GRAMMY Announces 2017 Music Educator Quarterfinalists

The GRAMMY Foundation has announced 290 quarterfinalists for the 2017 GRAMMY Music Educator Award™, and of that number, 157 are members of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). In all, more than 3,300 initial nominations were submitted from 41 states. From elementary general music teachers to band directors, choral conductors, string teachers, and college professors, NAfME congratulates these talented, dedicated music teachers.

The Music Educator Award was established to recognize current educators (kindergarten through college, 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 the GRAMMY Foundation, the recipient will be honored during GRAMMY Week 2017.

The 2017 recipient will also attend the 59th Annual GRAMMY Awards ceremony and a range of GRAMMY Foundation events. The nine additional finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium, and the schools of all 10 finalists will receive matching grants. Fifteen semifinalists will receive a $500 honorarium with matching school grants. The honorariums and grants provided to the finalists and schools are made possible through the support of the GRAMMY Foundation’s Education Champions Converse, Disney Performing Arts, Ford Motor Company Fund, and Journeys. In addition, the American Choral Directors Association, the National Association for Music Education, the NAMM Foundation, and the National Education Association support this program through outreach to their constituencies.

Semi-finalists will be announced in September.

All three of the previous GRAMMY Music Educator honorees, Kent Knappenberger, Jared Cassedy, and Phillip Riggs, are NAfME members. NAfME members selected as 2017 quarter-finalists are designated on the following list of nominees with an *.

William Molineaux*

Osceola County School for the Arts

Kissimmee

Fla.

Name	School Name	City	State
Diane Abrahamian*	Penfield High School	Penfield	N.Y.
Darryl Abrahamson	Longmont High School	Longmont	Colo.
Greg Adamson	Ladera Vista Junior High School of the Arts	Fullerton	Calif.
Victoria Alaimo	Valley Stream Memorial Junior High School	Valley Stream	N.Y.
Ruben Alcala	Mayde Creek High School	Houston	Texas
Michael Alexander	Collinsville Middle School	Collinsville	Ill.
Anthony Allmond	Kaiser High School	Fontana	Calif.
Corey Ames	Loyola Academy	Wilmette	Ill.
Christopher Anderson	Don Riggio School	Stockton	Calif.
Jared Bader*	Eagle College Preparatory Schools	Phoenix	Ariz.
Stewart Bailey*	Carl Sandburg High School	Orland Park	Ill.
Natalie Baker	Missoula International School	Missoula	Mont.
Laurence Ballereau*	Syosset High School	Syosset	N.Y.
Jacob Banda	Palmview High School	Mission	Texas
Tony Barkley	Sands Montessori	Cincinnati	Ohio
Eugene Barrett	Smith Middle School	Fort Hood	Texas
Jacob Bartlett*	Peru State College	Peru	Neb.
Kristina Beachell	Sedona Charter School	Sedona	Ariz.
Kenneth Bedwell*	Andrews High School	Murrells Inlet	S.C.
Jeff Behrens	Richland Center High School	Richland Center	Wis.
Ken Berman	Bentley School	Lafayette	Calif.
Hristo Birbochukov	New Orleans Center for Creative Arts	New Orleans	La.
Patrick Blackburn*	Sherwood Githens Middle School	Durham	N.C.
John Blickwedehl*	West Seneca West Senior High School	West Seneca	N.Y.
Stephen Bloom*	Lynnfield Middle School	Lynnfield	Mass.
Michael Blostein*	Averill Park High School	Averill Park	N.Y.
Mike Bogle	Cedar Valley College	Lancaster	Texas
Joe Bongiovi*	Princeton High School	Princeton	N.J.
Jenny Bonner	Waverly High School	Lansing	Mich.
Dr. Oliver Boone	Strayer University	Columbus	Ga.
Faye Boyer*	Lake Joy Primary School	Warner Robins	Ga.
