NAfME Members Stand Out Among GRAMMY Semifinalists
The GRAMMY Foundation has announced 25 GRAMMY semifinalists for the 2017 GRAMMY Music Educator Award™. Narrowed down from 290 quarterfinalists, 21 of the 25 semifinalists 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. The award is a joint partnership and presentation of The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation.
Here are the semifinalists. NAfME members are highlighted in bold.
|
Erica Breitbarth |
Reagan IB High School |
Milwaukee, Wis. |
|
Charles Cushinery |
Ed W. Clark High School |
Las Vegas, Nev. |
|
Darnella Davidson |
San Pedro Senior High School |
San Pedro, Calif. |
|
David Dehner |
Monte Vista Christian School |
Watsonville, Calif. |
|
Jose Diaz |
MacArthur High School |
Houston, Texas |
|
Krista Fanning |
Caddo Middle Magnet |
Shreveport, La. |
|
Chris Gleason |
Patrick Marsh Middle School |
Sun Prairie, Wis. |
|
Roosevelt Griffin |
Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School |
Harvey, Ill. |
|
Keith Hancock |
Tesoro High |
Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. |
|
Elizabeth Hankins |
Lakewood High School |
Lakewood, Ohio |
|
Keith Hart Sr. |
KIPP Believe College Prep |
New Orleans, La. |
|
Michael Henderson |
Chase High School |
Forest City, NC |
|
Judy Hilliard |
Easley Year-Round Elementary School |
Durham, NC |
|
Kathryn Malin Iwanusa |
PS 11 Purvis J. Behan |
Brooklyn, NY |
|
Brandi Jason |
Liberty High School |
Eldersburg, Md. |
|
Nick Lenio |
Basalt Middle School |
Basalt, CO |
|
Pamela McClain |
Parkersburg High School |
Parkersburg, W.Va. |
|
Henry Miller |
Sierra Vista Middle School |
Irvine, Calif. |
|
Richard Nickerson |
Windham High School |
Windham, Maine |
|
Ulli Reiner |
Bernardo Heights Middle School |
Poway, Calif. |
|
Melissa Salguero |
PS 48 Joseph R. Drake |
Bronx, NY |
|
Nathan Sletten |
Earlham Community Schools |
Earlham, Iowa |
|
Jason Smith |
Newton High School |
Covington, Ga. |
|
Nicole Thompson |
Taylor Road Middle School |
Johns Creek, Ga. |
|
Linda Versprille |
Cane Bay High School |
Summerville, SC |
The 10 finalists will be announced in December.
Read a list of the quarterfinalists, including NAfME Members.
The 2017 GRAMMY Music Educator will 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.
All three of the previous GRAMMY Music Educator honorees, Kent Knappenberger, Jared Cassedy, and Phillip Riggs, are NAfME members.
The finalists will be announced in December. Find additional GRAMMY Educator information. Nominations for the 2018 Music Educator award are open.
Roz Fehr, NAfME Membership Outreach Specialist, October 24, 2016. © National Association for Music Education (NAfME.org).
