Photo Courtesy of the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum

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2023 Music Educator Award: 207 Quarterfinalists Announced
A total of 207 music teachers from 180 cities have been announced as quarterfinalists for the 2023 Music Educator Award, presented by the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum.
A total of 207 music teachers from 180 cities have been announced as quarterfinalists for the 2023 Music Educator Award, a joint partnership and presentation of the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum. In total, nearly 1,500 initial nominations were submitted. In addition to the quarterfinalists, 125 legacy applicants from 2022 will also be eligible to win the award this year. The semifinalists will be announced in September.
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 recipient will be recognized during GRAMMY Week 2023, which takes place ahead of the 2023 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 65th GRAMMY Awards.
Each year, one recipient is selected from 10 finalists and recognized for their remarkable impact on students' lives. The 10th annual honoree will be flown to Los Angeles to attend the 65th 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.
The 2023 GRAMMY nominations are officially here. See the complete list of nominees across all 91 GRAMMY categories.
Fifteen 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 Music Educator 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.
Learn more about the Music Educator Award.
See the full list of the 2023 Music Educator Award quarterfinalists below:
QUARTERFINALISTS
Name | School | City | State | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Phil Aguglia | Kenmore East High School | Tonawanda | New York | |
John Aguilar | Robert Eagle Staff Middle School | Seattle | Washington | |
Heather Akers | Central Middle School | Dover | Delaware | |
Calandria Allen | West Feliciana Middle School | Saint Francisville | Louisiana | |
Eric Allen | Western Middle School for the Arts | Louisville | Kentucky | |
Abigail Alwin | Clague Middle School | Ann Arbor | Michigan | |
David Amos | Heritage Middle School | Painesville | Ohio | |
Bonnie Anderson | Miller’s Point Elementary School | Converse | Texas | |
Justin Antos | Dwight D. Eisenhower High School | Blue Island | Illinois | |
Rich Armstrong | Waxahachie High School | Waxahachie | Texas | |
Luke Aumann | Appleton North High School | Appleton | Wisconsin | |
Elizabeth Baker | Ilima Intermediate School | Ewa Beach | Hawaii | |
William Bares | UNC Asheville | Asheville | North Carolina | |
Andre Barnes | Science Park High School | Newark | New Jersey | |
Conesha Washington-Barron | Lanier High School | Jackson | Mississippi | |
Lyndra Bastian | Woodstock High School | Woodstock | Illinois | |
William Bennett | Cane Bay High School | Summerville | South Carolina | |
Randell Bertsche | Conner Middle School | Hebron | Kentucky | |
Heather Bice | Ridgeview High School | Orange Park | Florida | |
Mario Boccali | Cabrillo Middle School | Ventura | California | |
Cherie Bowe | Pascagoula High School | Pascagoula | Mississippi | |
Charlie Bradberry | Iowa Park High School | Iowa Park | Texas | |
Justin Britt | Kingston Public Schools | Kingston | Oklahoma | |
William Brown | FJ Turner High School | Beloit | Wisconsin | |
Ryan Bulgarelli | Loyalsock Township High School | Williamsport | Pennsylvania | |
Shantavia Burchette | East Side High School | Newark | New Jersey | |
John Burn | Homestead High School | Cupertino | California | |
Alexander Busby | Oviedo High School | Oviedo | Florida | |
Aaron Bush | Foxborough High School | Foxborough | Massachusetts | |
Meg Byrne | Pleasant Valley High School | Bettendorf | Iowa | |
Leonard Al Campbell Jr. | Westbury High School | Houston | Texas | |
Brett Carroll | Burbank High School | Burbank | California | |
Elizabeth Carter | Snowden School | Memphis | Tennessee | |
Philip Carter | O'Fallon Township High School | O'Fallon | Illinois | |
Francis Cathlina | University of Memphis | Memphis | Tennessee | |
Amberleigh Cellak | Starbuck World IB Middle School | Racine | Wisconsin | |
Tiffany Chiang | Mark Twain I.S. 239 | Brooklyn | New York | |
Ernesta Chicklowski | Roosevelt Elementary | Tampa | Florida | |
Michael Coelho | Ipswich High School | Ipswich | Massachusetts | |
Leah VanDoran Cohen | Ewa Makai Middle School | Ewa Beach | Hawaii | |
Cory Joy Craig | Benton Intermediate School | Benton | Louisiana | |
Christina Crivelli | South Fayette Intermediate School | McDonald | Pennsylvania | |
Christine Cumberledge | Central Junior High School | Euless | Texas | |
Austin Cunningham | KIPP Austin Brave High School | Austin | Texas | |
Pamela Dawson | DeSoto High School | DeSoto | Texas | |
Kelly DeHaan | Mountain Ridge High School | Herriman | Utah | |
Maria Del Valle Brin | The Equity Project Charter School | New York | New York | |
Heather Dipasquale | Todd County Middle School | Elkton | Kentucky | |
Antoine Dolberry | P.S. 103 Hector Fontanez School | Bronx | New York | |
Jack A. Eaddy, Jr. | Western Carolina University | Cullowhee | North Carolina | |
Dominique Eade | New England Conservatory of Music | Boston | Massachusetts | |
Benjamin Easley | Nolensville High School | Nolensville | Tennessee | |
Brandon Elliott | Moorpark College | Moorpark | California | |
Jasmine Faulkner | Polaris Expeditionary Learning School | Fort Collins | Colorado | |
Daniel James Felton | DeLaSalle High School | Minneapolis | Minnesota | |
Nicholas Fernandez | Bentonville High School | Bentonville | Arkansas | |
Kelly Ford | Siena Heights University | Adrian | Michigan | |
Cathryn Fowler | Health Careers High School | San Antonio | Texas | |