Erica Breitbarth	Reagan IB High School	Milwaukee	Wis.
Charles Briem*	Harrison High School	Harrison	N.Y.
Christopher Brown*	Sharon Elementary School	Charlotte	N.C.
Jessie Bullock	Carlsbad High School	Carlsbad	Calif.
Robert Bullock	Carlsbad High School	Carlsbad	Calif.
Deanna Burrows	Cass Technical High School	Detroit	Mich.
Bobbe Butler*	Merritt Island High School	Merritt Island	Fla.
Gene Butler*	Trinity Presbyterian School	Montgomery	Ala.
Meghan Cabral*	George Fischer Middle School	Carmel	N.Y.
Matthew Carraher*	Central Dauphin High School	Harrisburg	Pa.
Tiffany Carrico*	Fred T. Korematsu Middle School	El Cerrito	Calif.
Kiyoshi Carter*	Western Guilford High School	Greensboro	N.C.
Ben Case*	Northwood High School	Irvine	Calif.
Michael Choate*	Cookeville High School	Cookeville	Tenn.
John Churchville*	Go Like The Wind Montessori School	Ann Arbor	Mich.
Joyce Click*	North Central High School	Indianapolis	Ind.
Jason Coomes	Colorado Early Colleges	Fort Collins	Colo.
James Russell Cooper*	Henry County High School & Middle School	New Castle	Ky.
Brandon Crawford*	Princeton High School	Princeton	Ill.
Charles Cushinery*	Ed W. Clark High School	Las Vegas	Nev.
Darnella Davidson	San Pedro High School	San Pedro	Calif.
Adrian Davis*	Roosevelt High School	Minneapolis	Minn.
Ryan Dawley	James R. Geisler Middle School	Walled Lake	Mich.
Derek Deakins*	Wando High School	Mount Pleasant	S.C.
Michael Dease	Michigan State University	East Lansing	Mich.
David Dehner*	Monte Vista Christian School	Watsonville	Calif.
Jose Diaz	MacArthur High School	East Aldine	Texas
Christopher Dollar	Fishers Island School	Fishers Island	N.Y.
Emmett Drake*	Hall High School	West Hartford	Conn.
Dale Duncan*	Henderson Middle School	Atlanta	Ga.
Ray Eary	Choctaw High School	Choctaw	Okla.
Craig Edgar*	The Village School	Houston	Texas
Bradley Elstone	Hazel Park High School	Hazel Park	Mich.
Richard England	Freed-Hardeman University	Henderson	Tenn.
Ralph Ewell	Vista High School	Vista	Calif.
Jessica Fain*	Tioga Junior High School	Ball	La.
Krista Fanning*	Caddo Middle Magnet	Shreveport	La.
Denise Favela-Apodaca	Colorado State University	Fort Collins	Colo.
Geneva Fitzsimonds*	South View Middle School	Edina	Minn.
John Flora	Franklin L. Williams Middle School #7	Jersey City	N.J.
Jennifer Floyd	McEachern High School	Powder Springs	Ga.
Eugene Friesen	Berklee College of Music	Boston	Mass.
Molly Fullerton	Mayfield Woods Middle School/Deep Run Elementary School	Elkridge	Md.
Loren Gamarra	Valley View High School	Moreno Valley	Calif.
Jennifer Gibson*	Hayesville High School	Hayesville	N.C.
Sherry Gillum*	Sullivan North High School	Kingsport	Tenn.
Chris Gleason*	Patrick Marsh Middle School	Sun Prairie	Wis.
David Gluck	Idaho Arts Charter School	Nampa	Idaho
Vivian Gonzalez*	South Miami K–8 Center	Miami	Fla.
Keith Goodrich	Elk Ridge Middle School	South Jordan	Utah
Steve Gorringe	Decatur High School	Federal Way	Wash.
Deana Graham*	Ripley High School	Ripley	Tenn.
Dana Green	Naperville North High School	Naperville	Ill.
