The Grammy Foundation recognizes that for every performer who makes it to the GRAMMY stage, there was a teacher who played a critical role in getting them there. To celebrate that fact, the foundation created the Music Educator of the Year award. The Award is supported by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and the NAMM Foundation. All are members of the Music Education Policy Roundtable (MEPR).
Ten finalists including one winner each year will be recognized for their remarkable impact on the lives of students in the music education classroom. The winner will be flown to Los Angeles, California, to accept the Award and attend the GRAMMYs, and to receive a $10,000 honorarium. All finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium as well.
Current educators in the U.S., who teach music in public or private schools, Kindergarten through College, are eligible for nomination. Teachers in after-school, private studios, or other educational settings are not eligible. The deadline for nominations is April 15, 2013.
Who Can Submit a Nomination?
- Music Teachers (self- nominations)
- School Administrators
- Students, Parents and Everybody Else
- Recording Academy Members
The facts about the importance of music education don’t lie. Here are a few the GRAMMY Foundation thinks are important:
- Students in high-quality school music programs score higher on standardized tests compared to students in schools with deficient music education programs, regardless of the socioeconomic level of the school or school district.
- Schools that have music programs have significantly higher attendance rates than do those without programs (93.3 percent as compared to 84.9 percent).
- Schools that have music programs have significantly higher graduation rates than do those without music programs (90.2 percent as compared to 72.9 percent). In addition, those that rate their programs as “excellent or very good” have an even higher graduation rate (90.9 percent).
- The combined results of 30 studies indicate that music instruction is linked to significantly improved reading skills.
NAfME is supporting the project with advocacy resources, and will select a member to sit on the award’s Blue Ribbon Selection Committee.
Additional information about the nominating process and the new award
Roz Fehr, NAfME managing editor for news, February 15, 2013. © National Association for Music Education (NAfME.org)
