Music Educator Award™ Semifinalists Announced by the Recording Academy® and GRAMMY Museum®

--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GRAMMY Museum:

WHO:	A total of 25 music teachers, from 25 cities across 18 states, have been announced as semifinalists for the Music Educator Award™ presented by the Recording Academy^®and GRAMMY Museum^®. In total, more than 1,205 initial nominations were submitted from 47 states. Nominations for the 2024 Music Educator Award are now open at grammymusicteacher.com.
WHAT:	The Music Educator Award recognizes current educators who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the music education field and demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools. The recipient will be recognized during GRAMMY^® Week 2023.
	The award is open to current U.S. music teachers, and anyone can nominate a teacher — students, parents, friends, colleagues, community members, school deans, and administrators.
	Teachers are also able to nominate themselves, and nominated teachers are notified and invited to fill out an application.
	Each year, one recipient is selected from 10 finalists and recognized for their remarkable impact on students' lives. They will receive a $10,000 honorarium and matching grant for their school's music program. The nine additional finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium and matching grants. The remaining 15 semifinalists will receive a $500 honorarium with matching school grants.
	The matching grants provided to the schools are made possible by the generosity and support of the GRAMMY Museum's Education Champion Ford Motor Company Fund. In addition, the American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, NAMM Foundation, and National Education Association support this program through outreach to their constituencies.
	The finalists will be announced in December. For more information, please visit grammymusicteacher.com.

Name	School	City	State
Phil Aguglia	Kenmore East High School	Tonawanda	New York
William Bennett	Cane Bay High School	Summerville	South Carolina
Ryan Bulgarelli	Loyalsock Township School District	Williamsport	Pennsylvania
Aaron Bush	Foxborough High School	Foxborough	Massachusetts
Ernesta Chicklowski	Roosevelt Elementary	Tampa	Florida
Cory Joy Craig	Benton Intermediate School	Benton	Louisiana
Christine Cumberledge	Central Junior High School	Euless	Texas
David Davis	Park Spanish Immersion Elementary School	St. Louis Park	Minnesota
Pamela Dawson	DeSoto High School	DeSoto	Texas
Antoine Dolberry	P.S. 103 Hector Fontanez School	Bronx	New York
Jack A. Eaddy, Jr.	Western Carolina University	Cullowhee	North Carolina
Marisa Frank	Explore! Community School	Nashville	Tennessee
Jorge L. Garcia	Elias Herrera Middle School	Laredo	Texas
Kevin McDonald	Wellesley High School	Wellesley	Massachusetts
Matthew McKagan	Lindero Canyon Middle School	Agoura Hills	California
Brian McMath	Northwest Guilford High School	Greensboro	North Carolina
Trevor Nicholas	Senn Arts at Nicholas Senn High School	Chicago	Illinois
Bethany Robinson	Noblesville High School	Noblesville	Indiana
Matthew Shephard	Meridian Early College High School	Sanford	Michigan
Katie Silcott	Olentangy Shanahan Middle School	Lewis Center	Ohio
Tony Small	Pallotti Arts Academy	Laurel	Maryland
Patrick Smith	Cooperative Arts and Humanities Magnet High School	New Haven	Connecticut
Wayne Splettstoeszer	Torrington High School	Torrington	Connecticut
Alice Tsui	New Bridges Elementary	Brooklyn	New York
Tammy Yi	Chapman University	Orange	California

ABOUT THE RECORDING ACADEMY

The Recording Academy represents the voices of performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and all music professionals. Dedicated to ensuring the recording arts remain a thriving part of our shared cultural heritage, the Academy honors music's history while investing in its future through the GRAMMY Museum, advocates on behalf of music creators, supports music people in times of need through MusiCares^®, and celebrates artistic excellence through the GRAMMY Awards^® — music's only peer-recognized accolade and highest achievement. As the world's leading society of music professionals, we work year-round to foster a more inspiring world for creators.

For more information about the Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @RecordingAcad on Twitter, "like" Recording Academy on Facebook, and join the Recording Academy's social communities on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn.

ABOUT THE GRAMMY MUSEUM

Established in 2008, the GRAMMY Museum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to cultivating a greater understanding of the history and significance of music through exhibits, education, grants, preservation initiatives, and public programming. Paying tribute to our collective musical heritage, the Museum explores and celebrates all aspects of the art form — from the technology of the recording process to the legends who've made lasting marks on our cultural identity.

For more information, visit www.grammymuseum.org, "like" the GRAMMY Museum on Facebook, and follow @GRAMMYMuseum on Twitter and Instagram.

ABOUT FORD MOTOR COMPANY FUND

As the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, Ford Fund's mission is to strengthen communities and help make people's lives better. Working with dealers and nonprofit partners in more than 60 countries, Ford Fund provides access to opportunities and resources that help people reach their full potential. Since 1949, Ford Fund has invested more than $2 billion in programs that support education, promote safe driving, enrich community life, and encourage employee volunteering. For more information, visit www.fordfund.org or join us at @FordFund on Facebook and Twitter.