William Griffel*	Purdue University	West Lafayette	Ind.
Dr. Roosevelt Griffin	Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School	Harvey	Ill.
Robert Grogan*	Barber Middle School	Acworth	Ga.
Alan Guckian	Eastside Memorial High School	Austin	Texas
Anne Guess	Woodcreek Junior High School	Katy	Texas
Adam Gumble*	Hempfield High School	Landisville	Pa.
Daniel Gutierrez*	Reed Academy Middle School	Springfield	Mo.
Robin Haffley	Montgomery County Community College	Blue Bell	Pa.
Eric Hahn*	Bangor Area High School	Bangor	Pa.
Kelci Hahn	Hamilton High School	Los Angeles	Calif.
Keith Hancock*	Tesoro High School	Rancho Santa Margarita	Calif.
Elizabeth Hankins*	Lakewood High School	Lakewood	Ohio
Anne Harris*	Somers High School	Lincolndale	N.Y.
Stanley Harris	Palmer High School	Palmer	Alaska
Keith Hart Sr. *	KIPP Believe College Prep	New Orleans	La.
Cheryl Hartman*	Barton Elementary School	Patchogue	N.Y.
Chris Hathcock	C.E. Jordan High School	Durham	N.C.
Kevin Hebert*	Chapin High School	Chapin	S.C.
Bryan Helsel*	Butler Senior High School	Butler	Pa.
Michael Henderson*	Chase High School	Forest City	N.C.
Brian Henson	Murphy Middle School	Murphy	Texas
Terry Hicks*	R. J. Reynolds High School	Winston-Salem	N.C.
David High*	Lithonia High School	Lithonia	Ga.
Kristen Hill *	Niagara Catholic Jr./Sr. High School	Niagara Falls	N.Y.
Judy Hilliard*	Easley Year-Round Magnet Elementary School	Durham	N.C.
Laura Hilton*	Valley Regional High School	Deep River	Conn.
Joshua Hinkel*	River Bluff High School	Lexington	S.C.
Steve Holder*	Rose Bud Jr./Sr. High School	Rose Bud	Ark.
Steve Holley*	Kent Denver School	Englewood	Colo.
Bill Hollin	Barbara Ingram School of the Arts	Hagerstown	Md.
Elaine Holmes-Nadeau*	Comsewogue High School	Port Jefferson Station	N.Y.
Peter Holsberg*	The Berkeley Carroll School	Brooklyn	N.Y.
Alan Hood	University of Denver Lamont School of Music	Denver	Colo.
Stephen Hufford	Canyon High School	Canyon Country	Calif.
Michael Hummel*	Franklin Community High School	Franklin	Ind.
Michael Humphrey*	Nyack High School	Nyack	N.Y.
Robert Hunter*	Mesa Community College	Mesa	Ariz.
Benjamin Hutchens	Georgetown Day School	Washington	D.C.
Matthew Hyzer	Moorestown High School	Moorestown	N.J.
Kathryn Ingerson*	Thousand Islands High School	Clayton	N.Y.
Curt Isakson	Shelby High School	Shelby	Mich.
Kathryn Iwanusa	P.S. 11	New York	N.Y.
Kervens Jackson*	Piper High School	Sunrise	Fla.
Jeffrey Jacobsen	Mansfield University of Pennsylvania	Mansfield	Pa.
Brandi Jason*	Liberty High School	Eldersburg	Md.
Gregory Johnson	Clio Area High School	Clio	Mich.
Kent Johnson	California High School	San Ramon	Calif.
Christopher E. Johnston	Fairfax High School	Fairfax	Va.
Shirley Johnston	Hirschi High School	Wichita Falls	Texas
Janet Jones	Fernway Elementary School	Orland Park	Ill.
Samuel Kallaos	Ruby Major Elementary School	Nashville	Tenn.
Tom Kanwischer*	Percy Julian Middle School	Oak Park	Ill.
