Semifinalists for the 2018 Grammy Music Educator Award revealed
A total of 25 music teachers from 25 cities across 17 states have been announced as semifinalists for the Music Educator Award presented by The Recording Academy and the Grammy Museum. Initial nominations were submitted from all 50 states.
The Music Educator Award was established to recognize current educators from kindergarten through college 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.
Each year, one recipient is selected from 10 finalists and recognized for their impact on students' lives. The winner will be flown to New York to attend the 60th Annual Grammy Awards and a range of Grammy week 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.
A complete list of semifinalists:
Bonnie Anderson, Coronado Village Elementary - Universal City, Texas
Pamela Andrews, Station Camp Elementary School - Gallatin, Tenn.
Drew Benware, Saranac Lake High School - Saranac Lake, NY
John Churchville, Go Like The Wind Elementary School - Ann Arbor, Mich.
Victor de los Santos, Santa Ana High School - Santa Ana, Calif.
Michelle Droe, Lincoln Elementary - Cedar Falls, Iowa
Dale Duncan, Henderson Middle School - Atlanta, Ga.
Curtis Gaesser, Folsom High School - Folsom, Calif.
Ralph Jackson, Bridle Path Elementary School - Lansdale, Pa.
Brandi Jason, Liberty High School - Eldersburg, Md.
Mike Kurilko, Trenton High School - Trenton, Mich.
Kate Margrave, Pine Creek High School - Colorado Springs, Colo.
Chris Maunu, Arvada West High School - Arvada, Colo.
Darren McCoy, Oak Harbor High School - Oak Harbor, Wash.
Aaron Rex, Jackson High School - Jackson, Ohio
David Reynolds Jr., Vienna Elementary School - Vienna Va.
David Rhen Towson, High School - Towson, Md.
Melissa Salguero, P.S. 48 Joseph R. Drake - Bronx, NY
Bonnie Scholz, Pius XI Catholic High School - Milwaukee, Wis.
Joani Slawson, Saturn Elementary - Cocoa, Fla.
Laura Steigerwald McCoy, St. Joseph Central Elementary School - Fort Wayne, Ind.
Amy J. Steiner, Hutchinson Central Technical High School - Buffalo, NY
Vicky Stockton, New York State School for the Deaf - Rome, NY
James Yaques, Palm Beach Central High School - Wellington, Fla.
Davey Yarborough, Duke Ellington School of the Arts - Washington, D.C.