NAfME BLOG
SBO+ 2026 50+ Music Teachers Who Make a Difference
38 Are NAfME Members
In the May 2026 School Band and Orchestra Plus (SBO+), they announced their “50+ Music Teachers Who Make a Difference.” Of those, 38 honorees are NAfME members.*
Music educators shared their thoughts on three questions:
- What is your proudest moment as a music teacher?
- How do you hope to make a difference in your students’ lives?
- What’s the most important lesson you try to teach your students?
Read the full article—and thanks to SBO+ for providing NAfME members with complimentary subscriptions.
Here is the full list of “Music Teachers Who Make a Difference”; NAfME members are in bold*:
| Jason | Jackson | Daphne East Elementary School | Alabama |
| Toby | Lambert | Colony Middle School | Alaska |
| Jenn | Bock | Highland High School | Arizona |
| CamRyn | Stillman | Parkview Arts/Science Magnet High School | Arkansas |
| Gracie | Carrillo | Ceres High School | California |
| Trey | Tafoya | Legacy High School | Colorado |
| Rachel | Hanchuruck | Francis Walsh Intermediate School | Connecticut |
| Caitlyn | Derrick | Sanford School | Delaware |
| Dr. Robert | Roche | Roosevelt STAY Opportunity Academy | Washington, DC |
| Wes | Lowe | The King’s Academy | Florida |
| Corie | Benton | Pope High School | Georgia |
| Duane | Padilla | Punahou Music School | Hawai’i |
| Josh | Barro | Mountain View High School | Idaho |
| Stacey | Peterik | Urbana High School | Illinois |
| Chris | Taylor | Pendleton Heights High School | Indiana |
| Erin | Mahr | Assumption High School | Iowa |
| Pamela | Lawson | Eisenhower High School | Kansas |
| Willow | Cooper | Beaumont Middle School | Kentucky |
| Jessica | Fain-Blanchard | Bluff Middle School | Louisiana |
| Julia | Edwards | Poland Regional High School | Maine |
| Ocie | Banks | Thomas G. Pullen K-8 Creative & Performing Arts School | Maryland |
| Stephanie | Riley | Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School | Massachusetts |
| Amanda | Lenze | Dublin Elementary School | Michigan |
| Gillian | Desmarais Keller | Webster K-12 School | Minnesota |
| Tammy | Carney | Long Beach Senior High School | Mississippi |
| Mark | Connor | Principia School | Missouri |
| Michael | Sticka | Chief Joseph Middle School | Montana |
| Chiyo | Trauernicht | Omaha Central High School | Nebraska |
| Dr. Tracy | Leslie | Del Webb Middle School | Nevada |
| Edward | Doyle | Manchester School District | New Hampshire |
| Zachary | Gates | East Brunswick High School | New Jersey |
| Virginia | Weaver | Hermosa Middle School | New Mexico |
| Stacy | Stollberger | Connetquot High School | New York |
| Steven | Kelly | Gray’s Creek Middle School | North Carolina |
| Rich | Gonzales | Sheyenne High School | North Dakota |
| Eric | Trio | Clairsville Elementary School | Ohio |
| Alex | Rivera | Hilldale Elementary School | Oklahoma |
| Cynthia | Navarro | Clear Creek Middle School | Oregon |
| Kyla | Davis | Ben Franklin Middle School | Pennsylvania |
| Megan | Catelli | Archie R. Cole Middle School | Rhode Island |
| April | Troglauer | Aynor Middle School | South Carolina |
| Tessa | Belgum | Yankton Middle School | South Dakota |
| Lafe | Cook | Dobyns-Bennett High School | Tennessee |
| Taylor | Williamson | Wiley Middle School | Texas |
| Glen | Wallace | Fairfax High School | Vermont |
| Taryn | Wood | Woodbridge Senior High School | Virginia |
| Ethan | Chessin | Camas High School | Washington |
| Neil | King | Suncrest Middle School | West Virginia |
| Bill | Dennee | Denmark Middle School | Wisconsin |
| Connor | Dennis | Worland High School | Wyoming |
* This number reflects those whose memberships were current at the time of this announcement and is subject to change.