Marisa Frank | Nashville Classical Charter School | Nashville | Tennessee | |
Jasmine Fripp | KIPP Nashville Collegiate High School | Nashville | Tennessee | |
Jorge L. Garcia | Elias Herrera Middle School | Laredo | Texas | |
Jacob Garcia | Tennyson Middle School | Waco | Texas | |
Tina Gibson | Jefferson County Traditional Middle School | Louisville | Kentucky | |
Alex Gittelman | Haverford Middle School | Havertown | Pennsylvania | |
Guillermo Gonzalez | James A. Garfield High School | Los Angeles | California | |
John Gordon | Odessa High School | Townsend | Delaware | |
Mansa Gory | Denzel Washington School of the Arts | Mount Vernon | New York | |
Deanna Grandstaff | Cecil Intermediate School | McDonald | Pennsylvania | |
Jessica Gronberg | Hawkes Bluff Elementary | Davie | Florida | |
Melanie Gunn | Whitman Middle School | Seattle | Washington | |
Amanda Hanzlik | Edwin O. Smith High School | Storrs | Connecticut | |
Marvin Haywood | John Ehret High School | Marrero | Louisiana | |
Colette Hebert | Yonkers Public Schools | Yonkers | New York | |
Kristin Howell | Syosset High School | Syosset | New York | |
Emmanuel Hudson | Booker T. Washington High School | Shreveport | Louisiana | |
Karla Hulne | Blair-Taylor Middle & High School | Blair | Wisconsin | |
(Andrea) Dalene Husky | Chandler Traditional Academy-Liberty Campus | Chandler | Arizona | |
Mia Ibrahim | Health Opportunities High School | Bronx | New York | |
Luis Ingels | BASIS Independent Brooklyn | Brooklyn | New York | |
Justin Janer | Pinewood School Middle Campus | Los Altos | California | |
Daryl Jessen | Dakota Valley School | North Sioux City | South Dakota | |
Mary Johnson | Jardine Elementary | Topeka | Kansas | |
De’Evin Johnson | Duncanville High School | Duncanville | Texas | |
Amir Jones | Thomas W. Harvey High School | Painesville | Ohio | |
Jean-Marie Kent | Roosevelt High School | Seattle | Washington | |
Brandon Kiesgen | Perry High School | Gilbert | Arizona | |
Allison Kline | Northwestern Lehigh High School | New Tripoli | Pennsylvania | |
Rod Kosterman | Rockwall-Heath High School | Rockwall | Texas | |
Joshua Krohn | Brent Elementary School | Washington | District of Columbia | |
Sarah Labovitz | Arkansas State University | Jonesboro | Arkansas | |
Eli Lambie | Washington Lands Elementary School | Moundsville | West Virginia | |
J. Alan Landers | Lakenheath High School | Lakenheath | New Jersey | |
David Leach | Pioneer High School | Ann Arbor | Michigan | |
Jeffrey Leager | Central Middle School | Dover | Delaware | |
Heather Leppard | Girls Academic Leadership Academy | Los Angeles | California | |
Hope Lewis | Charles O. Dickerson High School | Trumansburg | New York | |
Angie Liss | Howe High School | Howe | Texas | |
Christopher Little | Jim Hill High School | Jackson | Mississippi | |
Meredith Lord | Burncoat High School | Worcester | Massachusetts | |
Christian Lozano | Canyon Springs High School | Moreno Valley | California | |
Brendon Lucas | Nyack Middle School | Nyack | New York | |
Christian Lucas | Mariners Christian School | Costa Mesa | California | |
Andrew Macaione | Benavides STEAM Academy | Aurora | Illinois | |
Kurtina Cyntel Maholmes | Sykes Elementary School | Jackson | Mississippi | |
Thomas Mann | W. Charles Akins Early College High School | Austin | Texas | |
Jessica Martin | Crosby Park Elementary School | Lawton | Oklahoma | |
Jesus Martinez | Sam Houston High School | Arlington | Texas | |
Alison McCarrey | Romig Middle School | Anchorage | Alaska | |
Angie McDaniel | Forest Creek Elementary | Round Rock | Texas | |
Kevin McDonald | Wellesley High School | Wellesley | Massachusetts | |
Matt McKagan | Lindero Canyon Middle School | Agoura Hills | California | |
Brian McMath | Northwest Guilford High School | Greensboro | North Carolina | |
Phillip McMullen | Silver Creek Central Schools | Silver Creek | New York | |
Tracy Meldrum | Verrado High School | Buckeye | Arizona | |
Xochilt Melendez Munguia | Gainesville Middle School | Gainesville | Virginia | |
A.J. Merlino | Albright College | Reading | Pennsylvania | |
Kris Milby | Greenup County High School | Greenup | Kentucky | |
Jasper Miranda | Coleman ISD | Coleman | Texas | |
Ashleigh Moffit | Gateway Science Academy Middle School | Saint Louis | Missouri | |
Dana Monteiro | Frederick Douglass Academy | New York | New York | |
Shelby Montgomery | George Jenkins High School | Lakeland | Florida | |
David Moore | Inspire Charter Academy | Baton Rouge | Louisiana | |
Marcus Morris | Dorman High School | Roebuck | South Carolina | |
Ryan Moseley | Appoquinimink High School | Middletown | Delaware | |
David Moss | West Hopkins School | Nebo | Kentucky | |
Deborah Muhlenbruck-Fleischer | Barry and June Gunderson Middle School | Las Vegas | Nevada | |
Jenny Neff | The University of the Arts | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | |
Ailisa Newhall | Inglemoor High School | Kenmore | Washington | |
Trevor Nicholas | Senn Arts at Nicholas Senn High School | Chicago | Illinois | |
Vicki Nichols | Grandview Elementary | Grandview | Texas | |
Heather Niederer | Navarrete Elementary | Chandler | Arizona | |
Adam Nobile | Big Spring High School | Newville | Pennsylvania | |
Benjamin Noyes | Hillsboro High School | Hillsboro | Oregon | |
Tanner Oglesby | Bryant High School | Bryant | Arkansas | |
Jeremy Overbeck | Century High School | Bismarck | North Dakota | |
John Pachence | Penn State University, Abington College | Abington | Pennsylvania | |
Donald Edward Padgett | Hartford Conservatory School of Music | Hartford | Connecticut | |
Jennifer Page | Niles North High School | Skokie | Illinois | |
Robert Pate Jr. | L.W. Higgins High School | Marrero | Louisiana | |