Donna Kerr*	City Honors School	Buffalo	N.Y.
Michael Knepper*	Musselman High School	Inwood	W.Va.
Aimee Knight	Foothill Christian School	Glendora	Calif.
Jim Kollias	Arnold O. Beckman High School	Irvine	Calif.
Cameron Kotovsky*	Coal City High School	Coal City	Ill.
Mike Kurilko	Trenton High School	Trenton	Mich.
Ron Lambert*	Lakewood Ranch High School	Bradenton	Fla.
John Landers	Stuttgart High School	APO	AE
Christopher Lashley	Global Leadership Academy Charter School	Philadelphia	Pa.
Christopher Lee*	Dreher High School	Columbia	S.C.
Don Lee*	DeKalb Academy of Technology and Environment	Stone Mountain	Ga.
Nick Lenio	Basalt Middle School	Basalt	Colo.
Nick Little*	Campbell County High School	Alexandria	Ky.
Lindsey Lorefice*	Matawan-Aberdeen Middle School	Cliffwood	N.J.
Erik Lynch*	Verona High School	Verona	N.J.
Thomas Mann	Consuelo Mendez Middle School	Austin	Texas
Jean Martin-Williams	University of Georgia	Athens	Ga.
Stan Mauldin	Pecos High School	Pecos	Texas
Chris Maunu*	Arvada West High School	Arvada	Colo.
Eleni Maureas	Wright Middle School STEAM Magnet	Los Angeles	Calif.
Rachel Maxwell*	Traughber Junior High School	Oswego	Ill.
Richard Maxwell*	Arcadia High School	Phoenix	Ariz.
Kevin Mazzarella*	Carl C. Cutler Middle School	Mystic	Conn.
Anthony Mazzocchi	Montclair State University	Montclair	N.J.
Pamela McClain*	Parkersburg High School	Parkersburg	W.Va.
Mark McCormick*	Mira Costa High School	Manhattan Beach	Calif.
Darren McCoy*	Oak Harbor High School	Oak Harbor	Wash.
Richard McCready	River Hill High School	Clarksville	Md.
Michael McCullough	Palmdale High School	Palmdale	Calif.
Mollie McDougall*	Edgewood Middle School	Highland Park	Ill.
Bradley Meholick*	Le Roy Jr./Sr. High School	Le Roy	N.Y.
Anthony Merlino	Albright College	Reading	Pa.
David Merrill	Longmont High School	Longmont	Colo.
Jeffrey Meyer	Sul Ross State University	Alpine	Texas
Peter Meyer	St. Cloud State University	St. Cloud	Minn.
Henry Miller	Sierra Vista Middle School	Irvine	Calif.
Matthew Mireles	Cameron University	Lawton	Okla.
Dana Monteiro	Frederick Douglass Academy	New York.	N.Y.
Walter Muelling	Kodiak High School	Kodiak	Alaska
Aaron Mulder*	Frederick Intermediate School	Grayslake	Ill.
Jessica Mullen	Austin Elementary School	Memphis	Texas
Patrick Murphy*	Maysville High School	Zanesville	Ohio
Melton Mustafa*	Parkway Middle School of the Arts	Lauderhill	Fla.
Laura Nelson*	Orangewood Christian School	Maitland	Fla.
Richard Nickerson*	Windham High School	Windham	Maine
Matthew Nishimoto	Coronado High School	Henderson	Nev.
Jill Noerenberg*	Duxbury High School	Duxbury	Mass.
JoAnne Nolemi	Tottenville High School	Staten Island	N.Y.
Tim Ormsbee*	Ironwood High School	Glendale	Ariz.
Dee Dee Paakkari	John Marshall High School	Los Angeles	Calif.
Shing Palagano*	Tenoroc High School	Lakeland	Fla.
Scott Palmer	Eden Prairie High School	Eden Prairie	Minn.
Michael Parsons*	Briarcrest Christian School	Eads	Tenn.
