290 QUARTERFINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR 2017 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

WHO:

A total of 290 music teachers from 264 cities across 41 states have been announced as quarterfinalists for the Music Educator Award™ presented by The Recording Academy^®and the GRAMMY Foundation^®. In total, more than 3,300 initial nominations were submitted from all 50 states. Nominations for the 2018 Music Educator Award are now open at www.grammymusicteacher.com.

WHAT:

The Music Educator Award was established to recognize current educators (kindergarten 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, the recipient will be honored during GRAMMY^® Week 2017.

The award is open to current U.S. music teachers, and anyone can 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 is selected from 10 finalists and recognized for their remarkable impact on students' lives. The fourth annual honoree will be flown to the host city of the GRAMMY Awards^® to be recognized during GRAMMY Week 2017. The recipient will also attend the 59th Annual GRAMMY Awardsceremony and a range of GRAMMY Foundation events. The nine additional finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium, and the schools of all 10 finalists will receive matching grants. Fifteen semifinalists will receive a $500 honorarium with matching school 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. In addition, the American Choral Directors Association, the National Association for Music Education, the NAMM Foundation, and the National Education Association support this program through outreach to their constituencies.

WHEN:

Quarterfinalists have been announced and are listed 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.
Darryl Abrahamson	Longmont High School	Longmont	Colo.
Greg Adamson	Ladera Vista Junior High School of the Arts	Fullerton	Calif.
Victoria Alaimo	Valley Stream Memorial Junior High School	Valley Stream	N.Y.
Ruben Alcala	Mayde Creek High School	Houston	Texas
Michael Alexander	Collinsville Middle School	Collinsville	Ill.
Anthony Allmond	Kaiser High School	Fontana	Calif.
Corey Ames	Loyola Academy	Wilmette	Ill.
Christopher Anderson	Don Riggio School	Stockton	Calif.
Jared Bader	Eagle College Prepatory Schools	Phoenix	Ariz.
Stewart Bailey	Carl Sandburg High School	Orland Park	Ill.
Natalie Baker	Missoula International School	Missoula	Mont.
Laurence Ballereau	Syosset High School	Syosset	N.Y.
Jacob Banda	Palmview High School	Mission	Texas
Tony Barkley	Sands Montessori	Cincinnati	Ohio
Eugene Barrett	Smith Middle School	Fort Hood	Texas
Jacob Bartlett	Peru State College	Peru	Neb.
Kristina Beachell	Sedona Charter School	Sedona	Ariz.
Kenneth Bedwell	St. James High School	Murrells Inlet	S.C.
Jeff Behrens	Richland Center High School	Richland Center	Wis.
Ken Berman	Bentley School	Lafayette	Calif.
Hristo Birbochukov	New Orleans Center for Creative Arts	New Orleans	La.
Patrick Blackburn	Sherwood Githens Middle School	Durham	N.C.
John Blickwedehl	West Seneca West Senior High School	West Seneca	N.Y.
Stephen Bloom	Lynnfield Middle School	Lynnfield	Mass.
Michael Blostein	Averill Park High School	Averill Park	N.Y.
Mike Bogle	Cedar Valley College	Lancaster	Texas
Joe Bongiovi	Princeton High School	Princeton	N.J.
Jenny Bonner	Waverly High School	Lansing	Mich.
Dr. Oliver Boone	Strayer University	Columbus	Ga.
Faye Boyer	Lake Joy Primary School	Warner Robins	Ga.
Erica Breitbarth	Reagan IB High School	Milwaukee	Wis.
Charles Briem	Harrison High School	Harrison	N.Y.
Christopher Brown	Sharon Elementary School	Charlotte	N.C.
