Keith Hancock
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Keith Hancock named 2017 Music Educator Award recipient

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Southern California music teacher recognized for his significant and lasting contributions to the field of music education
GRAMMYs
May 15, 2017 - 2:36 am
GRAMMY.com

Keith Hancock of Tesoro High School in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., has been announced as the recipient of the 2017 Music Educator Award presented by The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation. As the 2017 honoree, Hancock will attend the 59th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Sunday, Feb. 12 and attend a range of GRAMMY Week events. He will also receive a $10,000 honorarium. 

May 15, 2017 – 2:36 am

California choir teacher honored with Grammy Music Educator Award

Hancock has taught choral music for 15 years at Tesoro High School, where he directs more than 250 students in five curricular and four extra-curricular ensembles, and oversees the music production/audio engineering program. Last year, Hancock was selected as a Music Educator Award finalist and he was recently awarded as the Secondary Vocal Music Teacher of the Year for Orange County, California. 

The Tesoro High School music program was chosen as one of 13 GRAMMY Signature Schools nationwide for 2015. Under his direction, the Tesoro choirs have performed to rave reviews in Spain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, England, and Ireland, as well as at Carnegie Hall in New York. In addition, ensembles under his direction have won two Golden State Choral Competitions and three Barbershop Harmony Society high school quartet championships. 

A former faculty member at the Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music at Chapman University, Hancock has earned three degrees (summa cum laude). As a performer, he has sung at Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, the Orange County Performing Arts Center, and with the Cypress Pops Orchestra, in addition to performing at various venues around Europe and Asia.

In addition to Hancock, nine music teachers were announced as finalists for the Music Educator Award. The nine finalists will each receive a $1,000 honorarium, and the schools of all 10 finalists will receive matching grants.

View A Complete List Of 2017 Music Educator Award Finalists

Nominations and applications for the 2018 Music Educator Award are now open via www.grammymusicteacher.com.

 

 

Keith Hancock at the 59th GRAMMY Awards

Keith Hancock, 2017 Music Educator Award recipient

Photo: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

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Keith Hancock: Music Educator Award "Means The World To Me"

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The Southern California-based music teacher makes his case for the importance of music in schools and gives a shout-out to his mentors
Tim McPhate
GRAMMYs
Oct 6, 2017 - 12:41 pm

It goes without saying: Keith Hancock, the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum's 2017 Music Educator Award recipient, is a big believer in the benefits of music education.

Oct 6, 2017 – 12:40 pm

Keith Hancock On Funding The Arts, Music Mentors

And there is plenty of research to back him up. Indeed, a variety of studies point to music having a profound effect on children, from helping to raise IQs, increasing vocabulary and reading skills, and boosting reading and mathematics aptitude.

"Funding the arts is such a crucial part of the well-rounded child. Even Congress has come out and said that," said Hancock, who will be among the Academy's Special Merit Awards recipients honored during "GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends," airing on PBS on Oct. 13. "So it's our duty as public citizens to support public education and specifically music education. It really helps to feed the whole child. [For] some students, this is the way they connect to campus: being involved in a music program."

Hancock, who has taught choral music for more than 15 years at Tesoro High School in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif, directs more than 250 students across various ensembles, in addition to overseeing the school's music production/audio engineering program. In paying music education forward and making a difference in his students' lives, Hancock is thankful for the tutelage he received from some of his own teachers.

"My university professor, Dr. William Hall from Chapman University, who was one of the leading choral conductors in the world, really mentored me musically and taught me how to teach music," says Hancock. "And my high school music educator, Carlita Hutton, from Brethren Christian high school, showed me really how to teach people."

Tune in to "GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends" on PBS on Oct. 13 at 9 p.m. on PBS. In addition to Hancock, honorees will include Lifetime Achievement Award recipients Sly Stone, Charley Pride and Shirley Caesar, and Trustees Award recipient Thom Bell. Artists scheduled to pay tribute to the honorees include Andra Day, Dwight Yoakam and Kirk Franklin.

"GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends": Performers And Full Set List

 

Music Educator Award

Photo: WireImage.com

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Incredible Educators: 10 Finalists Announced For 2019 Music Educator Award

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Meet the nation's best music teachers in the running for The Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum's ultimate educator honor
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Dec 12, 2018 - 12:30 pm

For students of all levels, the benefits of music education are clear. But it's the teachers providing the instruction who make the most lasting impression.

Today the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum announced 10 finalists for the 2019 Music Educator Award, which recognizes current educators, kindergarten through college, who have made a significant and lasting contribution in the field of music education.

Coming from 10 cities across six, these 10 names represent the nation's elite music educators, and were selected from over 2,800 initial nominations from all 50 states.

  • Jeremy Bradstreet, Dublin Coffman High School, Dublin, Ohio
  • Victor de los Santos, Santa Ana High School, Santa Ana, Calif.
  • Elizabeth Hering, Churchill High School, Canton, Mich.
  • Henry Miller, Sierra Vista Middle School, Lake Forest, Calif.
  • Amy Rangel, Glendale High School, Burbank, Calif.
  • Jeffery Redding, West Orange High School, Orlando, Fla.
  • Scott Sheehan, Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School, Hollidaysburg, Pa.
  • Mickey Smith Jr., Maplewood Middle School, Sulphur, La.
  • Craig Snyder, Penncrest High School, Garnet Valley, Pa.
  • John Weatherspoon, Lake Worth Community High School, West Palm Beach, Fla.

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.

