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.
# # #
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
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