Jessie Bullock	Carlsbad High School	Carlsbad	Calif.
Robert Bullock	Carlsbad High School	Carlsbad	Calif.
Deanna Burrows	Cass Technical High School	Detroit	Mich.
Bobbe Butler	Merritt Island High School	Merritt Island	Fla.
Gene Butler	Trinity Presbyterian School	Montgomery	Ala.
Meghan Cabral	George Fischer Middle School	Carmel	N.Y.
Matthew Carraher	Central Dauphin High School	Harrisburg	Pa.
Tiffany Carrico	Fred T. Korematsu Middle School	El Cerrito	Calif.
Kiyoshi Carter	Western Guilford High School	Greensboro	N.C.
Ben Case	Northwood High School	Irvine	Calif.
Michael Choate	Cookeville High School	Cookeville	Tenn.
John Churchville	Go Like The Wind Montessori School	Ann Arbor	Mich.
Joyce Click	North Central High School	Indianapolis	Ind.
Jason Coomes	Colorado Early Colleges	Fort Collins	Colo.
James Russell Cooper	Henry County High School & Middle School	New Castle	Ky.
Brandon Crawford	Princeton High School	Princeton	Ill.
Charles Cushinery	Ed W. Clark High School	Las Vegas	Nev.
Darnella Davidson	San Pedro High School	San Pedro	Calif.
Adrian Davis	Roosevelt High School	Minneapolis	Minn.
Ryan Dawley	James R. Geisler Middle School	Walled Lake	Mich.
Derek Deakins	Wando High School	Mount Pleasant	S.C.
Michael Dease	Michigan State University	East Lansing	Mich.
David Dehner	Monte Vista Christian School	Watsonville	Calif.
Jose Diaz	MacArthur High School	East Aldine	Texas
Christopher Dollar	Fishers Island School	Fishers Island	N.Y.
Emmett Drake	Hall High School	West Hartford	Conn.
Dale Duncan	Henderson Middle School	Atlanta	Ga.
Ray Eary	Choctaw High School	Choctaw	Okla.
Craig Edgar	The Village School	Houston	Texas
Bradley Elstone	Hazel Park High School	Hazel Park	Mich.
Richard England	Freed-Hardeman University	Henderson	Tenn.
Ralph Ewell	Vista High School	Vista	Calif.
Jessica Fain	Tioga Junior High School	Ball	La.
Krista Fanning	Caddo Middle Magnet	Shreveport	La.
Denise Favela-Apodaca	Colorado State University	Fort Collins	Colo.
Geneva Fitzsimonds	South View Middle School	Edina	Minn.
John Flora	Franklin L. Williams Middle School #7	Jersey City	N.J.
Jennifer Floyd	McEachern High School	Powder Springs	Ga.
Eugene Friesen	Berklee College of Music	Boston	Mass.
Molly Fullerton	Mayfield Woods Middle School/Deep Run Elementary School	Elkridge	Md.
Loren Gamarra	Valley View High School	Moreno Valley	Calif.
Jennifer Gibson	Hayesville High School	Hayesville	N.C.
Sherry Gillum	Sullivan North High School	Kingsport	Tenn.
Chris Gleason	Patrick Marsh Middle School	Sun Prairie	Wis.
David Gluck	Idaho Arts Charter School	Nampa	Idaho
Vivian Gonzalez	South Miami K–8 Center	Miami	Fla.
Keith Goodrich	Elk Ridge Middle School	South Jordan	Utah
Steve Gorringe	Decatur High School	Federal Way	Wash.
Deana Graham	Ripley High School	Ripley	Tenn.
Dana Green	Naperville North High School	Naperville	Ill.
William Griffel	Purdue University	West Lafayette	Ind.
Dr. Roosevelt Griffin	Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School	Harvey	Ill.
Robert Grogan	Barber Middle School	Acworth	Ga.
Alan Guckian	Eastside Memorial High School	Austin	Texas
Anne Guess	Woodcreek Junior High School	Katy	Texas
Adam Gumble	Hempfield High School	Landisville	Pa.
Daniel Gutierrez	Reed Academy Middle School	Springfield	Mo.
Robin Haffley	Montgomery County Community College	Blue Bell	Pa.
Eric Hahn	Bangor Area High School	Bangor	Pa.
Kelci Hahn	Hamilton High School	Los Angeles	Calif.
Keith Hancock	Tesoro High School	Rancho Santa Margarita	Calif.
Elizabeth Hankins	Lakewood High School	Lakewood	Ohio
Anne Harris	Somers High School	Lincolndale	N.Y.
Stanley Harris	Palmer High School	Palmer	Alaska
