#NewYorkNotes @GRAMMYMUSEUM @RecordingAcad MUSIC EDUCATOR AWARD™ SEMIFINALISTS ANNOUNCED BY THE RECORDING ACADEMY® AND GRAMMY MUSEUM®
A total of 25 music teachers from 24 cities across 16 states, have been announced as semifinalists for the Music Educator Award™ presented by the Recording Academy® and GRAMMY Museum®. In total, more than 1,989 initial nominations were submitted from all 50 states. Nominations for the 2022 Music Educator Award are now open at www.grammymusicteacher.com.
Name School City State
Bonnie Anderson Miller's Point Elementary School San Antonio Texas
Justin Antos Dwight D. Eisenhower High School Frankfort Ill.
Elizabeth Bennett Buffalo Grove High School Libertyville Ill.
Angela Carpenter Harrington Elementary School Bedford Mass.
Stephen Cox Eastland High School Eastland Texas
Pamela Dawson DeSoto High School DeSoto Texas
Brad Drinkwater Connetquot High School Nesconset N.Y.
Paul Eaton Girard College Lafayette Hill Pa.
Michelle Folta Columbus State University Columbus Ga.
Amanda Hanzlik Edwin O. Smith High School Storrs Conn.
Elizabeth Hering Churchill High School Livonia Mi.
Graham Johnson Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School (WHEELS) New York N.Y.
Chris Maunu Arvada West High School Arvada Colo.
Richard Maxwell Arcadia High School Phoenix Ariz.
Brian McMath Northwest Guilford High School Greensboro N.C.
Shawna Mendez The Manning School of Academics and Arts
Lakewood Colo.
Patricia Moore Canyon View Elementary School Tucson Ariz.
Ryan Muir South Kingstown High School Wakefield R.I.
Jeffrey Murdock The University of Arkansas Fayetteville Ark.
Blake Richter Nixa Junior High School Nixa Mo.
Kimberly Ritzer Green Valley High School Henderson Nev.
Lynne Ruda Lancaster High School Lancaster N.Y.
Matthew Trevino Roan Forest Elementary San Antonio Texas
Donald Walter Northwest Guilford Middle School and Northwest Guilford High School Oak Ridge N.C.
Tracy Williamson Gorham Middle School Gorham Maine
WHAT: The Music Educator Award recognizes current educators 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. The recipient will be recognized during GRAMMY® Week 2021.
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. They will receive a $10,000 honorarium and matching grant for their school’s music program. The nine additional finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium and matching grants. The remaining fifteen semifinalists 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.
The finalists will be announced in December. For more information, please visit www.grammymusicteacher.com.
ABOUT THE GRAMMY MUSEUM
Established in 2008, the GRAMMY Museum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to cultivating a greater understanding of the history and significance of music through exhibits, education, grants, preservation initiatives, and public programming. Paying tribute to our collective musical heritage, the Museum explores and celebrates all aspects of the art form — from the technology of the recording process to the legends who've made lasting marks on our cultural identity.
For more information, visit www.grammymuseum.org, "like" the GRAMMY Museum on Facebook, and follow @GRAMMYMuseum on Twitter and Instagram.
ABOUT THE RECORDING ACADEMY
The Recording Academy represents the voices of performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and all music professionals. Dedicated to ensuring the recording arts remain a thriving part of our shared cultural heritage, the Academy honors music's history while investing in its future through the GRAMMY Museum, advocates on behalf of music creators, supports music people in times of need through MusiCares®, and celebrates artistic
excellence through the GRAMMY Awards — music's only peer-recognized accolade and highest achievement. As the world's leading society of music professionals, we work year-round to foster a more inspiring world for creators.
For more information about the Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @RecordingAcad on Twitter, "like" Recording Academy on Facebook, and join the Recording Academy's social communities on Instagram, Tumblr, and YouTube.
ABOUT FORD MOTOR COMPANY FUND
As the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, Ford Fund’s mission is to strengthen communities and help make people’s lives better. Working with dealers and nonprofit partners in more than 60 countries, Ford Fund provides access to opportunities and resources that help people reach their full potential. Since 1949, Ford Fund has invested more than $2 billion in programs that support education, promote safe driving, enrich community life and encourage employee volunteering. For more information, visit www.fordfund.org or join us at @FordFund on Facebook and Twitter.
