Recipient, Finalists and Semi-Finalists to Receive Cash Honorariums, With Generous Support and Resources Provided by Ford Motor Company Fund
GRAMMY Museum:
WHAT:
The Music Educator Award™ was established to recognize current educators (kindergarten through college and 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 GRAMMY Museum®, the recipient will be recognized during GRAMMY® Week 2024.
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 10th annual honoree will be flown to Los Angeles to attend the 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards® and a range of GRAMMY Week events. The nine additional finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium, and the schools of all 10 finalists will receive matching grants.
Fifteen semi-finalists will receive a $500 honorarium with matching school grants. The matching grants provided to the schools are made possible by the generosity and support of the GRAMMY Museum’s Education Champion Ford Motor Company Fund. In addition, the American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, NAMM Foundation, and National Education Association support this program through outreach to their constituencies.
WHO:
A total of 212 music teachers from 197 cities have been announced as quarterfinalists for the Music Educator Award presented by the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum. In total, over 2,000 initial nominations were submitted. In addition to our quarterfinalists, 123 legacy applicants from 2023 will also be eligible to win the award this year.
QUARTERFINALISTS
Name
School
City
State
Casie Adams
Martinsburg High School
Martinsburg
West Virginia
Bruce Adams
Sam Houston High School
San Antonio
Texas
Miguel Aguiar
Southwest High School
San Antonio
Texas
Derek Alexander
Orville Bright Elementary School
Chicago
Illinois
Dawn Amthor
Wallkill Senior High School
Wallkill
New York
Jonathan Anderson
University High School (Volusia)
Orange City
Florida
Christopher Andrews
Hephzibah High School
Hephzibah
Georgia
Jeanne Andrews
Pauline J. Petway Elementary School
Vineland
New Jersey
Justin Antos
Dwight D. Eisenhower High School
Blue Island
Illinois
Javier Arau
New York Jazz Academy
New York
New York
Andrea Armour
Christian County Middle School
Hopkinsville
Kentucky
Timothy Arnold
Orono High School
Long Lake
Minnesota
Shawn Athey
Veterans Memorial High School
Corpus Christi
Texas
Elizabeth Baker
Mary Martin Elementary
Weatherford
Texas
Jeremy Bartunek
Greenbriar School
Northbrook
Illinois
Adem Birson
New York University
New York
New York
Benjamen Blasko
Lipscomb University
Nashville
Tennessee
Amanda Blevins
Tri-Valley High School
Dresden
Ohio
Susan Boddie
Valdosta State University
Valdosta
Georgia
Adrain Bonner
Lancaster High School
Lancaster
Texas
Cherie Bowe
Pascagoula High School
Pascagoula
Mississippi
Andrew Bowerly
Tenino High School
Tenino
Washington
George Bradshaw
Dover Area High School
Dover
Pennsylvania
Gwendolyn Brazier
Lathrop High School
Fairbanks
Alaska
Steve Browne
Nashville Community High School
Nashville
Illinois
Matthew Brusseau
Davie County High School
Mocksville
North Carolina
Ryan Bulgarelli
Loyalsock Township High School
Williamsport
Pennsylvania
Cathryn Burt
East Newton High School
Granby
Missouri
James Byrn, Jr.
