Congratulations to the 2026 CMA Foundation Music Teachers of Excellence

NAfME Members Among Those Named 2026 CMA Foundation Music Teachers of Excellence

On May 7, 2026, NAfME Music Education Policy Roundtable member CMA Foundation honored 30 music educators during Teacher Appreciation Week as recipients of the tenth annual Music Teachers of Excellence Awards. The 2026 recognition honors “extraordinary educators nationwide who are using the power of music to transform lives.”

“Ten years ago, we made a promise to the educators who dedicate their lives to music education: we see you, and we’re with you,” says Tiffany Kerns, CMA Foundation Executive Director. “Music Teachers of Excellence was built on the belief that our industry has a responsibility to invest in the people building the pipeline of music lovers, artists, and fans for generations to come. This milestone year isn’t just a celebration of these 30 remarkable educators. It’s a celebration of the legacy we have built together, and a reminder of how much more we can do when the music industry unites around a shared cause.”

The CMA Foundation will honor these music educators during its Music Teachers of Excellence ceremony on Wednesday, October 7, at The Pinnacle Nashville. Each teacher will receive a $5,000 award—half of the investment will go toward their classroom needs and music programs, and the other half will support personal expenses.

The CMA Foundation notes: “This year’s honorees represent 12 states and work across every corner of music education, from choir and band to orchestra, percussion, piano, and fine arts. Selected through a rigorous application process that considers instructional excellence, innovation in the classroom, and a demonstrated commitment to leadership, collaboration, and student success.”

NAfME congratulates all the recipients of this special recognition. Below are the honored music educators, with members of the National Association for Music Education marked with an asterisk.* Read the press release to learn about all the music educators named 2026 CMA Foundation Music Teachers of Excellence.

Nominations for the 2027 recognition are now being accepted. Nominate a teacher today. Applications for teachers open up in the fall of 2026.

Midwest

• David Hutter, Maine South High School, Park Ridge, Illinois

Northeast and Mid-Atlantic

• Kyle Cook*, Western Branch Middle School, Chesapeake, Virginia

• Ryan Mack, P.S. 10 Magnet School of Math, Science, & Design Technology, Brooklyn, New York

• Kevin McDonald*, Wellesley High School, Wellesley, Massachusetts

• Alice Tsui, New Bridges Elementary School, Brooklyn, New York

Southeast

• Lucy Alegria, Gallatin High School, Gallatin, Tennessee

• Michael Aymett, Riverdale High School, Murfreesboro, Tennessee

• Trevor Baxter, Centennial High School, Franklin, Tennessee

• Melissa Blizzard*, Stevens Creek Elementary School, Martinez, Georgia

• Johnny Croft, Cane Ridge High School, Antioch, Tennessee

• Julia Culp, Freedom Middle School, Franklin, Tennessee

• Elmer Feliciano, McMurray Middle School, Nashville, Tennessee

• Aurora Foster, Woodland Middle School, Brentwood, Tennessee

• Darlene Grande*, Stonewyck Elementary School,  Orlando, Florida

• Sherie Grossman, James Lawson High School, Nashville, Tennessee

• Tony Hartman, Scales Elementary School, Murfreesboro, Tennessee

• Kinsey Healy, Houston High School, Germantown, Tennessee

• Samuel Holmes*, Garden Hills Elementary School, Atlanta, Georgia

• Allen Kennedy, Hume-Fogg Academic High School, Nashville, Tennessee

• Taylor Kollmeier, Page High School, Franklin, Tennessee

• Ashleigh Ledford*, Sterling School, Greenville, South Carolina

• Ollie Liddell, Memphis Central High School, Memphis, Tennessee

• Nathaniel O’Neal, DuPont Hadley Middle School, Old Hickory, Tennessee

• Michael Perryman, Ooltewah Elementary School, Ooltewah, Tennessee

Southwest

• Efrain Casillas, Desert Oasis Elementary School and Porfirio H. Gonzales Elementary School, Phoenix, Arizona

• Corey Graves, Themer Middle School, Forney, Texas

West

• Grace Kwon, Stoddard Elementary School, Anaheim, California

• Darlene Machacon, La Quinta High School, Westminster, California

• Henry Miller, Sierra Vista Middle School, Irvine, California

• Kimberly Ritzer, Green Valley High School, Henderson, Nevada

* NAfME members whose memberships were current at the time of this announcement and is subject to change