Carrie Pawelski | Jefferson Middle School | Jamestown | New York | |
Jordan Peters | Dr. E Alma Flagg School | Newark | New Jersey | |
Sedric Pinkney | O. Henry Middle School | Austin | Texas | |
Brendan Pitts | Berrien High School | Nashville | Georgia | |
Matthew Pitts | Robert JC Rice Elementary School | Gilbert | Arizona | |
Coutney Powers | South Philadelphia High School | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | |
Natalie Pratt | Brentwood High School | Brentwood | Tennessee | |
Harvey G. Price Jr. | Muskogee High School | Muskogee | Oklahoma | |
William Rank | Oak Prairie Junior High School | Lockport | Illinois | |
Brett Rankin | Wilde Lake High School | Columbia | Maryland | |
Annie Ray | Annandale High School | Annandale | Virginia | |
Tracy Resseguie | Staley High School | Kansas City | Missouri | |
Bethany Robinson | Noblesville High School | Noblesville | Indiana | |
Marcos Rodriguez | Avant Garde Academy of Broward | Hollywood | Florida | |
John Ross | Appalachian State University | Boone | North Carolina | |
Nikia Russell | Success Preparatory @ Thurgood Marshall | New Orleans | Louisiana | |
Giovanni Santos | La Sierra University | Riverside | California | |
Mathew Schick | Crescenta Valley High School | La Crescenta | California | |
Kyle Schoeller | Northside Elementary | Rogers | Arkansas | |
Ruth Schwartz | Chugiak High School | Chugiak | Alaska | |
Laura Shapovalov | Walden III Middle School | Racine | Wisconsin | |
Jim Sheffer | Medford Memorial Middle School | Medford | New Jersey | |
Matthew Shephard | Meridian Early College High School | Sanford | Michigan | |
Shahniz Shirazi | Arizona Conservatory for Arts and Academics | Phoenix | Arizona | |
Katie Silcott | Olentangy Shanahan Middle School | Lewis Center | Ohio | |
Dylan Sims | York Middle School | York | South Carolina | |
Thomas Slater | Chestnut Oaks Middle School | Sumter | South Carolina | |
Michele Slone | Urbana Elementary and Jr. High School | Urbana | Ohio | |
Tony Small | Pallotti Arts Academy | Laurel | Maryland | |
Benjamin Smith | Escalante Middle School | Durango | Colorado | |
Andrew Smith | Charlotte Central School | Charlotte | Vermont | |
Ashleigh Spatz | Burgess Peterson Elementary | Atlanta | Georgia | |
James Spence | Berta Cabaza Middle School | San Benito | Texas | |
Wayne Splettstoeszer | Torrington High School | Torrington | Connecticut | |
David Starnes | Kennesaw Mountain High School | Kennesaw | Georgia | |
Elizabeth Steege | Case High School | Racine | Wisconsin | |
Jonathan Steltzer | Wayne County High School | Jesup | Georgia | |
Lawrence Stoffel | California State University, Northridge | Los Angeles | California | |
Tyler Swick | Robert and Sandy Ellis Elementary | Henderson | Nevada | |
Cami Tedoldi | Foxborough High School | Foxborough | Massachusetts | |
Kylie Teston | Leonardtown High School | Leonardtown | Maryland | |
Timothy Thomas | Basic Academy of International Studies | Henderson | Nevada | |
Kaitlynn Tobias | Lake Asbury Elementary School | Green Cove Springs | Florida | |
Jonathan Todd | Crestdale Middle School | Matthews | North Carolina | |
Michael Tosh | Chapel Hill ISD High School | Mount Pleasant | Texas | |
Matthew Trevino | Roan Forest Elementary | San Antonio | Texas | |
Susan Trost | Gateway Elementary | Conneaut | Ohio | |
Alexis True | Thomas Downey High School | Modesto | California | |
Alice Tsui | New Bridges Elementary | Brooklyn | New York | |
Gregory Urban | Dunedin Highland Middle School | Dunedin | Florida | |
Jon Usher | Hidden Springs Elementary School | Moreno Valley | California | |
Michael Vasquez | Charles L. Kuentz Jr. Elementary | Helotes | Texas | |
Aaron Vogel | Mountain Ridge High School | Glendale | Arizona | |
Derrick Walker | Cedar Hill High School | Cedar Hill | Texas | |
Timothy Wallner | Juan Navarro Early College High School | Austin | Texas | |
Antwuan Walters | Heights High School | Houston | Texas | |
Bryen Warfield | Homestead High School | Fort Wayne | Indiana | |
Sarah Wehmeier Aparicio | Waukesha South High School | Waukesha | Wisconsin | |
Tammy White | Kiser Middle School | Greensboro | North Carolina | |
Christopher White | Hickory Ridge High School | Harrisburg | North Carolina | |
Alexander Wilga | Davenport Central High School | Davenport | Iowa | |
Tyron Williams | New Visions Charter High School for the Humanities IV | Far Rockaway | New York | |
Krista Williams | Chastang-Fournier | Mobile | Alabama | |
Kelly Winovich | Northgate Middle & Senior High School | Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | |
Hayley Winslow | Snow Canyon Middle School | St. George | Utah | |
John Woodrome | Permian High School | Odessa | Texas | |
Tammy Yi | Chapman University | Orange | California | |
Ronnie Ziccardi | Avonworth Elementary School | Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania |
LEGACY APPLICANTS
Name | School | City | State |
---|---|---|---|
Keely (O’Hara) Abeln | Parkway South Middle School | Ballwin | Missouri |
Adrian Adams | Richland Northeast High School | Columbia | South Carolina |
Shirene Agahi-Patterson | Denver South High School | Denver | Colorado |
John Aguilar | Robert Eagle Staff Middle School | Seattle | Washington |
David Allinder | Shades Valley High School | Birmingham | Alabama |
Kathryn Ananda-Owens | St. Olaf College | Northfield | Minnesota |
Jeanne Andrews | Pauline Petway Elementary School | Vineland | New Jersey |
Tristianne Asbury | Noble High School | Noble | Oklahoma |
Michelle Bade | West View Elementary | Muncie | Indiana |
Andrew Bennett | Fredonia High School | Fredonia | New York |
Gregory Bennett | Middletown High School | Middletown | New York |
Brandon Benson | J. U. Blacksher School | Uriah | Alabama |