Keith Hart Sr.	KIPP Believe College Prep	New Orleans	La.
Cheryl Hartman	Barton Elementary School	Patchogue	N.Y.
Chris Hathcock	C.E. Jordan High School	Durham	N.C.
Kevin Hebert	Chapin High School	Chapin	S.C.
Bryan Helsel	Butler Senior High School	Butler	Pa.
Michael Henderson	Chase High School	Forest City	N.C.
Brian Henson	Murphy Middle School	Murphy	Texas
Terry Hicks	R. J. Reynolds High School	Winston-Salem	N.C.
David High	Lithonia High School	Lithonia	Ga.
Kristen Hill	Niagara Catholic Jr./Sr. High School	Niagara Falls	N.Y.
Judy Hilliard	Easley Year-Round Magnet Elementary School	Durham	N.C.
Laura Hilton	Valley Regional High School	Deep River	Conn.
Joshua Hinkel	River Bluff High School	Lexington	S.C.
Steve Holder	Rose Bud Jr./Sr. High School	Rose Bud	Ark.
Steve Holley	Kent Denver School	Englewood	Colo.
Bill Hollin	Barbara Ingram School of the Arts	Hagerstown	Md.
Elaine Holmes-Nadeau	Comsewogue High School	Port Jefferson Station	N.Y.
Peter Holsberg	The Berkeley Carroll School	Brooklyn	N.Y.
Alan Hood	University of Denver Lamont School of Music	Denver	Colo.
Stephen Hufford	Canyon High School	Canyon Country	Calif.
Michael Hummel	Franklin Community High School	Franklin	Ind.
Michael Humphrey	Nyack High School	Nyack	N.Y.
Robert Hunter	Mesa Community College	Mesa	Ariz.
Benjamin Hutchens	Georgetown Day School	Washington	D.C.
Matthew Hyzer	Moorestown High School	Moorestown	N.J.
Kathryn Ingerson	Thousand Islands High School	Clayton	N.Y.
Curt Isakson	Shelby High School	Shelby	Mich.
Kathryn Iwanusa	P.S. 11	New York	N.Y.
Kervens Jackson	Piper High School	Sunrise	Fla.
Jeffrey Jacobsen	Mansfield University of Pennsylvania	Mansfield	Pa.
Brandi Jason	Liberty High School	Eldersburg	Md.
Gregory Johnson	Clio Area High School	Clio	Mich.
Kent Johnson	California High School	San Ramon	Calif.
Christopher E. Johnston	Fairfax High School	Fairfax	Va.
Shirley Johnston	Hirschi High School	Wichita Falls	Texas
Janet Jones	Fernway Elementary School	Orland Park	Ill.
Samuel Kallaos	Ruby Major Elementary School	Nashville	Tenn.
Tom Kanwischer	Percy Julian Middle School	Oak Park	Ill.
Donna Kerr	City Honors School	Buffalo	N.Y.
Michael Knepper	Musselman High School	Inwood	W.Va.
Aimee Knight	Foothill Christian School	Glendora	Calif.
Jim Kollias	Arnold O. Beckman High School	Irvine	Calif.
Cameron Kotovsky	Coal City High School	Coal City	Ill.
Mike Kurilko	Trenton High School	Trenton	Mich.
Ron Lambert	Lakewood Ranch High School	Bradenton	Fla.
John Landers	Stuttgart High School	APO	AE
Christopher Lashley	Global Leadership Academy Charter School	Philadelphia	Pa.
Christopher Lee	Dreher High School	Columbia	S.C.
Don Lee	DeKalb Academy of Technology and Environment	Stone Mountain	Ga.
Nick Lenio	Basalt Middle School	Basalt	Colo.
Nick Little	Campbell County High School	Alexandria	Ky.
Lindsey Lorefice	Matawan-Aberdeen Middle School	Cliffwood	N.J.
Erik Lynch	Verona High School	Verona	N.J.
Thomas Mann	Consuelo Mendez Middle School	Austin	Texas
Jean Martin-Williams	University of Georgia	Athens	Ga.
Stan Mauldin	Pecos High School	Pecos	Texas
Chris Maunu	Arvada West High School	Arvada	Colo.
Eleni Maureas	Wright Middle School STEAM Magnet	Los Angeles	Calif.
Rachel Maxwell	Traughber Junior High School	Oswego	Ill.
Richard Maxwell	Arcadia High School	Phoenix	Ariz.
Kevin Mazzarella	Carl C. Cutler Middle School	Mystic	Conn.
Anthony Mazzocchi	Montclair State University	Montclair	N.J.
Pamela McClain	Parkersburg High School	Parkersburg	W.Va.
Mark McCormick	Mira Costa High School	Manhattan Beach	Calif.
Darren McCoy	Oak Harbor High School	Oak Harbor	Wash.
Richard McCready	River Hill High School	Clarksville	Md.
