About 100 former Baldwin High School students gathered Saturday night to surprise and honor their former music teacher and choir director.

Dr. Melinda Edwards taught and inspired the students from the mid 1960's to the mid-1990s.

Her surprise party at the Irish-American Society Hall in Mineola turned into a reunion and a concert.

"It's just overwhelming, it just brought tears to my eyes," says Dr. Edwards. "I can't believe how many of my wonderful students showed up for this."

Apart from learning music, former students told News 12 that Dr. Edwards taught them about responsibility and to always strive to be the best.