Gary Bernice | Springfield High School of Science and Technology | Springfield | Massachusetts |
Robert Bertke | St. Francis School | Louisville | Kentucky |
Monica Bertran | St. Charles East High School | St. Charles | Illinois |
Justin Binek | Kansas City Kansas Community College | Kansas City | Kansas |
Michael Blostein | Averill Park High School | Averill Park | New York |
Darrell Boston | Loretto High School | Loretto | Tennessee |
Andrew Bowerly | Tenino High School & Middle School | Tenino | Washington |
Jonathan Boysen | Eastside Catholic School | Sammamish | Washington |
Sedalia Brown | Christel House Watanabe Manual High School | Indianapolis | Indiana |
Matthew Brusseau | Davie County High School | Mocksville | North Carolina |
Ben Burge | Jones College | Ellisville | Mississippi |
Teresa Cameron | Eastside Elementary School | Lake City | Florida |
Jessica Campbell | Legacy Traditional School - NW Tucson | Tucson | Arizona |
Jennifer Canales | Weeksville Elementary | Elizabeth City | North Carolina |
Helen Capehart | Bridgeport Middle School | Bridgeport | Texas |
Marcos Carreras | Springfield Conservatory of The Arts | Springfield | Massachusetts |
Josh Chapel | Deerfield Windsor School | Albany | Georgia |
Christopher Clark | Case Western Reserve University | Cleveland | Ohio |
Kessler Cuffman | Howard Connect Academy | Chattanooga | Tennessee |
Nicole Davidson | Susan E. Wiley Elementary School | Copiague | New York |
Beth Davies | Franklin Middle School | Cedar Rapids | Iowa |
Robert DeSantis | Millville High School | Millville | New Jersey |
Shelby Dickey | Gorzycki Middle School | Austin | Texas |
Thomas DiNuoscio | Northeastern High School | Springfield | Ohio |
Heather Dipasquale | Todd County Middle School | Elkton | Kentucky |
Doris Doyon | Mt. San Antonio College | Walnut | California |
Dale Duncan | Henderson Middle School | Atlanta | Georgia |
Cuauhtemoc ("Moc") Escobedo | Eckstein Middle School | Seattle | Washington |
Wayne Fanning | Niu Valley Middle School | Honolulu | Hawaii |
Jordan Ford | Norwood Elementary School | Birmingham | Alabama |
Nicholas Gaudette | Edina High School | Edina | Minnesota |
Julie Gentry | Westover Hills Elementary School | Richmond | Virginia |
Andrew Gibb-Clark | Kirkwood High School | Kirkwood | Missouri |
Ryan Gonzales | James Monroe High School | Los Angeles | California |
Vivian Gonzalez | Miami Arts Studio 6-12 @ Zelda Glazer | Miami | Florida |
Robert Green | Lakeland High School | White Lake | Michigan |
Keith Griffis | Walter L. Sickles High School | Tampa | Florida |
Shanti Gruber | Glenwood Springs High School & Middle School | Glenwood Springs | Colorado |
Melissa Gustafson-Hinds | O'Fallon Township High School | O’ Fallon | Illinois |
Matthew Hammong | Lawrence County High School | Louisa | Kentucky |
Montgomery Hill | Marion High School | Marion | Arkansas |
Michael Huebner | Kennesaw Mountain High School | Kennesaw | Georgia |
Gene Hundley | Swainsboro Middle School | Swainsboro | Georgia |
William R. Jenks | South Charleston Middle School | South Charleston | West Virginia |
Natalie Kerr | Bloomfield High School | Bloomfield | New Jersey |
Robin King | Fountain International Magnet School | Pueblo | Colorado |
Scott Krijnen | Castillero Middle School | San Jose | California |
Marissa Kyser | Spokane R-VII | Spokane | Missouri |
John Alan Landers | Lakenheath High School | APO | U.S. Armed Forces – |
Jacqueline Langley | Haverford Middle School | Havertown | Pennsylvania |
Brandon Larsen | Herriman High School | Herriman | Utah |
Derek Larson | St. Regis School | St. Regis | Montana |
Matthew Leder | Gadsden State Community College | Gadsden | Alabama |
Monica Leimer | DeLand High School | DeLand | Florida |
Michael Linert | Westminster High School | Westminster | Colorado |
Kevin Longwill | Abington School District | Abington | Pennsylvania |
Wes Lowe | The King's Academy | West Palm Beach | Florida |
Pamela Lowell | Cranston High School East | Cranston | Rhode Island |
Matt Martindale | Shelby County High School | Columbiana | Alabama |
Jesus Martinez | Sam Houston High School | Arlington | Texas |
Atsuko Haarz | Richwoods High School | Peoria | Illinois |
Emily Maurer | Slidell Junior High School | Slidell | Louisiana |
Margaret Maurice | Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools | Charlotte | North Carolina |
Eric McAllister | Las Vegas Academy of the Arts | Las Vegas | Nevada |
Richard McCready | River Hill High School | Columbia | Maryland |
Angela McKenna | Classen SAS @ NE High School | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma |
Bob Mecozzi | Amos Alonzo Stagg High School | Palos Hills | Illinois |
A.J. Merlino | Albright College | Reading | Pennsylvania |
Amberle Mitchell | Washington High School | Fremont | California |
Wanda Mitchell | Hampton High School | Hampton | Virginia |
Charles Moorer | McArthur High School | Hollywood | Florida |
Lauren Morabito | Hendrick Hudson High School | Montrose | New York |
Alicia Mulloy | Liberty Middle School | Madison | Alabama |
Christopher Nicholas | West Adams Preparatory High School | Los Angeles | California |
Jason Noble | Scarsdale High School | Scarsdale | New York |
Laura O’Konski | Liberty High School | Bealeton | Virginia |
Meredith Olson | Elmwood Elementary | Elmwood Park | Illinois |
Todd Oxford | Texas State University School of Music | San Marcos | Texas |
Brian Parrish | Parkway West High School | Chesterfield | Missouri |
Robert Pettigrew | Westside High School | Anderson | South Carolina |
Daniel Philpott-Jones | Mohonasen High School | Schenectady | New York |
Ær Queen | Braddock Elementary School | Annandale | Virginia |
Michael Rais | Frost Middle School | Livonia | Michigan |
Marc Ratner | Mineola UFSD | Garden City Park | New York |