Michael McCullough	Palmdale High School	Palmdale	Calif.
Mollie McDougall	Edgewood Middle School	Highland Park	Ill.
Bradley Meholick	Le Roy Jr./Sr. High School	Le Roy	N.Y.
Anthony Merlino	Albright College	Reading	Pa.
David Merrill	Longmont High School	Longmont	Colo.
Jeffrey Meyer	Sul Ross State University	Alpine	Texas
Peter Meyer	St. Cloud State University	St. Cloud	Minn.
Henry Miller	Sierra Vista Middle School	Irvine	Calif.
Matthew Mireles	Cameron University	Lawton	Okla.
William Molineaux	Osceola County School for the Arts	Kissimmee	Fla.
Dana Monteiro	Frederick Douglass Academy	New York.	N.Y.
Walter Muelling	Kodiak High School	Kodiak	Alaska
Aaron Mulder	Frederick Intermediate School	Grayslake	Ill.
Jessica Mullen	Austin Elementary School	Memphis	Texas
Patrick Murphy	Maysville High School	Zanesville	Ohio
Melton Mustafa	Parkway Middle School of the Arts	Lauderhill	Fla.
Laura Nelson	Orangewood Christian School	Maitland	Fla.
Richard Nickerson	Windham High School	Windham	Maine
Matthew Nishimoto	Coronado High School	Henderson	Nev.
Jill Noerenberg	Duxbury High School	Duxbury	Mass.
JoAnne Nolemi	Tottenville High School	Staten Island	N.Y.
Tim Ormsbee	Ironwood High School	Glendale	Ariz.
Dee Dee Paakkari	John Marshall High School	Los Angeles	Calif.
Shing Palagano	Tenoroc High School	Lakeland	Fla.
Scott Palmer	Eden Prairie High School	Eden Prairie	Minn.
Michael Parsons	Briarcrest Christian School	Eads	Tenn.
Michael Pavlik	York Community High School	Elmhurst	Ill.
Parks Payton	Lakeshore Middle School	Grand Haven	Mich.
Christopher Perez	Freedom High School	Orlando	Fla.
Joseph Perrino	Tenth Street Elementary	Oakmont	Pa.
Jordan Peters	People's Prepatory Charter School	Newark	N.J.
Darren Pettit	University of Nebraska at Omaha	Omaha	Neb.
Elizabeth Pichichero	Valley Stream South High School	Valley Stream	N.Y.
Catherine Plichta	Park Place Community Middle School 266	Brooklyn	N.Y.
Jason Powell	Palm Springs High School	Palm Springs	Calif.
Gilles Pugatch	The Masters School	Dobbs Ferry	N.Y.
Brian Querry	Charles A. Huston Middle School	Lower Burrell	Pa.
Rosa Rabinovich	Norman. S. Edelcup Sunny Isles Beach K-8	Sunny Isles Beach	Fla.
Ian Ramsey	North Yarmouth Academy	Yarmouth	Maine
Amy Rangel	Glendale High School	Glendale	Calif.
Marc Ratner	Mineola High School	Garden City Park	N.Y.
Lance Rauh	Delaware Valley High School	Milford	Pa.
Wilbert Rawlins	Landry-Walker College and Career Preparatory High School	New Orleans	La.
Arthur Ray	GEE White Academy	Detroit	Mich.
Jeffery Redding	West Orange High School	Winter Garden	Fla.
Katharine Reed	Durango High School	Durango	Colo.
Ulli Reiner	Bernardo Heights and Twin Peaks Middle Schools	Poway	Calif.
Joe Renardo	Indian Trail Elementary School	Frankfort	Ill.
Craig Retzlaff	Central Academy of Technology and Arts	Monroe	N.C.
Cody Roberts	Guntown Middle School	Guntown	Miss.
Brian Roelandt	Fitzgerald High School	Warren	Mich.
Alexander Roff	Young Women's Leadership School of Queens	Queens	N.Y.
Peter Rogine	Five Towns College	Dix Hills	N.Y.
Matthew Rotjan	South Orangetown Middle School/Cottage Lane Elementary School	Blauvelt	N.Y.
James Runfola	Erie Community College	Williamsville	N.Y.
Keavon Runnels	Stephen F. Austin High School	Houston	Texas
Brian Russell	University of Miami, Frost School of Music	Coral Gables	Fla.
Joseph Rutkowski	John L. Miller-Great Neck North High School	Great Neck	N.Y.
Melissa Salguero	P.S. 48 Joseph R. Drake Elementary School	Bronx	N.Y.
Peter Sampson	Whiteland Community High School	Whiteland	Ind.
William Brian Sanders	Chatsworth School	Reisterstown	Md.
Bret Scherer	Highland High School	Pocatello	Idaho
