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2023 Music Educator Award: 207 Quarterfinalists Announced
Music Educator Award

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.

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

New Shakira Exhibit At GRAMMY Museum Visualizes The Colombian Superstar's Voracious Creative Appetite & Global Influence
Inside the "Shakira, Shakira" exhibit at the GRAMMY Museum

Photo: Rebecca Sapp

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New Shakira Exhibit At GRAMMY Museum Visualizes The Colombian Superstar's Voracious Creative Appetite & Global Influence

Go behind the scenes at the GRAMMY Museum's inspiring new exhibit, "Shakira, Shakira." Filled with costumes, musical equipment and listening stations, the first-ever exhibit on Shakira explores the work of "a devoted, passionate musical globetrotter."

GRAMMYs/Mar 7, 2023 - 11:53 pm

The entrance of the enchanting "Shakira, Shakira: The GRAMMY Museum Experience" is trimmed by a golden fringe, setting the mood as Shakira's voice and music beckon you inside to admire her bedazzled artifacts. But much like the Colombian pop star herself, the exhibit is so much more than a bunch of sparkle and shine.

The first-ever exhibit celebrating Shakira, on view through winter 2024, is a multi-room immersive experience that explores her 30-plus-year career and key moments along the way. The in-depth look at her music details her disciplined, yet exploratory artistic approach, and highlights her cornucopia of global influences.

"Shakira, Shakira" reminds us of the incredible talent, passion and creativity that the "Whenever, Wherever" singer has long possessed, making it clear why the three-time GRAMMY winner and 11-time Latin GRAMMY winner is still breaking records and boundaries, decades into her career.

inside shakira shakira grammy museum entrance

The entrance to "Shakira, Shakira" | Rebecca Sapp

The exhibit begins by detailing Shakira's  rich roots in the Colombian city of Barranquilla, a colorful, coastal city filled with Afro-Caribbean influence and the sounds of salsa, cumbia and vallenato. Her home there was creative, musical and multicultural: Her mom is Colombian with Italian and Catalan roots and her dad is Lebanese. Fascinated by a visit to a Lebanese restaurant, Shakira began belly dancing at the age four and "cherished Arabic music as a child." She also began writing songs at 8 years old, and was encouraged by her parents to pursue her artistic passions. As a teenager working on her early records, Shakira also learned the ins-and-outs of the studio so that she could also co-produce her music.

A musical map stretching across the first room uses locales to unpack the layered influences the singer expertly folds into her global sonic quilt. It is divided into three major sections: Barranquilla, global (including rock and rock en español) and Afro Caribbean, and each explores the specific styles, genres and artists that have influenced her. 

"From the very beginning, we realized this was not going to be an exhibit putting records and album covers on the wall," says exhibit co-curator Ernesto Lechner, who is also a writer for GRAMMY.com. "[With the exhibit atlas], we can talk about this woman who goes to play in Paris and performs an '80s French pop hit in French in front of the Parisian audience. How gutsy do you have to be to do that?"

At the listening stations for each region, you can explore songs from Shakira's catalog that exemplify these influences, as well as tracks that influenced her. For example, "Gypsy" on 2009's She Wolf is a tribute to India's Bhangra music and included traditional Indian instruments like the tabla and sitar.

inside shakira shakira grammy museum pink guitar

One of the instruments on display | Rebecca Sapp

Through another fringed space, you'll hear directly from Shakira and some of her key collaborators in an exclusive new mini documentary made for the exhibit. Therein, Shakira looks back at some of her biggest moments including adorable archive footage of her performing as a kid and promoting her first album, 1991's Magia — released when she was just 14. 

Shakira opened up her home in Barcelona to the museum's curatorial team, which selected a stellar collection of instruments and costumes from her tours, music videos, and photo shoots. You can admire three of her enviable, shiny guitars: the baby pink Fender covered in 20,000 pink and silver Swarovski crystals that she used on her Oral Fixation Tour in 2006 and 2007, her custom gilded Yamaha from the 2018 El Dorado Tour, and her Gibson Firebird covered in 70,000 black Swarovski crystals that she rocked at the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show. 