Michael Pavlik*	York Community High School	Elmhurst	Ill.
Parks Payton	Lakeshore Middle School	Grand Haven	Mich.
Christopher Perez*	Freedom High School	Orlando	Fla.
Joseph Perrino	Tenth Street Elementary	Oakmont	Pa.
Jordan Peters*	People’s Prepatory Charter School	Newark	N.J.
Darren Pettit*	University of Nebraska at Omaha	Omaha	Neb.
Elizabeth Pichichero	Valley Stream South High School	Valley Stream	N.Y.
Catherine Plichta	Park Place Community Middle School 266	Brooklyn	N.Y.
Jason Powell	Palm Springs High School	Palm Springs	Calif.
Gilles Pugatch*	The Masters School	Dobbs Ferry	N.Y.
Brian Querry*	Charles A. Huston Middle School	Lower Burrell	Pa.
Rosa Rabinovich	Norman. S. Edelcup Sunny Isles Beach K-8	Sunny Isles Beach	Fla.
Ian Ramsey	North Yarmouth Academy	Yarmouth	Maine
Amy Rangel	Glendale High School	Glendale	Calif.
Marc Ratner*	Mineola High School	Garden City Park	N.Y.
Lance Rauh*	Delaware Valley High School	Milford	Pa.
Wilbert Rawlins	Landry-Walker College and Career Preparatory High School	New Orleans	La.
Arthur Ray	GEE White Academy	Detroit	Mich.
Jeffery Redding*	West Orange High School	Winter Garden	Fla.
Katharine Reed	Durango High School	Durango	Colo.
Ulli Reiner	Bernardo Heights and Twin Peaks Middle Schools	Poway	Calif.
Joe Renardo	Indian Trail Elementary School	Frankfort	Ill.
Craig Retzlaff*	Central Academy of Technology and Arts	Monroe	N.C.
Cody Roberts	Guntown Middle School	Guntown	Miss.
Brian Roelandt*	Fitzgerald High School	Warren	Mich.
Alexander Roff	Young Women’s Leadership School of Queens	Queens	N.Y.
Peter Rogine	Five Towns College	Dix Hills	N.Y.
Matthew Rotjan*	South Orangetown Middle School/Cottage Lane Elementary School	Blauvelt	N.Y.
James Runfola	Erie Community College	Williamsville	N.Y.
Keavon Runnels	Stephen F. Austin High School	Houston	Texas
Brian Russell*	University of Miami, Frost School of Music	Coral Gables	Fla.
Joseph Rutkowski*	John L. Miller-Great Neck North High School	Great Neck	N.Y.
Melissa Salguero*	P.S. 48 Joseph R. Drake Elementary School	Bronx	N.Y.
Peter Sampson*	Whiteland Community High School	Whiteland	Ind.
William Brian Sanders	Chatsworth School	Reisterstown	Md.
Bret Scherer*	Highland High School	Pocatello	Idaho
Danielle Schmitt*	Roland Park Elementary/Middle School	Baltimore	Md.
Adam Schneblin	East Peoria Community High School	East Peoria	Ill.
Jesse Scott*	Brandeis Marin	San Rafael	Calif.
Martin Seggelke*	Illinois State University – School of Music	Normal	Ill.
Teren Shaffer	Orange County School of the Arts	Santa Ana	Calif.
Samuel Shingles*	Paxton School for Advanced Studies	Jacksonville	Fla.
Karl Siewertsen*	John H. West Elementary School	Bethpage	N.Y.
Trey Skaggs*	Christ Church Episcopal School	Greenville	S.C.
Joani Slawson*	Saturn Elementary School	Cocoa	Fla.
Nathan Sletten	Earlham Community Schools	Earlham	Iowa
Jason Smith*	Newton High School	Covington	Ga.
Mickey Smith	Maplewood Middle School	Sulphur	La.