Danielle Schmitt	Roland Park Elementary/Middle School	Baltimore	Md.
Adam Schneblin	East Peoria Community High School	East Peoria	Ill.
Jesse Scott	Brandeis Marin	San Rafael	Calif.
Martin Seggelke	Illinois State University - School of Music	Normal	Ill.
Teren Shaffer	Orange County School of the Arts	Santa Ana	Calif.
Samuel Shingles	Paxton School for Advanced Studies	Jacksonville	Fla.
Karl Siewertsen	John H. West Elementary School	Bethpage	N.Y.
Trey Skaggs	Christ Church Episcopal School	Greenville	S.C.
Joani Slawson	Saturn Elementary School	Cocoa	Fla.
Nathan Sletten	Earlham Community Schools	Earlham	Iowa
Jason Smith	Newton High School	Covington	Ga.
Mickey Smith	Maplewood Middle School	Sulphur	La.
Robert W. Smith	Troy University School of Music	Troy	Ala.
Jeffrey Snedeker	Central Washington University	Ellensburg	Wash.
Larry Snider	The University of Akron School of Music	Akron	Ohio
Jennifer Snodgrass	Appalachian State University	Boone	N.C.
Nicole Snodgrass	Cherokee High School	Marlton	N.J.
Mark Snyder	University of Mary Washington	Fredericksburg	Va.
Eric Songer	Chaska Middle School West	Chaska	Minn.
Todd Stefan	North Allegheny Senior High School	Wexford	Pa.
Kathy Stefani	Grangeville High School	Grangeville	Idaho
Asa Stern	Livermore Valley Charter School	Livermore	Calif.
MaryElla Stevens	Lola Mae Carter Academy for the Performing Arts	Houston	Texas
Timothy Stevenson	Brookville Area High School	Brookville	Pa.
Don Stinson	Naperville North High School	Naperville	Ill.
Vicky Stockton	New York State School for the Deaf	Rome	N.Y.
David Stringham	James Madison University	Harrisonburg	Va.
Jamie Stroffolino	Walter Panas High School	Cortlandt Manor	N.Y.
Erin Stroup	Lower Moreland Twp. High School	Huntingdon Valley	Pa.
Gary Stroupe	Colleton County Middle School	Walterboro	S.C.
Nancy Stuck	Arnold O. Beckman High School	Irvine	Calif.
Anand Sukumaran	Mary Gage Peterson Elementary School	Chicago	Ill.
Michelle Swanson	University of Northern Iowa	Cedar Falls	Iowa
Siema Swartzel	Arnold Memorial Elementary School	Cleveland	Tenn.
Mike Testa	Salem State University	Salem	Mass.
Mark Thomas	Upper Perkiomen School District	Pennsburg	Pa.
Tom Thomas	Mason County Central Schools	Scottville	Mich.
Blake Thompson	Harvard Public Schools	Harvard	Neb.
Chris Thompson	Crestview Local Schools	Ashland	Ohio
Nicole Thompson	Taylor Road Middle School	Johns Creek	Ga.
Josh Thye	Desert Vista High School	Phoenix	Ariz.
Frank Tieri	Oswego High School	Oswego	Ill.
Christopher Toomey	Stewart School	Garden City	N.Y.
Patrick Towey	Plattsburgh Senior High School	Plattsburgh	N.Y.
Julie Trent	Combs High School	San Tan Valley	Ariz.
Lynn Truby	Fountain Hills High School	Fountain Hills	Ariz.
Raymond Uy	Memorial Junior School	Whippany	N.J.
Kent Vandock	Archbold High School	Archbold	Ohio
Emily Verdonk	Allendale High School	Allendale	Mich.
Linda Versprille	Cane Bay High School	Summerville	S.C.
Lance Walker	North Mesquite High School	Mesquite	Texas
Nathaniel Wehmeyer	Maryville R-II	Maryville	Mo.
Scott Werner	Corona del Sol	Tempe	Ariz.
Mark Wherry	College of Southern Nevada	North Las Vegas	Nev.
Dustin Wiley	Firelands High School	Oberlin	Ohio
Richie Williams	Paragould High School	Paragould	Ark.
Kelly Winovich	Northgate Middle/Senior High School	Pittsburgh	Pa.
Gregory Wojcik	Glenbrook South High School	Glenview	Ill.
Adalberto Yanes	Doral Academy Preparatory High School	Doral	Fla.
Reginald Yarbrough	Bessemer City Middle School	Bessemer	Ala.
Milas Yoes	Phoenix College	Phoenix	Ariz.
Christopher Young	David W. Carter High School	Dallas	Texas
Kevin Zaczkiewicz	Parkside High School	Salisbury	Md.
Cory Zilisch	Westport Middle School	Louisville	Ky.