Christopher Redd | Dover High School | Dover | Ohio |
Kathleen Riser | Scott Central Attendance Center | Forest | Mississippi |
Raymond Roberts | Milwaukee High School of the Arts | Milwaukee | Wisconsin |
Sarah Ruff | Arthur and Polly Mays Conservatory of the Arts | Miami | Florida |
Caitlin Schmidt | JL Long Middle School | Dallas | Texas |
Dustin Shrum | Central Visual and Performing Arts High School | St. Louis | Missouri |
Andrew Smigielski | Forrest County Agricultural High School | Brooklyn | Mississippi |
Michael Francis Smith | Bourne Intermediate School | Bourne | Massachusetts |
Derek Smith | Hickory Ridge Middle School | Harrisburg | North Carolina |
Patrick Smith | Cooperative Arts & Humanities Magnet High School | New Haven | Connecticut |
Jordan Stehle | Matthew Whaley Elementary School | Williamsburg | Virginia |
Cindy Stone | Belgrade Middle School & High School | Belgrade | Montana |
Elizabeth Taylor | La Crosse Elementary School | La Crosse | Virginia |
Laura Taylor | Unity Junior High | Cicero | Illinois |
Bill Tiberio | Fairport High School | Fairport | New York |
Sarah Todd | Mary Lyon Elementary School | Chicago | Illinois |
Michael Tosh | Chapel Hill High School | Mount Pleasant | Texas |
Julie Trent | Glendale High School | Glendale | Arizona |
Patrick Van Arsdale | Ben Davis High School | Indianapolis | Indiana |
EJ Villanueva | Orange Grove Elementary School | Anaheim | California |
Derrick Walker | Cedar Hill High School | Cedar Hill | Texas |
Heaven Watson-Weary | Hunter Huss High School | Gastonia | North Carolina |
Christopher Weatherly | Christopher Weatherly | Washington | District of Columbia |
Carissa Werner | Ries Elementary | Las Vegas | Nevada |
Tammy White | Kiser Middle School | Greensboro | North Carolina |
Brian Willett | Monrovia High School | Monrovia | Indiana |
Jacquelin Witherspoon | J C Magill Elementary School | Loganville | Georgia |
Arthur Wright, III | Berkmar High School | Lilburn | Georgia |
Jayme Zimmerman | Bellefonte Elementary School | Bellefonte | Pennsylvania |

Image courtesy of the GRAMMY Museum
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GRAMMY Museum To Celebrate 50 Years Of Hip-Hop With 'Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit' Opening Oct. 7
The new exhibit honors the 50th anniversary of hip-hop through an expansive and interactive exploration that features artifacts from legendary artists including the Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, LL Cool J, and more.
The GRAMMY Museum is celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop this fall with the newly announced Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit, an immersive, interactive, 5,000-square foot experience celebrating the multifaceted world of hip-hop and the global impact and influence of the genre and culture. Launching Saturday, Oct. 7, and running through Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, the exhibit will feature expansive exhibits exploring hip-hop music, dance, graffiti, fashion, business, activism, and history as well as artifacts from hip-hop pioneers like Tupac Shakur, the Notorious B.I.G., LL Cool J, and many more.
Additionally, the exhibit features a one-of-a-kind Sonic Playground, featuring five interactive stations that invite visitors of all ages to partake in DJing, rapping and sampling, all essential elements comprising hip-hop culture. Additional virtual and in-person education and community engagement programs will be announced at a later date.
Exploring the countless ways hip-hop music and culture has dominated popular culture over the last 50 years, Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit was curated by a team of four co-curators who bring a deep knowledge of hip-hop, academic rigor and creativity to the project. They include:
Felicia Angeja Viator, associate professor of history, San Francisco State University, author of ‘To Live And Defy In LA: How Gangsta Rap Changed America,’ and one of the first women DJs in the Bay Area hip-hop scene
Adam Bradley, Professor of English and founding director of the Laboratory for Race and Popular Culture (the RAP Lab) at UCLA, and co-editor of ‘The Anthology of Rap’
Jason King, Dean, USC Thornton School of Music and former chair of the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at NYU
Dan Charnas, Associate Arts Professor, NYU Clive Davis Institute of Music, and author of ‘Dilla Time: The Life And Afterlife Of The Hip-Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm’
The co-curators worked in conjunction with GRAMMY Museum Chief Curator and Vice President of Curatorial Affairs Jasen Emmons as well as a 20-member Advisory Board.
Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit is an educational journey through several key themes:
Origins: Discover the roots of hip-hop in the Bronx and New York City, where DJs were the original stars, and graffiti and breakdancing were integral to the culture.
Innovation: Explore how hip-hop artists have innovatively used technology, from transforming turntables into musical instruments to pioneering sampling techniques.
Sounds of Hip-Hop: Experience the diverse sounds of hip-hop in four themed studios, showcasing the evolution of production, the intersection of hip-hop and car culture, the craft of hip-hop lyrics, and the influence of R&B.
Fashion: Dive into the world of hip-hop fashion, featuring iconic clothing, jewelry and style.
Regionalism: Discover 14 hip-hop scenes across the United States, showcasing the importance of local and regional contributions.
Entrepreneurialism: Learn about the transformation of hip-hop from a back-to-school party in the Bronx to a multi-billion-dollar global industry.