Robert W. Smith*	Troy University School of Music	Troy	Ala.
Jeffrey Snedeker*	Central Washington University	Ellensburg	Wash.
Larry Snider*	The University of Akron School of Music	Akron	Ohio
Jennifer Snodgrass	Appalachian State University	Boone	N.C.
Nicole Snodgrass*	Cherokee High School	Marlton	N.J.
Mark Snyder	University of Mary Washington	Fredericksburg	Va.
Eric Songer*	Chaska Middle School West	Chaska	Minn.
Todd Stefan*	North Allegheny Senior High School	Wexford	Pa.
Kathy Stefani*	Grangeville High School	Grangeville	Idaho
Asa Stern	Livermore Valley Charter School	Livermore	Calif.
MaryElla Stevens*	Lola Mae Carter Academy for the Performing Arts	Houston	Texas
Timothy Stevenson*	Brookville Area High School	Brookville	Pa.
Don Stinson*	Naperville North High School	Naperville	Ill.
Vicky Stockton	New York State School for the Deaf	Rome	N.Y.
David Stringham*	James Madison University	Harrisonburg	Va.
Jamie Stroffolino*	Walter Panas High School	Cortlandt Manor	N.Y.
Erin Stroup*	Lower Moreland Twp. High School	Huntingdon Valley	Pa.
Gary Stroupe	Colleton County Middle School	Walterboro	S.C.
Nancy Stuck	Arnold O. Beckman High School	Irvine	Calif.
Anand Sukumaran*	Mary Gage Peterson Elementary School	Chicago	Ill.
Michelle Swanson	University of Northern Iowa	Cedar Falls	Iowa
Siema Swartzel	Arnold Memorial Elementary School	Cleveland	Tenn.
Mike Testa	Salem State University	Salem	Mass.
Mark Thomas*	Upper Perkiomen School District	Pennsburg	Pa.
Tom Thomas	Mason County Central Schools	Scottville	Mich.
Blake Thompson*	Harvard Public Schools	Harvard	Neb.
Chris Thompson*	Crestview Local Schools	Ashland	Ohio
Nicole Thompson*	Taylor Road Middle School	Johns Creek	Ga.
Josh Thye*	Desert Vista High School	Phoenix	Ariz.
Frank Tieri*	Oswego High School	Oswego	Ill.
Christopher Toomey*	Stewart School	Garden City	N.Y.
Patrick Towey*	Plattsburgh Senior High School	Plattsburgh	N.Y.
Julie Trent*	Combs High School	San Tan Valley	Ariz.
Lynn Truby*	Fountain Hills High School	Fountain Hills	Ariz.
Raymond Uy*	Memorial Junior School	Whippany	N.J.
Kent Vandock*	Archbold High School	Archbold	Ohio
Emily Verdonk	Allendale High School	Allendale	Mich.
*Linda Versprille	Cane Bay High School	Summerville	S.C.
Lance Walker	North Mesquite High School	Mesquite	Texas
Nathaniel Wehmeyer*	Maryville R-II	Maryville	Mo.
Scott Werner	Corona del Sol	Tempe	Ariz.
Mark Wherry	College of Southern Nevada	North Las Vegas	Nev.
Dustin Wiley*	Firelands High School	Oberlin	Ohio
Richie Williams	Paragould High School	Paragould	Ark.
Kelly Winovich	Northgate Middle/Senior High School	Pittsburgh	Pa.
Gregory Wojcik	Glenbrook South High School	Glenview	Ill.
Adalberto Yanes*	Doral Academy Preparatory High School	Doral	Fla.
Reginald Yarbrough	Bessemer City Middle School	Bessemer	Ala.
Milas Yoes	Phoenix College	Phoenix	Ariz.
Christopher Young	David W. Carter High School	Dallas	Texas
Kevin Zaczkiewicz	Parkside High School	Salisbury	Md.
Cory Zilisch*	Westport Middle School	Louisville	Ky.