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, songwriters, producers, engineers, and recording professionals 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 The 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. 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 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 lifestyle men's, women's and children's footwear, apparel and accessories and is sold globally by retailers in over 160 countries. For more information, visit Media.Converse.com and follow @converse.

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 Calif. and the Walt Disney World Resort in Fla. Disney delivers workshops and performance opportunities that enrich, inspire and often lead to life-changing personal achievement.

Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services works with community and global partners to advance driving safety, education and community life. Ford Motor Company Fund has operated for more than 65 years with ongoing funding from Ford Motor Company. Ford Driving Skills for Life is free, interactive, hands-on safety training focused on skill development and driving techniques, while addressing inexperience, distractions and impaired driving. Innovation in education is encouraged through Ford Blue Oval Scholars, Ford Next Generation Learning and other inspiring programs that enhance high school learning and provide college scholarships and university grants. The Ford Volunteer Corps enlists more than 30,000 Ford employees and retirees each year to work on local projects that strengthen their communities and improve people's lives in more than 40 countries around the world. For more information, visit 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 to retail stores, Journeys reaches its customers through journeys.com, catalogs, social media and grass-roots events like the Warped Tour, Alternative Press Music Awards and national club-level music tours in the spring and fall seasons. 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:

Derek Spencer/GRAMMY Foundation/310.581.1260/derek.spencer@grammy.com