Media: Discover the role of media in shaping hip-hop's development, from radio stations to pioneering shows like "Yo! MTV Raps."
Community: Explore how hip-hop has brought people together over the last 50 years, with an interactive ‘Hip-Hop America’ playlist featuring 200 songs that trace the genre's evolution.
Highlights from Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit include:
The Notorious B.I.G.'s iconic 5001 Flavors custom red leather peacoat he wore in Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s music video "Players Anthem"
Kurtis Blow's original handwritten lyrics for his 1980 hit single, "The Breaks," the first gold-certified rap song
Black suede fedora hat and Adidas Superstars belonging to Darryl "DMC" McDaniels of Run-D.M.C.
Tupac Shakur's handwritten essay "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death," circa 1992
Two outfits designed by Dapper Dan, Harlem fashion icon: 1) a half-length black leather jacket worn by Melle Mel (Melvin Glover, b. 1961) in performance at the 1985 GRAMMY Awards; and a black-and-yellow leather bucket hat and jacket worn by New York hip-hop artist Busy Bee (David James Parker)
Egyptian Lover's gold Roland 808, the beat-making tool
LL Cool J's red Kangol bucket hat
Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit is a key event taking place as the world is celebrating 50 years of hip-hop this year. The origins of hip-hop can be traced back to Aug. 11, 1973, when DJ Kool Herc DJed a birthday party inside the recreation room of an apartment building located on 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the South Bronx, New York City. This history-making date marks the birth of hip-hop and is the reason why we're celebrating hip-hop's 50th anniversary this year. The 50th anniversary of hip-hop means artists, fans, and the music industry at-large are celebrating the momentous milestone via hip-hop concerts, exhibits, tours, documentaries, podcasts, and more around the globe across 2023.
Visit the GRAMMY Museum website for more information regarding advanced ticket reservations for Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit.

Photo: Courtesy of the Recording Academy/Photo by Rebecca Sapp, Getty Images 2023
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6 Things To Know About Charlie Puth, From His Unusual Inspirations To His Teaching Aspirations
On the heels of his last U.S. tour stop, Charlie Puth wowed fans at a special GRAMMY fundraising brunch in Los Angeles. Take a look at six takeaways from the intimate event.
Just after Charlie Puth wrapped his North American tour on July 11, the pop hitmaker treated 150 fans to the ultimate fan experience: brunch with a side of Puth.
Part of The GRAMMY Museum's Sunday Brunch With… series, the event — a fundraiser for the organization's GRAMMY In The Schools program that was sponsored by City National Bank and Porsche — invited fans to enjoy a three-course brunch followed by an intimate 45-minute acoustic set from Puth.
From the stage at his friend (and 17-time GRAMMY Award-winning mixer) Manny Marroquin's restaurant, VERSE LA in Toluca Lake, California, Puth told stories about his days at Berklee College Of Music and his journey to stardom. He also let attendees in on his songwriting process, performing some of his most beloved tracks in the process.
For those who weren't able to make it to the sold-out event, here are six takeaways from Sunday Brunch With Charlie Puth.
He May Just Become A Music Teacher In The Future
Early on in the show, Puth made a point of shouting out one of his old Berklee professors from the stage. Turns out it was Prince Charles Alexander, a multi-GRAMMY Award winning mixer and engineer who has worked with Mary J. Blige, Destiny's Child, P. Diddy, Usher, and Aretha Franklin.
Puth said he'd often pop into Alexander's office to run ideas by him, with Alexander offering up tips in return. Puth told the crowd he still thinks about Alexander's advice when he's making his own records all these years later, and shouted out not just his professor but all music educators, saying that he's a firm believer in the value of music in our schools. He even joked that he'd like to become a music teacher himself "if this whole music thing doesn't work out."
One Of His Songs Was Inspired By A Rainy Walk…
When Puth wrote "How Long" back in 2017, it was on a long walk. He was strutting around the town wondering why there weren't more tracks written at a perfect walking tempo when it started to rain. The sound of his feet combined with the wet concrete and suddenly, he told the crowd, "it was like the chords fell out of the sky."
Puth then kicked into a smooth and resonant performance of the song — which sounded excellent on whatever sound system Marroquin installed in his restaurant — prompting one attendee to shout out in glee, "ooh, you better sing!"
…And Another Was Inspired By Ed Sheeran
Puth says he started writing "We Don't Talk Anymore" when he was on the road in Osaka, Japan. He'd fallen in love with the percussive guitar on Ed Sheeran's song "Bloodstream" and wanted to use that same sort of tone on his own track.
Puth says he also wanted to write what he called "the worldliest sounding record," or "a record that would take me around the world." Given that "We Don't Talk Anymore" hit the top 10 in 20 different countries and the video has more than three billion views on YouTube to date, it's fair to say he did just that.
He Likes To Use "Light Switch" To Inspire Up-And-Coming Musicians
When the freshly signed Puth was first in LA in the early 2010s, a producer suggested they take his newly recorded tracks to a club, where they'd play them for the crowd and see what hit. It was a novel idea for Puth at the time, but something he's adapted a bit for the modern age, when he throws bits of songs and ideas up on his TikTok, hoping to see what flies.
That's exactly how his 2022 hit "Light Switch" came to be: The simple percussive sound that you hear when you turn the lights on and off.
In videos he's posted on TikTok, he's tried to show fans that, like that song, music can come from anywhere. "You don't need a multi-million dollar recording studio to make a record," he told the crowd, reminding everyone that Soulja Boy's "Crank That" was self-produced on the rapper's home computer before breaking big on social media.
Anyone, Puth said, can make and release their own music, even if they're not currently in possession of the dream recording set-up. It's just about passion and perseverance, and a desire to make something new.
He Likes To Blend Classical Riffs With Perfect Pop Melodies
When Puth started to write "Attention," it was with a little classical riff he was fooling around with on the piano. He decided to take the classical bars and throw them into a pop song, reminding the room that it's not all that uncommon. For instance, he said, Toni Wine and Carole Bayer Sager's "A Groovy Kind Of Love" contains the Rondo from Muzio Clementi's Sonatina, Opus 36, No. 5. In Puth's view, classical music and pop can live in perfect harmony, feeding off each other and building toward something even bigger than the sum of their parts.