From these finalists, one recipient will be selected as the sixth annual honoree and be flown to Los Angles to attend the 61st GRAMMY Awards and various 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 grants as well. The matching grants are made possibly by the generous support of the GRAMMY Museum's Education Champion Ford Motor Company Fund.

Does all this make an incredible music educator come to mind? Nominations for the 2020 Music Educator Award are now open at grammymusicteacher.com

Education Champions: 2019 Music Educator Award Semifinalists Announced

2018 Honoree Melissa Salguero

Photo: Slaven Vlasic/FilmMagic

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Education Champions: 2019 Music Educator Award Semifinalists Announced

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Across the U.S., 2,800 dedicated teachers were considered and carefully narrowed down to 25 outstanding semifinalists
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Oct 10, 2018 - 2:53 pm

On Oct. 10 the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum proudly announced the 25 semifinalists for the 2019 Music Educator Award, champions of music education nominated by grateful students and parents. Full-time public and private teachers from all 50 states received a total of 2,800 nominations via www.grammymusicteacher.com, and the one winner will be announced during GRAMMY Week.

"Music and the arts should be a part of every child's education," said 2018 MEA honoree Melissa Salguero, while receiving her award at the 2018 GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends. The following champions of musical creativity in education, representing 16 states, make that goal a reality every day and are now in semifinal consideration for next year's honor:

2019 Music Educator Award Semifinalists

Michael Antmann, Freedom High School, Clermont, Fla.
Jeff Ball, The Grand Street Campus High Schools, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Deanna Bell, Vestavia Hills Elementary East, Irondale, Ala.
Jeremy Bradstreet, Dublin Coffman High School, Dublin, Ohio
John Burn, Homestead High School, San Jose, Calif.
Victor de los Santos, Santa Ana High School, Santa Ana, Calif.
David Dehner, Cornerstone Christian Schools, San Antonio, Texas
Elizabeth Hering, Churchill High School, Canton, Mich.
Paul Holzen, Parkway Central Middle School, Dardenne Prairie, Mo.
Brandi Jason, Liberty High School, Sykesville, Md.
Gary Meggs, Arkansas High School, Texarkana, Ark.
Henry Miller, Sierra Vista Middle School, Lake Forest, Calif.
Brian Querry, Charles A. Huston Middle School, North Apollo, Pa.
Michael Raiber, Oklahoma City University, Norman, Okla.
Amy Rangel, Glendale High School, Burbank, Calif.
Jeffery Redding, West Orange High School, Orlando, Fla.
Joshua Shaw, Coronado High School, Lubbock, Texas
Scott Sheehan, Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School, Hollidaysburg, Pa.
Mickey Smith Jr., Maplewood Middle School, Sulphur, La.
Craig Snyder, Penncrest High School, Garnet Valley, Pa.
Sarah Todd, Mary Lyon Elementary School, Chicago, Ill.
Matthew Trevino, Roan Forest Elementary, San Antonio, Texas
Helen Walker, Doby's Mill Elementary, Camden, S.C.
John Weatherspoon, Lake Worth Community High School, West Palm Beach, Fla.
Heath Wolf, Farmington Junior High, Kaysville, Utah

From this list, 10 will advance to consideration as finalists, announced this December. The remaining 15 semifinalists will receive an honorarium of $500 and their schools will receive matching grants thanks to the generosity and support of the GRAMMY Museum's Education Champion Ford Motor Company Fund. Outreach for this program has been assisted by the American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, NAMM Foundation, and National Education Association.

The recipient of the sixth annual honor will be flown to Los Angeles to participate in GRAMMY Week festivities and attend the upcoming 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 10, 2019, in addition to receiving an honorarium and matching school grant. The remaining nine finalists will receive an honorarium of $1,000 and their schools will receive matching grants. While the selection is competitive, the Music Educator Award shines its light on all educators who "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."

Nominate Your Favorite Music Teacher For The 2020 Music Educator Award

Melissa Salguero

Melissa Salguero

Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage

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GRAMMY Museum Announces Quarterfinalists For Music Educator Award

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188 quarterfinalists are now in the running for 25 semifinalist spots, all competing for the 2019 Music Educator Award
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Jun 11, 2018 - 2:49 pm

The Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum's annual Music Educator Award is entering its 6th year, and on June 11 the organizations announced 188 quarterfinalist selections for 2019, representing 171 cities and chosen from more than 2,800 nominations.

Quarterfinalists learned the good news over the weekend, and social media has been lighting up with schools excited to learn they are in the running. Before winning in 2018, Melissa Salguero was a 2017 semifinalist herself.

"I really struggled with school when I was little. I wasn't really confident in myself. I was so shy and I didn't believe I could do anything," said the 2018 MEA recipient Melissa Salguero about her own elementary-school music teacher and mentor, Miss Bower. "She taught me to believe in myself and it really sparked a passion for helping other people."

From this pool of 188, a total of 25 semifinalists will be announced in September. Of those, 10 will move on to the final round and the other 15 will each receive a $500 honorarium. The 9 finalists who are not selected for the MEA will each receive an honorarium of $1,000. Matching grants to the schools are generously provided by the Ford Motor Company Fund.

The winner of the 2019 Music Educator Award will receive a $10,000 honorarium, a matching grant for their school, and in addition to being honored personally will participate in GRAMMY Week for the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards celebration.

"This is one of the most epic moments of my life," said Salguero when she accepted hers.

Music teachers are uniquely equipped to change lives through the power of music. This special recognition gives music's community a chance to help a few of the best be even better equipped to plant the seeds that grow into a lifelong love of music for many and even into careers for some students.

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