There are also plenty of her head-turning looks on display, although it would be impossible to have all of them! The exhibit offers an up-close look at her green leaf Garden of Eden bikini from the Oral Fixation Vol. 2 cover, the red pants from her first world tour in 2002, both of her sparkly Super Bowl outfits custom designed by Peter Dundas, and more.

inside shakira shakira grammy museum lyric book

Shakira’s lyric journal | Rebecca Sapp

Another video features Latina music journalists discussing Shakira's most iconic music videos, which highlight themes of feminism, freedom and cross-cultural references. They point out how her iconic 2005 collab with Wyclef Jean, "Hips Don't Lie," is generally thought of as being about her body and its power, but really, it has a much deeper message. The video is a tribute to Afro-Colombian and Caribbean influence in Barranquilla and is a cross-cultural conversation between her and Wyclef, asserting their Caribbean connection and claiming the title refugee for themselves.

"I'm always upset when a musician — this happens a lot to women — is put in a little box by the general public and the mainstream press. I never liked that Shakira was always thought of as a light pop star, a pop star who's pretty and dances. I think that's such a disservice to her amazing discography and the work she has done," says Lechner. "She is a devoted, passionate musical globetrotter who has explored every single music genre that you can think of, with purity and respect, without doing any appropriation whatsoever, with a genuine love for the essence of the genres that she falls in love with." 

Lechner added that Shakira has always been a musical chameleon, and in doing so, has helped popularize a variety of sounds with mainstream global audiences.

"'Ojos Así' was this seal of approval, it was this big cultural statement saying, 'I'm a hip rockera and I love Arabic music and I belly dance and I incorporate it into my music.' I think it opened the minds of so many people of my generation," Lechner added.

As you absorb all the stories about Shakira, her music and accomplishments, it’s nearly impossible to not feel inspired. It wouldn’t be a GRAMMY Museum exhibit without some interactive spaces in addition to all the education and musical artifacts. "Shakira, Shakira" features a mixing desk, where you can step into the producer's seat and practice mixing her music. There's also a TikTok booth, where you can watch Shaki's latest TikTok challenge and record yourself serving your best attempt to make your hips speak the truth. 

And after you attempt to process all the jaw-dropping stats listed on the wall — like how she was the first solo female artist to chart a Spanish language song in the Top 10 of Billboard's Hot 100 and the first artist to top both Billboard's Top 40 Mainstream and Latin charts in the same week — take a seat to watch the final video, a rousing compilation of some of Shakira's best live performances over the years.

Samba Star Rogê Created His "Most Brazilian" Album A World Away From Home

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

Photo: Rebecca Sapp

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

During "A Conversation With Bonnie Raitt" at the GRAMMY Museum, 13-time GRAMMY winner detailed her career trajectory, history of big-name collaborations, and how her win for Song Of The Year at this year’s GRAMMY Awards was "a total surprise."

GRAMMYs/Mar 6, 2023 - 10:11 pm

For the uninitiated, Bonnie Raitt is just an "unknown blues singer" — albeit one who managed to nab the Song Of The Year award at the 2023 GRAMMYsplus two other trophies. But to the millions in the know, and the choice few in attendance for a chat with Raitt at the Grammy Museum on March 5, she is a living legend.

Over the course of her decades-long career, Raitt has earned 30 GRAMMY nominations, taking home 13 golden gramophones for tracks like "Nick Of Time," "Something To Talk About," and “SRV Shuffle,” as well as albums such as Luck Of The Draw and Longing In The Hearts. Last year, Raitt was awarded the GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award, and at this year’s ceremony, she snagged GRAMMYs for Best American Roots Song, Best Americana Performance and the coveted Song Of The Year.

Before she heads out on a tour of the western United States and Australia, Raitt sat down to chat with moderator David Wild for about two hours, musing not only about her "total surprise" about snagging the Song trophy, but also about her experience at the ceremony. It was an illuminating and downright charming experience — as well as an educational one. Here are six things we learned at "A Conversation With Bonnie Raitt." 

Taylor Swift Is A Fan —  And A Humble One At That

Raitt recounted being chatted up by Taylor Swift during the GRAMMYs, with Swift telling Raitt backstage that she felt okay losing Song Of The Year to her. Swift's "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)" was in competition, alongside works by Lizzo, Adele and Harry Styles.

Swift also introduced herself to Raitt, whom she’d never met, saying,"Hi, I’m Taylor." Raitt said she responded, "Ya think?" — which made the audience in the Clive Davis Theater crack up.

She’s A Master Collaborator, With More On The Way

"No one commands more respect" amongst their musical peers than Bonnie Raitt, said Wild, who's worked on the GRAMMY Awards as a writer since 2001. Whenever the show’s team has struggled to think of who could best pay tribute to someone like John Prine, Ray Charles, or Christine McVie, "the answer is always Bonnie Raitt."

That’s probably why, as Raitt noted, she’s recorded duets with more than 100 different musical acts — from Bryan Adams to B.B. King. Raitt added that she’d still love to work with Keith Richards, Bob Dylan, and H.E.R., and that fans can anticipate new collaborative work coming from work she’s done with Brandi Carlile and Sheryl Crow

Raitt added that she’s gotten really into Unknown Mortal Orchestra lately, who she heard about through Bruce Hornsby.

She’s Learned From And Befriended Musical Masters

Raitt was effusive about her love for King, among others, saying that one of the great joys of her career has been sitting at the feet of blues greats like Sippie Wallace and Son House. The singer/songwriter expressed her gratitude for being able to help get so many of these once-forgotten masters both the attention and the pay they deserved. She cited her work with the Rhythm And Blues Foundation as being of great importance to her personally, saying that it’s vital that the roots of blues and jazz are taught in schools today.

Wild also got Raitt to open up about her friendship with legendary gospel-soul singer Mavis Staples, who toured with Raitt just last year. Calling Staples, "all the preacher I’ll ever need," Raitt said she thinks she and Staples bonded over being the daughters of famous fathers. "It’s a great honor of my life being friends with her," Raitt said of her "mutual sister."

Later, Raitt also waxed rhapsodic about another famous daughter, Natalie Cole, who she said she’d been thinking about all day.

Raitt’s Got An Independent Spirit And An Independent Label

A good portion of Wild and Raitt’s chat was devoted to the star’s career trajectory. The two detailed how, as a 21-year-old college student, Raitt signed to Warner Bros. only after they promised her complete creative control of her own indie label, Redwing.

Raitt said it was only with the help of a"team of mighty women" that she was able to go independent. She cited lessons from friends like Prine, Staples, and Jackson Browne, from whom she learned going it alone could be done successfully. 

Bonnie Raitt Almost Missed Out On "I Can’t Make You Love Me"

Raitt also talked a bit about her previous GRAMMY triumphs, including her run of nominations and wins around 1989’s Nick Of Time. Her popular single, "I Can’t Make You Love Me," was originally written for Ricky Skaggs, who intended to make it a lively bluegrass record. 

Raitt added that she thinks the song "Nick Of Time" struck a chord because she opened up about what it means to be getting older.

She’s Not Planning On Retiring (Or Dying) Any Time Soon

After joking that COVID lockdown felt like "house arrest" and "hibernation," Raitt said that her recent tours have been a blessing. "It feels like I was under the earth without any sunshine," Raitt says, reassuring attendees that she’s "never retiring." She said that while she’s lost eight friends in the past three or four weeks, including the great David Lindley, the 73-year-old is optimistic that she can "be here and celebrate for another couple of decades."

Raitt capped off the event doing what she loves best, teaming with long-time bassist Hutch Hutchinson for an intimate four-song set that included "Angel From Montgomery," "Shadow Of Doubt," "Nick Of Time," and the GRAMMY-winning "Just Like That." Raitt ended the evening by thanking the Recording Academy for inviting her out, joking, "I can’t believe I get to do this for a living."

Bonnie Raitt Essentials: 11 Songs That Showcase The Breadth And Depth Of The 2023 GRAMMYs Song Of The Year Winner

5 Things We Learned At "An Evening With Chuck D" At The GRAMMY Museum
Chuck D speaks at The GRAMMY Museum

Photo: Timothy Norris/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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5 Things We Learned At "An Evening With Chuck D" At The GRAMMY Museum

The GRAMMY Museum celebrated Chuck D's debut fine art book, 'Livin' Loud,' and new PBS/BBC documentary "Fight The Power" with an insightful conversation filled with wisdom from the Public Enemy founder.

GRAMMYs/Feb 13, 2023 - 04:59 pm

Chuck D is one of the great storytellers of our time, and a true hip-hop OG with a scholarly knowledge of the genre. A polymath creative, Chuck first came on the scene in 1985 when he and fellow Long Islander Flava Flav formed Public Enemy, signing with Def Jam the following year, and releasing their critically acclaimed debut album, Yo! Bum Rush the Show, in 1987. 

Public Enemy would go on to release many important rap records with hard-hitting, poignant lyrics, like 1989’s "Fight The Power." Chuck has remained an active and uncompromising voice in hip-hop and social justice, offering his deeply resonant voice and far-reaching wisdom to rock and rap collaborations, documentaries, books and more.

In 2017, he shared his extensive expertise in his engaging rap bible, This Day In Rap And Hip-Hop History. Chuck's recently released debut fine art book, Livin' Loud: ARTitation, reveals another element of his creative power, with over 250 of his paintings, sketches and drawings along with a reflection on his creative journey.

Chuck also just dropped a four-part PBS and BBC docu-series called "Fight The Power: How Hip-Hop Changed The World," featuring interviews with a star-studded list of rappers, DJs, graffiti artists and more. The powerful series reexamines the history of hip-hop in the aftermath of the United States' racial and social justice movements of 2020, looking at injustice and resistance in the country through the experiences of its Black and Brown communities.

To celebrate the new documentary and book, Los Angeles' GRAMMY Museum held "An Evening With Chuck D," moderated by the GRAMMY Museum Education Coordinator Schyler O'Neal. The event opened with a screening of the first episode of "Fight The Power," which led into a conversation about the episode, series, and power of hip-hop and telling its stories thoughtfully, with Chuck and the show's Co-Executive Producer, Lorrie Boula. While Chuck dropped enough wisdom throughout the evening to fill another book, we've selected five big takeaways from the impactful and inspiring evening. The GRAMMY Museum conversation will be streamed online from Feb. 16 - 26, and tickets can be purchased here.

“Everybody has art in them, but not everybody can get art out of them. There’s no bad move, but you have to be able to get it out of you…today…people listen with their eyes,” Chuck said during the in-depth conversation, underscoring the importance of art in the visual age we live in. “Art is who you are. It’s your pulse. You have art in you, just be you. You can never get more perfect than a machine….The art is the human error, the mistake.”

Hip-Hop Was Born Out Of A Deeply Collaborative & Resilient Energy

The first episode of "Fight The Power: How Hip-Hop Changed The World" transports viewers back to New York City — the birthplace of hip-hop and its various cultural expressions — in the ‘60s through ‘80s, where challenging social and environmental factors proved to be fertile creative ground. 

In 1975, New York was on the verge of bankruptcy. As quality of life declined, a sizable portion of the wealthier population fled to  the suburbs, and more working-class people migrated to the Big Apple in search of opportunity. Residents of the Bronx, who were primarily people of color, suffered the worst from the city's qualms, including austerity cuts and harmful policies. 

Amidst the dire circumstances, young people found ways to express themselves and come together. Because there were fewer cops patrolling the Bronx in the '70s, the city became the canvas for graffiti artists, and parties wouldn't get shut down. And this was how hip-hop was born; the early hip-hop parties were discos in the streets. "Hip-hop was disco's bastard child," one of the artists in the episode says with a laugh, explaining that turntables were the only instruments they had access to, since music programs were cut from schools.

“There were no constraints at this time, it was like a pot of cultural get down,” Chuck said of these foundational years of hip-hop, later adding, "As you see in episode one, it’s a collective movement…so we have more people than the usual suspects in our show.”. 

Boula added that it was important to them to not only focus on the struggles, but to also show the side of the Bronx that wasn't televised. "We didn’t want to just focus on the oppression… You can try to oppress people, but they will find their f—ng joy. And we wanted to tell that story too."

 

Chuck D Was An Illustrator & Never Meant To Be A Rapper…

“1960, I was born and raised to make art,” Chuck said in one of many smile-inducing, mic drop moments. Chuck always drew, and entered the New York-wide student art contest every year — and always won or placed. He went to Adelphi University in Long Island to study design and brush up on his illustration skills, and was the school's political cartoonist as a freshman.

Unfortunately, he got kicked out of school because he only attended his art classes. He appealed, and got permission from all of his professors to take their classes again, and got the chance to give it another go. He said that the reason he stuck with it was because of his vision to run a hip-hop arts department. He was unimpressed by the art on most rap records, and wanted to be the one to change it. In fact, Chuck didn't write his first poem until he was 20 years old. 

…But Rick Ruben Eventually Convinced Him To Rap With Def Jam

Chuck had a show at Adelphi’s radio station WBAU and rapped to fill the air time between records. In 1984, he recorded a promo tape with himself and Flavor Flav rapping, and it became a station favorite known as "Public Enemy No. 1." Rick Ruben heard the tape and spent two years trying to get  Chuck to record with the then-new Def Jam Records. 

Yet it was Def Jam's eye-catching logo that made Chuck actually take the offer seriously. “In 1986 I surrendered and signed my contract to become a damn recording artist,” Chuck said. 

Chuck didn't make much visual art for the next 30 years, only revisiting it when his father passed away seven years ago. "The arts led me to cover up the silence [left by my father]."

"I have so much art coming out of me, but I don’t want to just do art for art's sake," he explained. "If I see something crazy, I’m going to illustrate it," he asserted. 

A War Was Stopped For A Public Enemy & Ice-T Concert

When asked by O'Neal how hip-hop has changed the world, Chuck responded: “Hip-hop has made people change their languages around…to bring them together.” Hip-hop fashion over the years and rap vernacular continue to dominate pop culture, and rap music has become the most popular genre.

Chuck then told an incredible story about how fighting during the Balkans war in Eastern Europe was paused so that Public Enemy, Ice-T (who was in the audience), and Ice Cube could bring their AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted World Tour to war-torn Croatia. For one night in 1994, locals of different beliefs and religions came together to find solace at a hip-hop show. Once the rappers and their crew crossed the border, the bombing continued, but officials felt that the concert was important enough to call for a temporary cease fire.

Chuck D Is Launching A "TikTok For Hip-hop x35"

One of the highlights of the 2023 GRAMMY Awards was the epic GRAMMY Tribute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop, a powerhouse 15-minute medley featuring some of rap’s greatest, including Chuck and Flava, who performed Public Enemy’s "Rebel Without a Pause." When O'Neal asked how it happened, Chuck responded, "Questlove called everybody," which worked because "he's like the Quincy [Jones] of hip-hop." 

Speaking about the magic of all those artists spending time together, Chuck noted that he built  online mp3 depository  RapStation in 2001 (before MySpace!) to expand listeners’ horizons and expose them to talented rappers. RapStation still exists, offering rap news and internet radio shows, but Chuck revealed]that he will be launching a new rap app called Bring The Noise, which he described as "TikTok for hip-hop x35." 

Bringing together all his epic stories, threads and themes of the evening like only Chuck D can, he said: "We curate man. That’s what I’ve always wanted to do, curate art."

"We learn how to be spectacular. Spectacle gets you in the building, but spectacular keeps you in the building," Chuck said to close things out on an inspirational note, and to a standing ovation. "Spectacular keeps you coming back from more…so that when you disappear there’s a mark left that’s missed…so make your mark, take it seriously."

How Hip-Hop Took Over The 2023 GRAMMYs, From The Golden Anniversary To 'God Did'

The GRAMMY Museum Announces 'Shakira, Shakira: The GRAMMY Museum Experience,' Honoring Her Creative Legacy; Opening March 2023
Shakira performs at Super Bowl LIV in 2020

Photo: Focus On Sport / Contributor / Getty Images

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The GRAMMY Museum Announces 'Shakira, Shakira: The GRAMMY Museum Experience,' Honoring Her Creative Legacy; Opening March 2023

To showcase Shakira's enduring career, the GRAMMY Museum presents 'Shakira, Shakira: The GRAMMY Museum Experience,' opening on Saturday, March 4, as part of the Museum's permanent Latin Music Gallery

GRAMMYs/Jan 26, 2023 - 03:20 pm

On Saturday, March 4, The GRAMMY Museum will open Shakira, Shakira: The GRAMMY Museum Experience, showcasing Shakira's enduring creative legacy spanning more than three decades as a singer, songwriter, producer, dancer, visual artist, philanthropist, and global icon.

Visitors can see the exhibit on display in downtown Los Angeles at the Museum's permanent Latin Music Gallery.

A multi-GRAMMY-winning and Latin GRAMMY Award-winning artist, Shakira has sold more than 85 million records worldwide and has won numerous awards in addition to those from the Recording Academy. Her albums and releases consistently break records, and she is the most-viewed and -streamed Latin female artist of all time on YouTube and Spotify. She was also honored as the Latin Recording Academy’s Person of the Year in 2011 for her artistic achievements in the Latin music industry as well as their humanitarian efforts.

"It's an honor to have the journey of my career displayed at the GRAMMY Museum," Shakira said in a statement. "These pieces are a testament to so many indelible moments that I cherish, and I'm so happy to be able to relive these memories with those who have and continue to support me as an artist."

Shakira, Shakira explores the artist's musical evolution, from her origins as a Latin rock-loving singer/songwriter in Barranquilla, Colombia, to a global superstar whose catalog spans multiple genres, from bhangra and bachata to rock and reggaetón.

Read More: 2023 GRAMMYs Performers Announced: Bad Bunny, Lizzo, Sam Smith, Steve Lacy, Mary J. Blige & More Confirmed

Early in her career, Shakira began fusing elements of her ethnicities and multicultural roots to construct a richly layered sonic universe that allowed her to grow as a creator while appealing to a worldwide audience. Partly by incorporating her Lebanese heritage on her father's side — along with Arabic dancing and the mainstream pop rock that she grew up with — she achieved international crossover success and broke boundaries for Latin artists.

To deepen visitors' appreciation and understanding of how these cultural elements have shaped every aspect of her songs, music videos, performances, and world tours, the first museum exhibit about Shakira features interactive features that provide fresh insights into her creative process.

It also includes a songwriting notebook with handwritten lyrics from her personal archive along with 40 other artifacts, acoustic and Swarovski-studded electric guitars, iconic outfits from her performances and album covers, three original films, and an immersive space that draws inspiration from her El Dorado tour.

Highlights from the Shakira, Shakira: The GRAMMY Museum Experience include:

  • Forty artifacts from Shakira’s personal archive

  • Shakira’s two 2020 Super Bowl LIV outfits (one red, one gold) and her Gibson Firebird electric guitar, covered with 70,000 black Swarovski crystals

  • Taylor acoustic guitar that Shakira uses for songwriting

  • Fender Stratocaster, covered with pink Swarovski crystals, that Shakira played on her Oral Fixation tour (2006-2007)

  • Gold Yamaha Revstar electric guitar Shakira played on her 2018 El Dorado tour

  • Iconic outfits from Shakira’s 2018 El Dorado tour

  • Leaf-covered bikini Shakira wore on the cover of her 2005 album, Oral Fixation, Vol. 2

  • Songwriting notebook with handwritten lyrics

  • And more!

This announcement comes on the heels of Shakira's latest release with Argentinian producer and DJ Bizarrap, "SHAKIRA || BZRP Music Sessions #53," which has made history in its own way. With the most streams in a single day for a Spanish-language song, it raked in more than 14 million streams in the first 24 hours and became the fastest Latin song to reach 100 million streams. Another historic moment for Shakira, the song debuted at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100, making her the first solo woman to reach the Top 10 on the chart with a song recorded in Spanish. She has also broken the all-time record for most monthly listeners for a Latin artist in Spotify history. The video amassed 160 million views on YouTube in the first week. 

"Shakira is the rare superstar who has discovered a way to keep evolving as an artist while growing her expansive audience along with her," said Jasen Emmons, Chief Curator & Vice President of Curatorial Affairs at the GRAMMY Museum. "She's a serious student of music, and the GRAMMY Museum is excited to offer a dynamic exhibit that reflects her intelligence and artistry."

The GRAMMY Museum Announces Official GRAMMY Week 2023 Programming Schedule