He's Proof Of The Power Of Being Yourself
In 2012, at the height of "weight for the drop" style EDM hits, Puth felt discouraged as he was trying to break into music himself. As he recalled, he'd moved home to his parents house and was laser focused on the pop charts, tailoring his songs to whatever was No. 1 at the moment — but they were all getting turned down by labels. Finally, he said, an A&R person gave him a piece of advice, saying, essentially, "We've heard all this before. We want to hear something from you."
That's how, on his way to record a dance track at some studio in LA, Puth decided to lay down a piano ballad instead. He says it was like "See You Again" fell into his lap and attributes its success to the fact that he wasn't trying to be anyone but himself.
"See You Again changed my life," he told the brunch crowd, noting that he'll be proud and lucky if he gets to perform it for the rest of his life. As he played it live, the whole room joyfully sang along — hinting that Puth may have crafted a lifelong hit.

Photo: Rob Kim/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
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6 Things To Know About Margo Price: Her Struggles, Writing Process & Unforgettable Success Story
Country-adjacent singer Margo Price is a craftswoman with gallons of candor. At a special GRAMMY Museum event, she got real about her new album, 'Strays,' and memoir, 'Maybe We'll Make It.'
The adjective "vulnerable" is something of a music press cliché. Margo Price is capital-v. Because before she released her 2022 memoir, Maybe We'll Make It, she was in a state of abject terror over how her family would react to her confessions therein.
"I was having panic attacks, thinking about all of this being out there," Price told The Guardian. "I know what people do on the internet, and I was imagining the names they were gonna call me. They're gonna say I'm a horrible mother, that I'm a drunk."
But then, there's that word again: "I also [hope] that people are going to appreciate my vulnerability."
This attribute — married to sterling craft — has launched Price into the stratosphere; none other than Willie Nelson provided a blurb for Maybe We'll Make It's front cover. ("Margo's book hits you right in the gut — and the heart," he wrote. "Just like her songs.")
As she details in the book, the masterful Nashville singer/songwriter knocked around town for more than a decade in search of a record deal, and dealt with poverty, alcohol abuse and numberless other calamities. But Price was stubborn and persistent; her ascent began with her exceptional 2016 solo debut Midwest Farmer's Daughter, released on Third Man Records.
She continued her winning streak in 2017 with All American Made; the following year, she was nominated for a GRAMMY for Best New Artist. That streak continued with 2020's That's How Rumors Get Started, produced by Sturgill Simpson. In 2023, she released another excellent album, the Jonathan Wilson-produced Strays, which she's promoting alongside Maybe We'll Make It.
At a recent edition of the GRAMMY Museum's "A New York Evening With…" interview and performance series at the Greene Space at WNYC and WQXR in New York City, Price sat down with moderator Craig Finn of the Hold Steady. Together, they discussed the counterbalances of Strays with Maybe We'll Make It, and her wild, tragic, joyful story that's contained in both; the result was a window into Price's psychology.
Here are six takeaways about this GRAMMY-nominated master of words and melodies.
Her Album And Memoir Influenced Each Other
Early in the conversation, Finn inquired about the dynamic between a book and an album, as the publishing process typically takes much longer than the writing and recording process.
"They definitely ended up kind of influencing each other, because I was working on them in tandem," Price said. "I did kind of lose myself in it for a moment. My husband would say things like, 'You haven't written a song in months.' I was like, 'I'm an author now.'"
Price Finished Her Memoir Through Routine
In 2018 — upon getting pregnant and coming off the road — Price needed to keep her mind busy.
Despite not having a book deal, she and her husband, fellow musician Jeremy Ivey, would take their son to school, go to an East Nashville coffee shop and write from "about 8 in the morning until maybe noon or 1. And I just did that for maybe five or six months." By her telling, there were "many, many, many drafts" prior to the one we can hold in our hands today.
Observing Herself From The Outside Proved Beneficial
In reading about her experiences in the way a consumer of her memoir would, Price identified a seam of compassion for herself that she didn't realize she had.
"You can suddenly give yourself a break. I feel like I'm my own worst critic," she said. "There was always a breadcrumb to keep us going — and then there was something to knock us back down." However, "if there wasn't a struggle, I wouldn't be Margo Price."
Patti Smith's Memoir Influenced Her Own
Patti Smith's 2010 book Just Kids, a document of her relationship with artist Robert Mapplethorpe, is a go-to rock tell-all; Maybe We'll Make It shares some of its DNA.
"I had heard some of her songs and things before, but I think once I really devoured her written works, I started digging into her albums," Price said of Smith. "And I just thought it was incredible the way that she used poetry and just felt unafraid to throw it all in the pot and mix it all up."
On the literary front, one cue Price took from Smith was her use of descriptive detail for everyday scenes: "She talks about living off of tomato soup," she says, connecting that to the $2 frozen tilapia filets and bags of edamame she and Ivey used to subsist on.
"When you can taste what's going on, it puts you there in the kitchen with us," she said. "You can starve with the artist."
Price Is Becoming More Open To Collaborating — Judiciously
Price is skeptical of some of the team-ups she sees in the music industry. "Sometimes, I see a collaboration happening," she says, and I'm like, 'That looks forced. I don't know, man. I feel like they're just doing that for the Spotify plays.' So, I really try to only do it if it's meaningful."
Somebody in her camp presented a list of potential writing partners; she didn't bite. But when her manager suggested GRAMMY-winning guitar great Mike Campbell, she changed her tune.
"I'm like, 'Duh, of course. We're trying to write Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers songs over here anyway, so if we can get him in on it, then it legitimizes the whole thing… he sang on ["Light Me Up" on] my record, and it was just very natural."
She Might Join Your Band
"I'd love to play more drums," Price said during a brief audience Q&A before performing tunes like All American Made's "Pay Gap" and Strays' "Country Road" for the crowd. "Just drums in a band sometime, where I'd just be in the pack. It'd be so much less pressure.
"I need to find a gig," she added mirthfully. "If anybody knows something, let me know after the show."
The Hold Steady's Craig Finn On New Album The Price Of Progress, The Band At 20 & His Constant Search For New Stories

Photo: Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
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5 Things To Know About Yoshiki: A Musical Childhood, Upcoming Tour & Playing Through Pain
The multi-hyphenate rock and classical musician dropped by the GRAMMY Museum for an intimate chat with the Museum’s curator, as well as a performance of some stripped-down songs.
A select group of fans and die-hards got up close and personal with Yoshiki when he popped into the GRAMMY Museum for an intimate chat and performance.
A multi-hyphenate in the truest sense of the world, Yoshiki has spent the past few decades balancing his work as a musician, songwriter, composer, producer, fashion designer and winemaker, producing a diverse and robust body of work. As the leader and co-founder of X Japan, he helped inspire the rock scene's striking visual kei movement, something that wasn’t always easy — in the early '80s, it was hard for him to even get a cab in Tokyo with his big, blonde, spiked hair.
He’s since gone on to found another musical supergroup, The Last Rockstars, and he’s become a big name in the classical world, producing several studio albums and collaborating with everyone from George Martin to Bono to Sarah Brightman. He has penned music for TV and film, written a concerto for the Japanese emperor, and even launched his own celebrated line of kimonos, Yoshikimono.
Yoshiki has lived a truly fascinating whirlwind of a life for the past few decades, and he was happy to open up about much of it in this week’s conversation. Here are five things we learned at the GRAMMY Museum event "The Drop: Yoshiki."
He Has A Long History With & Bold Future In Classical Music
Yoshiki sat down with Jasen Emmons, the Museum’s Chief Curator, for an hour-long discussion about the star’s career in the music industry, which he says was first nurtured when he was given a piano at age 4. He took to the instrument pretty much instantly, choosing to play in his darkened bedroom because he liked the vibe. His music-loving parents kept giving him instruments — one each year for his birthday — leading him to take up everything from the trumpet (which he quit after seeing a picture of himself playing) to the drums.
He’s become wildly famous for both his percussion and piano skills, and this fall, will embark on a four-city tour of classical venues. On his Requiem tour, which begins in October, Yoshiki will become the first Japanese artist ever to headline Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, and the Tokyo Garden Theater.
His Upcoming Classical Tour Is Inspired By His Late Mother
The name "Requiem," Yoshiki said, comes from a piece he wrote for his mother, who passed away in 2022. When she died, he told Emmons, he couldn’t stop crying for three or four days. Yoshiki went to seek the help of a doctor, who told him he just had to embrace his grief.
He turned to composing, and as he told the room, "my tears turned into melody," and the solemn concerto slowly emerged. It’s still unfinished — there’s no strings arrangement yet, he says — but it’s one of the pieces he’ll be performing on tour later this year.
Yoshiki Works A Lot, But At His Own Pace
Speaking of tours: Yoshiki also gave fans in attendance some hints about future tours, saying he’s working to bring the Last Rockstars back to the states sometime in the future, noting that they’re working on a new record but poking fun at his work load and perfectionism by joking, "Everything I’m involved in takes time."
That includes "Angel," the new single from X Japan due to be released July 28. At the show, he performed an abbreviated classical arrangement of the song with Orchid Quartet and the singer Beverly. It’s an arrangement he’ll also most likely be performing on his classical shows, though Yoshiki says the X Japan version of the track will be much more rock-focused, with ample drums and guitar.
Yoshiki said that he wrote "Angel" some time ago, and that he composes music pretty much constantly. "Melodies fall into me even now," he said, noting that the frequency with which he hears music is "pretty much endless."
When he composes a song, he added, it’s just about transposing the vision in his head. Actually laying it down in a studio gets more complicated, Yoshiki said, in part because he views recording as a "compromising process" that never quite sounds like he envisions in his mind.
He Thinks Rock And Classical Music Have A Lot In Common
As far as Yoshiki is concerned, any good melody can become both a rock track and a classical cut. He cited the example of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto no. 2, which he says has a second movement that he thinks sounds like Celine Dion — or, as he joked, does Celine Dion sound like Rachmaninoff? He thinks it can go either way, showing Emmons and the audience what he meant by playing a few bars of some of his more rock-oriented tracks on his piano.
Yoshiki Has Given His Entire Body And Soul To Performing
Though he looks to be about 30 years old, Yoshiki is actually well into his fifties and years of feverish performance have taken a toll on his body. That’s clear in We Are X, a movie about the history of X Japan, where viewers can see Yoshiki getting frequent cortisone injections into his neck and back. He told Emmons he thinks he’s had hundreds at this point, as well as two neck surgeries. (He might even have a third one, he said.)
That’s because, as he explained, he likes to play "every single show as if this was my last stage," and always tries "to give 1,000 percent." Yoshiki says he doesn’t always realize the pain he’s in until after he’s left the stage, though he does seem to think it’s all worth it, since as he told the audience, "I was given this life. I just want to go all the way."
Of course, Yoshiki was also full of jokes at the event, telling silly stories about his first time getting acupuncture, when he was so new to the process that he worried about whether he’d be able to take a bath after the procedure, lest water seep in though all the holes left in his body. He poked fun at his last-minute whims, including flying Beverly over from the Philippines just for the show. He also told a story about eating Fugu, or blowfish, every single day for the three months he was just in Japan, in part because that’s what his staff kept ordering for him.
Amidst wrapping up the show with performances of "Miracle," "Red Swan," and "Endless Rain," Yoshiki stopped for a moment to call out to his friends in the audience, including Lollapalooza co-founder Marc Geiger and Joelle Benioff, the mother of Yoshiki’s good friend, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff. (The latter was actually sitting in the seat that Yoshiki had sponsored in the Clive Davis Theater, which is pretty cool.)
Yoshiki wrapped up the evening by addressing the audience in a way that seemed both soft and sincere, saying, "because of you, I’m still here creating music" and adding, "I hope the music I create can help you, too."
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