searchsearch
2023 Music Educator Award: 207 Quarterfinalists Announced
Music Educator Award

Photo Courtesy of the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum

news

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.

GRAMMYs/Jun 8, 2022 - 06:29 pm

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

Meet The 2022 Music Educator Award Recipient: Stephen Cox On His Philosophies & Strategies For Teaching

GRAMMY Museum To Celebrate 50 Years Of Hip-Hop With 'Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit' Opening Oct. 7
The GRAMMY Museum's 'Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit' opens Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023

Image courtesy of the GRAMMY Museum

news

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.

GRAMMYs/Sep 7, 2023 - 03:11 pm

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.

Read More: 50 Artists Who Changed Rap: Jay-Z, The Notorious B.I.G., Dr. Dre, Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem & More

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.

50 Artists Who Changed Rap: Jay-Z, The Notorious B.I.G., Dr. Dre, Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem & More

6 Things To Know About Charlie Puth, From His Unusual Inspirations To His Teaching Aspirations
Charlie Puth at the GRAMMY Museum's Sunday Brunch With... series in July 2023.

Photo: Courtesy of the Recording Academy/Photo by Rebecca Sapp, Getty Images 2023

list

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.

GRAMMYs/Jul 20, 2023 - 07:45 pm

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.

Behind The Scenes Of The Eras Tour: Taylor Swift's Opening Acts Unveil The Magic Of The Sensational Concert

6 Things To Know About Margo Price: Her Struggles, Writing Process & Unforgettable Success Story
Margo Price

Photo: Rob Kim/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

list

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.'

GRAMMYs/Jun 28, 2023 - 08:09 pm

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

5 Things To Know About Yoshiki: A Musical Childhood, Upcoming Tour & Playing Through Pain
Yoshiki performs at the GRAMMY Museum

Photo: Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

list

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.

GRAMMYs/May 18, 2023 - 08:18 pm

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." 

6 Things To Know About Bonnie Raitt: Her Famous Fans, Legendary Friends & Lack Of Retirement Plan