Whom You Know: #NewYorkNotes @RecordingAcad @GrammyMuseum @FordFund Stephen T. Cox Named Recipient Of The 2022 Music Educator Award, Presented By The Recording Academy And GRAMMY Museum

Friday, April 1, 2022

#NewYorkNotes @RecordingAcad @GrammyMuseum @FordFund Stephen T. Cox Named Recipient Of The 2022 Music Educator Award, Presented By The Recording Academy And GRAMMY Museum

COX AND NINE FINALISTS WILL RECEIVE CASH HONORARIUMS, WITH GENEROUS SUPPORT AND RESOURCES PROVIDED BY THE GRAMMY MUSEUM®'S EDUCATION CHAMPION FORD MOTOR COMPANY FUND

WHO: Stephen T. Cox of Eastland High School in Eastland, Texas, is the recipient of the 2022 Music Educator Award™ presented by the Recording Academy® and GRAMMY Museum®. In addition, nine music teachers have been announced as finalists for the award. Initial nominations were submitted from 49 states. A complete list of the recipients is below.

Music Educator Award

Winner

School

City

State

Stephen T. Cox Eastland High School Eastland Texas

Finalists School City State

Justin Antos Dwight D. Eisenhower High School Frankfort Illinois

Michael Coelho Ipswich High School Newburyport Massachusetts

Cory Joy Craig Benton Intermediate School Benton Louisiana

Chris Maunu Arvada West High School Arvada Colorado

Trevor Nicholas Senn Arts at Nicholas Senn High School Chicago Illinois

Zachary Pitt-Smith Edna Brewer Middle School Oakland California

Bethany Robinson Noblesville High School Noblesville Indiana

Katie Silcott Olentangy Shanahan Middle School Lewis Center Ohio

Tammy Yi Chapman University Orange California

WHAT: The Music Educator Award recognizes current educators who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the music education field and demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools. The recipient will be recognized during GRAMMY® Week 2022.

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 15 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.

Nominations and applications for the 2023 Music Educator Award are now open via www.grammymusicteacher.com.

ABOUT STEPHEN COX

Stephen T. Cox is the director of bands at Eastland High School in Eastland, Texas. A graduate of Howard Payne University, he is a big believer in small schools, small communities and the students that are found there. Mr. Cox has been featured in the School Band and Orchestra Magazine's 50 Directors who make a difference and has been a three-time top 10 finalist for the Recording Academy Music Educator Award. As a speaker he has given clinics on the topics of educational technology, community engagement, small school education, and preparing students for majoring in music at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention, Texas Bandmasters Association Convention, the Technology Institute for Music Education, Minnesota Bandmasters Association, and the Midwest Clinic. In his time at Eastland, the high school band has been a consistent UIL sweepstakes band, advanced to state marching contest, won multiple State OPS concert band titles, and performed as a demo group for the Midwest clinic and Texas Bandmasters Association conventions. He currently serves on the Eastland Fine Arts Association Board and organizes an annual Jazz Festival in Eastland. In his free time he loves researching local history and making educational resources. Most importantly, Mr. Cox is married to Eastland High School art teacher Stephanie Cox and father to Aubree, Chuck and Caesar as well as two parrots Henri and Gus, and Nellie, the world's most stubborn (and adorable) dog.

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, YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn.

ABOUT FORD MOTOR COMPANY

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.

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