s footsteps and to become a music teacher. Despite already having an extensive and multifaceted musical background, he initially lacked the requisite college credits in pedagogy. But with time, and while completing the necessary college courses, he was able to start working in the Nyack school system, and eventually became the Supervisor of Music. Like Gertrude, he was totally dedicated to his students and the goal of making the music program the best it could be.

When interviewed in the mid-1960s, he stated that not only did he credit her with his firm musical foundation but stressed that he applied a number of her “instructional tactics” and largely followed the blueprint that she laid down. He would continue spreading the love of music deep into the Twentieth Century, until his tenure at Nyack ended.

Gertrude and Leonard both had a passion for music, and they put their hearts and souls into transmitting this love of the art-form to their students. Among those who went through the school system’s music program are Leonard’s sons, David and Richard. Known professionally as Rupert and Richard Holmes, respectively, they too would devote themselves to the art form whose love has been passed on from generation to generation. Richard, with his rich baritone voice, has been an integral member of the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players for over 40 years, and has also sung a number of roles at the Metropolitan Opera and other opera companies. Rupert has excelled in so many facets of the musical world and beyond that it is hard to fathom so much creativity consistently generated by one person, dating back to the ‘70s.  Besides being a great singer, musician, composer, arranger, and playwright, he has branched out into writing successful books and plays. The awards that he has garnered are too numerous to list here but they include Emmys, Tonys and even two Edgar awards for his mystery books. Both Richard and Rupert acknowledge that without Gertrude’s influence on them, directly through her, their aunt, and indirectly, through Leonard and the Nyack schools’ music department, it is likely that the trajectory of their careers would have been very different.

Which brings us back to Gertrude and the day that the 19-year-old girl with a vision and determination took over the Nyack music department. Although she herself was a very talented pianist, she did not aspire to have a career as a great soloist. Rather, her genius, and her greatest accomplishment and contribution to the art-form that is music, is having established a successful system of teaching, and a milieu in which the love of music is transmitted, both of which remain ongoing. In doing so, she has touched the very essence of thousands of students since young Miss Goldstein first walked into the halls of the old Liberty Street School.  

Let us energetically give her ‘three cheers and one cheer more’, for she deserves to no longer be forgotten.