Maconaquah High School
Bunker Hill
Indiana
Mary Catherine Campbell
Seven Pines Elementary
Sandston
Virginia
Helen Capehart
Bridgeport High School
Bridgeport
Texas
Marcos Carreras
Conservatory of The Arts
Springfield
Massachusetts
Michael “Patrick” Carte
Scott High School
Madison
West Virginia
Curtis Carver
Harlem High School
Harlem
Georgia
Roger Chagnon III
Westfield Academy and Central School
Westfield
New York
Kristopher Chandler
Gautier High School
Gautier
Mississippi
Jeff Chang
Decatur High School
Federal Way
Washington
Krista Clay
West Branch High School
Beloit
Ohio
Travis Coakley
William Carey University
Hattiesburg
Mississippi
Vanessa Cobb
Montgomery Central High School
Cunningham
Tennessee
Mark Collins
John S. Battle High School
Bristol
Virginia
Trish Conover
Community Middle School
Plainsboro
New Jersey
John Contreras
Pueblo High School
Tucson
Arizona
Kyle Cook
Western Branch Middle School
Chesapeake
Virginia
Travis Cook
Plymouth Christian Academy
Canton
Michigan
Daniel Cook
University of North Texas
Denton
Texas
Andrew Cote
Merrimack College
North Andover
Massachusetts
Drew Cowell
Belleville East High School
Belleville
Illinois
Cory Craig
Benton Intermediate School
Benton
Louisiana
Matthew Cunningham
Brockton High School
Brockton
Massachusetts
Shannon Curtis
Zimmerman Middle High School
Zimmerman
Minnesota
Isaac Daniel
Stax Music Academy
Memphis
Tennessee
Jim Daughters
Southeast Missouri State University
Cape Girardeau
Missouri
Marci DeAmbrose
Lincoln Southwest High School
Lincoln
Nebraska
Jackie Deen
Pottsboro High School
Pottsboro
Texas
Matthew Denman
Classen School of Advanced Studies
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma
Ryan Diefenderfer
Paradise Valley High School
Phoenix
Arizona
Jennifer DiVasto
Pennridge High School
Perkasie
Pennsylvania
Antoine Dolberry
P.S. 103x Hector Fontanez
Bronx
New York
George Dragoo
Stevens High School
Rapid City
South Dakota
Marisa Drake
Patuxent High School
Lusby
Maryland
Kathleen Dudley
Andrew Cooke Magnet School
Waukegan
Illinois
Jonathan Eising
James Hubert Blake High School
Silver Spring
Maryland
Jonathan Eldridge
Weston High School
Weston
Massachusetts
Carol Evans
Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley
Pennsylvania
Anthony Ferreira
Suffield High
West Suffield
Connecticut
Tamara Frazier
North Valleys High School
Reno
Nevada
J.D. Frizzell
Briarcrest Christian School
Eads
Tennessee
Chesteron Frye
St. Helena College & Career Academy
Greensburg
Louisiana
Nicholas Garofalo
Chattahoochee High School
Johns Creek
Georgia
Matt Gerry
Salina South Middle School
Salina
Kansas
Anna Girling
Sebastopol Attendance Center
Sebastopol
Mississippi
Vivian Gonzalez
Miami Arts Studio 6-12 @ Zelda Glazer
Miami
Florida
Johnathan Gore
Sandy Run K8 School
Swansea
South Carolina
Serena Gorham
Weare Middle School
Weare
New Hampshire
Kylie Griffin
Dozier Elementary
Erath
Louisiana
Jess Gronberg
Hawkes Bluff Elementary
Davie
Florida
Alan Guckian
Manor High School
Manor
Texas
Nathaniel Gunter
Greer High School
Greer
South Carolina
Amy Hannequin
Bethel Middle School
Bethel
Connecticut
Crystal Harding
Ypsilanti Community High School
Ypsilanti
Michigan
Diana Harrigan
Bloom High School
Chicago Heights
Illinois
Toye Harris
Miami High School
Miami
Oklahoma
Chris Hayslette
Bridgeport Middle School
Bridgeport
West Virginia
Colette Hebert
Ella Fitzgerald Academy
Yonkers
New York
Martha Heise
Seventh Street Elementary School
Oil City
Pennsylvania
Jonathan Helmick
Slippery Rock University
Slippery Rock
Pennsylvania
Corey Hermens
Grant County High School
Dry Ridge
Kentucky
Joel Hill
Velma Jackson High School and Shirley D. Simmons Middle School
Camden
Mississippi
Autumn Danielle Hodges
Clarksville- Kraus Middle School
Clarksville
Arkansas
Elaine Holmes
Comsewogue High School
Port Jefferson Station
New York
Gene Hundley
Swainsboro Middle School
Swainsboro
Georgia
Victor Iapalucci
Philip Barbour High School
Philippi
West Virginia
Devin James
Salem High School
Conyers
Georgia
Heidi Jaye
Daniel Webster Elementary School
New Rochelle
New York
