A native of Montgomery, Alabama, Carlton J. Wright graduated from George Washington Carver High School in 1980. In 1984 Wright was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United Stated Army Reserve at Alabama A&M University (AAMU). He earned the Bachelor of Science Degree in Music Education from AAMU in 1986. He was awarded the Master of Arts Degree in Music Education from Hampton University (Virginia) in 1993. He proudly served in various positions until his honorable discharge as a Captain in the Army Reserves.

Mr. Wright’s previous teaching assignments in Alabama include Minor High School (Adamsville), George Washington Carver High School (Montgomery), and Fairfield Preparatory High School (Fairfield). Throughout his career, Mr. Wright’s ensembles have consistently earned excellent and superior ratings at district, state, and national band festivals. In 2013, Wright left Minor High School to become the Director of Bands Alabama A&M University, in Normal.

Under his leadership, the Marching Maroon and White (MMW) Band was selected to perform at the prestigious Honda Battle of the Bands Showcase in Atlanta, GA in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and Inglewood, CA in 2025. The band also performed at the Pepsi National Battle of the Bands Showcase in Houston, TX in 2022 and 2025. The Marching Maroon and White Band made history by becoming the first HBCU band to lead the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2023. In 2019, eight members of the MMW percussion section combined talents with percussionists from other HBCUs to perform in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, CA.

The AAMU Wind and Jazz Ensembles travel on a recruitment tour each spring. During its inaugural Annual Spring Tour (2018), the AAMU University Wind Ensemble became the first HBCU band to perform at the Alabama Bandmasters Association All State Band Festival in Montgomery. In 2019, the band performed at the HBCU National Band Directors Consortium at Morehouse College, located in Atlanta, GA. Mr. Wright serves as a clinician and adjudicator for symphonic, jazz, and marching band evaluations and contests in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and Alaska, Utah. He maintains an active schedule as an honor band clinician and a symphonic band camp clinician.

Mr. Wright holds membership in the following organizations: Minority Band Director National Association (MBDNA), Historical Black Colleges and Universities National Band Directors’ Consortium (HBCUNDA), National Education Association (NEA), Alabama Education Association (AEA), National Association for Music Educators (NAfME), Alabama Music Educators Association (AMEA), Alabama Bandmasters Association (ABA), Kappa Kappa Psi Band Honorary Fraternity, Phi Beta Mu Band Fraternity, Incorporated, Tau Beta Sigma Honorary Band Sorority, and the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated.