213 QUARTERFINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR MUSIC EDUCATOR AWARD™ PRESENTED BY THE RECORDING ACADEMY® AND THE GRAMMY FOUNDATION®

Recipient and Finalists to Receive Cash Honorariums, with Generous Support and Resources Provided by the GRAMMY Foundation^®'s Education Champions: Converse, Disney Performing Arts, Ford Motor Company Fund, and Journeys

Third Annual Award will be Presented at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony during GRAMMY^® Week 2016

WHO:

A total of 213 music teachers from 194 cities across 42 states have been announced as quarterfinalists for the Music Educator Award™ presented by The Recording Academy^®and the GRAMMY Foundation^®. In total, more than 4,500 initial nominations were submitted from all 50 states. Nominations for the 2017 Music Educator Award are now open at www.grammymusicteacher.com.

WHAT:

The Music Educator Award was established to recognize current educators (K through college, public and private schools) who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools. A joint partnership and presentation of The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation, this special award will be presented at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Nominees Reception (honoring recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Trustees Award and Technical GRAMMY^® Award) during GRAMMY Week 2016.

The award is open to current U.S. music teachers, and anyone could nominate a teacher — students, parents, friends, colleagues, community members, school deans, and administrators. Teachers are also able to nominate themselves, and nominated teachers are notified and invited to fill out an application.

Each year, one recipient will be selected from 10 finalists, and will be recognized for his/her remarkable impact on students' lives. The winner will be flown to host city of the GRAMMY Awards^® to accept the award, attend the GRAMMY Awards ceremony, and receive a $10,000 honorarium. The nine other finalists will each receive a $1,000 honorarium, and the schools of all 10 finalists will receive matching grants. The honorariums and grants provided to the finalists and schools are made possible by the generosity and support of the GRAMMY Foundation's Education Champions: Converse, Disney Performing Arts, Ford Motor Company Fund, and Journeys.

WHEN:

A complete list of quarterfinalists is below. The semifinalists will be announced in September. For more information, please visit www.grammymusicteacher.com.

Name	School Name	City	State
Diane Abrahamian	Penfield High School	Penfield	N.Y.
Greg Adamson	Ladera Vista Junior High School of the Arts	Fullerton	Calif.
Christopher Alberts	The School Without Walls	Washington, D.C.
Corey Ames	Loyola Academy	Wilmette	Ill.
Bonnie Anderson	Coronado Village Elementary	Universal City	Texas
Kathy Anderson	Highlands High School	Fort Thomas	Ky.
Neil Anderson	Murrieta Valley High School	Murrieta	Calif.
Bob Athayde	Stanley Middle School	Lafayette	Calif.
Walter Avellaneda	John F. Kennedy High School	Bellmore	N.Y.
David Bachart	New Hope-Solebury High School	New Hope	Pa.
Patricia Balmer	Edna High School	Edna	Texas
Michael Bastone	Division Avenue High School	Levittown	N.Y.
Jeffrey Beck	Valley Center Middle School	Valley Center	Calif.
Kenneth Bedwell	Andrews High School	Andrews	S.C.
Jeff Behrens	Richland Center High School	Richland Center	Wis.
Brian Bersh	Yorktown High School	Arlington	Va.
Patrick Blackburn	Sherwood Githens Middle School	Durham	N.C.
John Blickwedehl	West Seneca West High School	West Seneca	N.Y.
Stephen Bloom	Lynnfield Middle School	Lynnfield	Mass.
Jennifer Boice	Cashell Elementary School	Rockville	Md.
Benny Bolden	Estero High School	Estero	Fla.
Gwendolyn Brazier	Barnette Magnet School	Fairbanks	Alaska
Angelica Brooks	Benjamin D. Foulois Creative and Performing Arts Academy	Morningside	Md.
Christopher Brown	Sharon Elementary	Charlotte	N.C.
Debra Burnell-Wise	Pleasure Ridge Park High School	Louisville	Ky.
Aaron Bush	Pollard Middle School	Needham	Mass.
Lisa Butts	Hanford West High School	Hanford	Calif.
Elizabeth Cadigan	Nancy Gomes Elementary School	Reno	Nev.
Mark Campayno	Broad Run High School	Ashburn	Va.
Joel Carle	Windsor High School	Windsor	N.Y.
Ben Case	Northwood High School	Irvine	Calif.
Brian Casey	Brazoswood High School	Clute	Texas
Caleb Chapman	Pioneer High School for the Performing Arts	American Fork	Utah
Juan Chattah	Frost School of Music	Coral Gables	Fla.
Brent Chiarello	Cold Spring Harbor Junior-Senior High School	Cold Spring Harbor	N.Y.
Joyce Click	North Central High School	Indianapolis	Ind.
Steve Connell	MOC-Floyd Valley Senior High School	Orange City	Iowa
Russell Cooper	Henry County High School	New Castle	Ky.
James Cottone	Bayport/Blue Point High School	Bayport	N.Y.
Mark Curry	Clarke County High School	Berryville	Va.
Mike Dana	Fresno City College	Fresno	Calif.
Steven DeCrow	Lewisville High School	Lewisville	Texas
Jason DeGroff	University of New Haven	West Haven	Conn.
Jamal Dickerson	Creative Arts Morgan Village Academy	Camden	N.J.
Martin Dickey	Nation Ford High School	Fort Mill	S.C.
Carol Doemel	Lassiter High School	Marietta	Ga.
Christopher Dollar	Fishers Island School	Fishers Island	N.Y.
Stephanie Drawdy	Colleton County High School	Walterboro	S.C.
Lee Duke	Floral Park Memorial High School	Floral Park	N.Y.
Mark Duker	Waubonsie Valley High School	Aurora	Ill.
Eric Eaks	College Station High School	College Station	Texas
Charles Ebersole	Fleetwood Area High School	Fleetwood	Pa.
Richard England	Freed-Hardeman University	Henderson	Tenn.
Jacob Ezzo	South Orange Middle School	South Orange	N.J.
Stephanie Faille	Lacey Township High School	Lanoka Harbor	N.J.
Melodie Fair	ELCO Middle School	Myerstown	Pa.
Matt Falker	MiraCosta College	Oceanside	Calif.
Krista Fanning	Caddo Middle Magnet	Shreveport	La.
Anne Fennell	Mission Vista High School	Oceanside	Calif.
Geneva Fitzsimonds	South View Middle School	Edina	Minn.
John Flora	Franklin L. Williams Middle School #7	Jersey City	N.J.
Adria Francani	P.S. 253	Brooklyn	N.Y.
Doreen Fryling	South Side High School	Rockville Centre	N.Y.
Molly Fullerton	Mayfield Woods Middle School	Elkridge	Md.
Frank Gawle	Wilton High School	Wilton	Conn.
Chris Gleason	Patrick Marsh Middle School	Sun Prairie	Wis.
Justin Glodich	Eldred Junior Senior High School	Eldred	N.Y.
Julian Gonzalez	Lilburn Middle School	Lilburn	Ga.
Vivian Gonzalez	South Miami K-8 Center	Miami	Fla.
Steve Gorringe	Decatur High School	Federal Way	Wash.
Martha Grener	West Genesee Middle School	Camillus	N.Y.
Alan Guckian	Eastside Memorial High School	Austin	Texas
Keith Hancock	Tesoro High School	Rancho Santa Margarita	Calif.
Elizabeth Hankins	Lakewood High School	Lakewood	Ohio
Ron Hardin	Papillion-La Vista South High School	Papillion	Neb.
Bethany Hardwick	Downing Middle School	Flower Mound	Texas
Rodney Harshbarger	Old Kings Elementary School	Flagler Beach	Fla.
Daniel Harvey	Seminole Ridge Community High School	Loxahatchee	Fla.
Kristen Hill	Niagara Catholic Jr./Sr. High School	Niagara Falls	N.Y.
Judy Hilliard	Easley Year-Round Magnet Elementary School	Durham	N.C.
Peter Holsberg	The Berkeley Carroll School	Brooklyn	N.Y.
Brian Ingelson	Palm Springs High School	Palm Springs	Calif.
Kathryn Ingerson	Thousand Islands High/ Middle School	Clayton	N.Y.
Brandi Jason	Liberty High School	Eldersburg	Md.
Daniel Jensen	Liberty High School	Peoria	Ariz.
Marshall Jones	Smith River School	Smith River	Calif.
Chase Jordan	MacGregor Elementary School	Houston	Texas
Clifford Jourdan	Kaskaskia College	Centralia	Ill.
David Jumper	Marywood University	Scranton	Pa.
Damien Kaplan	Springfield High School	Springfield	Ill.
Randy Kapralick	University of the Arts	Philadelphia	Pa.
Dr. Daniel Kiene	Richmond Hill High School	Richmond Hill	Ga.
James Kusserow	Porterville High School	Porterville	Calif.
Roxann Lahcanski	Bay Trail Middle School	Penfield	N.Y.
Sharon Laird	Oak Grove High School	Hattiesburg	Miss.
Dana Landry	University of Northern Colorado	Greeley	Colo.
Jacqueline Langley	Haverford Middle School	Havertown	Pa.
Mark Laughlin	Georgia Southwestern State University	Americus	Ga.
Brian Leisher	Bruning-Davenport USD	Bruning	Neb.
Ollie Liddell	Memphis Central High School	Memphis	Tenn.
Jarrett Lipman	Claudia Taylor "Lady Bird" Johnson High School	San Antonio	Texas
Miroslav Loncar	Park View High School	Sterling	Va.
Kathryn Lotocky	Fort Lauderdale High School	Fort Lauderdale	Fla.
Lorraine Lynch	Roxbury High School	Succasunna	N.J.
Dean Marino	West Port High School	Ocala	Fla.
Jason Marshall	West Ranch High School	Stevenson Ranch	Calif.
Jennifer Maxwell	Nantucket Community Music Center	Nantucket	Mass.
Richard Maxwell	Arcadia High School	Phoenix	Ariz.
Anthony Mazzocchi	Montclair State University	Montclair	N.J.
Pamela McClain	Parkersburg High School	Parkersburg	W. Va.
Darren McCoy	Oak Harbor High School	Oak Harbor	Wash.
Richard McCready	River Hill High School	Clarksville	Md.
Melanie Mesiano	East Hampton Middle School	East Hampton	N.Y.
Michael Michewicz	Wellspring Preparatory High School	Grand Rapids	Mich.
Sarah Milazzo-Payne	Bryan Station Middle School	Lexington	Ky.
Jody Miller	McCleskey Middle School	Marietta	Ga.
Kevin Milliken	East Juniata High School	McAlisterville	Pa.
Duane Minnick	Briar Woods High School	Ashburn	Va.
David Moellenkamp	Los Alamitos High School	Los Alamitos	Calif.
Mark Morello	Bristow Middle School	Brentwood	Calif.
Sharn Morrow	Westminster Choir College of Rider University	Princeton	N.J.
Kirt Mosier	Lee's Summit West High School	Lee's Summit	Mo.
DiAnne Mott	Oppenheim-Ephratah-St. Johnsville Central School	St. Johnsville	N.Y.
Steve Muise	Mt. Blue High School	Farmington	Maine
Josh Murray	Rio Americano High School	Sacramento	Calif.
Melton Mustafa	Parkway Middle School of the Arts	Lauderhill	Fla.
Laura Nelson	Orangewood Christian School	Maitland	Fla.
Torrey Newhart	Academy of Arts and Academics	Springfield	Ore.
Laura-Beth Nichols	Bethpage Elementary	Bethpage	Tenn.
Matthew Nishimoto	Coronado High School	Henderson	Nev.
Edward Norris	Glen Cove High School	Glen Cove	N.Y.
John Oelrich	University of Tennessee at Martin	Martin	Tenn.
Bradley Olesen	Columbus State University	Columbus	Ga.
Robert Parker	South Oldham Middle School	Crestwood	Ky.
Michael Pavlik	York Community High School	Elmhurst	Ill.
Mark Perkins	Scranton Public School	Scranton	N.D.
Heather Philhower	Millstone Township Middle School	Perrineville	N.J.
Leanna Pink-Sewell	Ahern Middle School	Foxborough	Mass.
Catherine Plichta	Park Place Community Middle School MS K266	Brooklyn	N.Y.
Christine Porter	Brooklyn Center Secondary	Brooklyn Center	Minn.
Jay Posteraro	Mesa Verde Middle School	San Diego	Calif.
Timothy Powell	Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School	Augusta	Ga.
Penelope Quesada	Lincoln Elementary	Louisville	Ky.
Rosa Rabinovich	Norman S. Edelcup Sunny Isles Beach K-8	Sunny Isles Beach	Fla.
Amy Rangel	Glendale High School	Glendale	Calif.
Marc Ratner	Mineola High School	Garden City Park	N.Y.
Kara Ravina	Las Lomas High School	Walnut Creek	Calif.
Ulli Reiner	Poway Unified School District	San Marcos	Calif.
Joseph Renardo	Indian Trail Elementary School	Frankfort	Ill.
Phillip Riggs	North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics	Durham	N.C.
Brian Roelandt	Fitzgerald High School	Warren	Mich.
Matthew Rotjan	South Orangetown Middle School	Blauvelt	N.Y.
Thomas Ruggieri	Boardman High School	Youngstown	Ohio
Christopher Rust	Sunset High School	Portland	Ore.
Joseph Rutkowski	John L. Miller-Great Neck North High School	Great Neck	N.Y.
Kenny Sack	Mary Kay McMillin School	Berkeley Heights	N.J.
Melissa Salguero	P.S. 48 Joseph R. Drake	Bronx	N.Y.
Agnieszka Salter	Forest Lane Community School	Montello	Wis.
Peter Sampson	Whiteland Community High School	Whiteland	Ind.
Wendy Sarnoff	Venice High School	Los Angeles	Calif.
Jennifer Schecter	Marie Curie Middle School 158	Bayside	N.Y.
Susan Schiffman	Manchester Elementary Middle School	Manchester	Vt.
Kyle Schoeller	Northside Elementary	Rogers	Ark.
Jacob Seymour	Lancaster Middle School	Lancaster	N.Y.
Chaz Shipman	Freeport Area Junior High School	Sarver	Pa.
Paula Simmons	Elwood Junior Senior High School	Elwood	Ind.
Lisa Simone	Hooper Avenue Elementary	Toms River	N.J.
Joseph Sitler	Brentwood High School	Brentwood	N.Y.
Teresa Slade	Hempstead High School	Dubuque	Iowa
Rachel Slotnick	Franklin Academy Boynton Beach	Boynton Beach	Fla.
Kelsey Smith	Mattawan Middle School	Mattawan	Mich.
Matthew Smith	American Canyon High School	American Canyon	Calif.
Michael Smith	Nyack High School	Upper Nyack	N.Y.
Robert W. Smith	Troy University	Troy	Ala.
Nicole Snodgrass	Cherokee High School	Marlton	N.J.
Andrea Crisara Snouffer	West Ridge Middle School	Austin	Texas
Wilbert Solomon	McLean Middle School	Fort Worth	Texas
Kim Stamps	Belleville East High School	Belleville	Ill.
Ronnie Stanford	Barrow High School	Barrow	Alaska
Kathy Stefani	Grangeville High School	Grangeville	Idaho
Amy J. Steiner	Hillery Park Elementary	Buffalo	N.Y.
Don Stinson	Naperville North High School	Naperville	Ill.
Vicky Stockton	New York State School for the Deaf	Rome	N.Y.
Annette Stone	Birch Elementary School	North Olmsted	Ohio
Steve Sveum	Sun Prairie High School	Sun Prairie	Wis.
Siema Swartzel	Arnold Memorial Elementary School	Cleveland	Tenn.
Bill Swick	Las Vegas Academy of the Arts	Las Vegas	Nev.
Eric Swihart	Montera Middle School	Oakland	Calif.
Brayer Teague	Downers Grove North High School	Downers Grove	Ill.
Gregory Thomas	Albemarle High School	Charlottesville	Va.
Tom Thomas	Mason County Central High School	Scottville	Mich.
Julie Trent	Combs High School	San Tan Valley	Ariz.
Barry Trobaugh	Munford High School	Munford	Tenn.
Carol Turner	Krum High School	Krum	Texas
GayLin Tutnick	Saguaro High School	Scottsdale	Ariz.
David Tyson	Murray Middle School	Wilmington	N.C.
Nana Vaughn	Veterans Elementary School	Ellicott City	Md.
Linda Versprille	Sangaree Middle School	Ladson	S.C.
Johnnie Walker	Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center	Chicago	Ill.
Jay Wardeska	Brunswick High School	Brunswick	Ohio
Kyle Weary	Barbara Ingram School for the Arts	Hagerstown	Md.
Matthew Weaver	North Houston Early College High School	Houston	Texas
Marla Weber	Eisenhower High School	Goddard	Kan.
Brent Whitaker	Southeast Bulloch High School	Brooklet	Ga.
Kristi Wicihowski	West Allis Nathan Hale High School	West Allis	Wis.
Lois Wiggins	Edythe J. Hayes Middle School	Lexington	Ky.
Dustin Wiley	Firelands High School	Oberlin	Ohio
Kelly Winovich	Northgate Middle/Senior High School	Pittsburgh	Pa.
Elijah Wirth	Peabody Preparatory	Baltimore	Md.
Marcus Wolfe	Valley Christian Conservatory of the Arts	San Jose	Calif.
Dr. Michael Woods	Hamilton College	Clinton	N.Y.
Mark Wurtzel	Pershing Middle School	Houston	Texas
Bruce Yates	General McLane High School	Edinboro	Pa.

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, songwriters, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @TheGRAMMYs on Twitter, "like" The GRAMMYs on Facebook, and join he GRAMMYs' social communities on Foursquare, GetGlue, Google +, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, and YouTube.

The GRAMMY Foundation was established in 1988 to cultivate the understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contribution of recorded music to American culture. The Foundation accomplishes this mission through programs and activities that engage the music industry and cultural community as well as the general public. The Foundation works in partnership year-round with its founder, The Recording Academy, to bring national attention to important issues such as the value and impact of music and arts education and the urgency of preserving our rich cultural heritage. In recognition of the significant role of teachers in shaping their students' musical experiences, The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation partnered to present their first Music Educator Award in 2014. Open to current U.S. music teachers in K through college, the third annual Music Educator Award will be presented at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Nominees Reception during GRAMMY Week 2016. For more information about the Music Educator Award, please visit GRAMMYMusicTeacher.com. For more information about the Foundation, please visit www.grammyfoundation.org. For breaking news and exclusive content, please "like" GRAMMY in the Schools^® on Facebook, follow the GRAMMY Foundation on Twitter (@GRAMMYFdn) and join us on Instagram (@GRAMMYFdn),

Converse Inc., based in Boston, Massachusetts, is a wholly owned subsidiary of NIKE, Inc. Established in 1908, the Converse brand has built a reputation as "America's Original Sports Company" and has been associated with a rich heritage of legendary shoes such as the Chuck Taylor^® All Star^® shoe, the Jack Purcell^® shoe and the One Star^® shoe.

Today, Converse offers a diverse portfolio including men's, women's and children¹s footwear, apparel and accessories. Converse product is sold globally by retailers in over 160 countries and through 89 company-owned retail locations in the U.S. For more information, visit Converse on the web at media.converse.com.

Disney Performing Arts unlocks student potential and helps young people make their own dreams come true — whether it's performing in front of an international audience of thousands at Disney theme parks and resorts or honing their craft in enriching workshops and clinics taught by entertainment professionals. Every year, thousands of vocal, instrumental, and other ensembles travel from around the world to participate in Disney Performing Arts programs at the Disneyland Resort in Southern California and the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Disney delivers workshops and performance opportunities that enrich, inspire and often lead to life-changing personal achievement.

Ford Motor Company Fund & Community Services works with community partners to advance driving safety, education and community life. For more than 60 years, Ford Motor Company Fund has operated with ongoing funding from Ford Motor Company. The award-winning Ford Driving Skills for Life program teaches new drivers through a variety of hands-on and interactive methods. Innovation in education is encouraged through national programs that enhance high school learning and provide college scholarships and university grants. Through the Ford Volunteer Corps, more than 25,000 Ford employees and dealers work on projects each year that better their communities in more than 30 countries. For more information, visit www.community.ford.com.

Journeys is a leader in the teen specialty retail scene, with more than 800 stores in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. Journeys uses fashion savvy and merchandising science to keep in step with the fast-paced footwear and accessories market for 13- to 22-year-old guys and girls. Journeys offers a wide variety of trendy, relevant brands that cater to teens that seek the hottest, new styles. However, the Journeys store is more than a retail environment — it's an extension of the teen lifestyle. From the plasma TVs playing exclusive content and the latest music videos, to the visual merchandising strategy and promotions, to the employees whose image and style reflect the customers' lifestyle and attitude. In addition, Journeys reaches its customers through www.journeys.com, a mobile website, catalog, national advertising, strategic cross-promotions, social media and grassroots events like the Noise Tour. Journeys — An Attitude You Can Wear! Journeys is a division of Genesco Inc.

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Media Contacts:

Hannah Berryman/GRAMMY Foundation /310.581.8724/hannah.berryman@grammy.com

Christina Cassidy/GRAMMY Foundation/310.581.8670/christina.cassidy@grammy.com

Program Contact:

Kellyn Robison/GRAMMY Foundation/310.581.8605/kellyn.robison@grammy.com