A TOTAL OF 217 QUARTERFINALISTS FROM ACROSS THE U.S. ANNOUNCED FOR FIRST-EVER MUSIC EDUCATOR AWARD PRESENTED BY THE RECORDING ACADEMY® AND THE GRAMMY FOUNDATION®

WHO:
A total of 217 music teachers from 195 cities across 45 states have been announced as quarterfinalists for the Music Educator Award presented by The Recording Academy® and the GRAMMY Foundation®. In total, more than 30,000 initial nominations were submitted from all 50 states.

WHAT:
The Music Educator Award was established to recognize current educators (K – 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. A joint partnership and presentation of The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation, this special award will have its inaugural presentation at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony and Nominees Reception honoring recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Trustee Award, Technical GRAMMY® Award during GRAMMY Week 2014.

As announced on the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards® by President/CEO of The Recording Academy and GRAMMY Foundation Neil Portnow, TV and radio host/producer and GRAMMY Foundation Honorary Board Chair Ryan Seacrest, and six-time GRAMMY® winner Justin Timberlake, the award was open to current United States music teachers, and anyone could nominate a teacher — students, parents, friends, colleagues, community members, school deans and administrators. Teachers were also able to nominate themselves, and nominated teachers were notified and invited to fill out an application.

One recipient will be selected from 10 finalists each year, and will be recognized for his/her remarkable impact on students' lives. The winner will be flown to Los Angeles to accept the award, attend the GRAMMY Awards ceremony, and receive a $10,000 honorarium. The nine finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium, and the schools of all 10 finalists also will receive matching grants. The honorariums and grants provided to the finalists and schools are made possible by the generosity and support of the GRAMMY Foundation's Education Champions Converse, Ford Motor Company Fund, General Mills Box Tops For Education, and Journeys.

WHEN:
A complete list of quarterfinalists is below. The semifinalists will be announced in August. For more information visit, www.grammymusicteacher.com.

Music Educator Award Quarterfinalists
Diane Abrahamian	Penfield High School	Penfield, N.Y.
Michael Agidius	McLoughlin High School	Milton-Freewater, Ore.
Michael Allard	Harmony Magnet Academy	Strathmore, Calif.
DJ Alstadt	Naperville Central High School	Naperville, Ill.
Corey Ames	Loyola Academy	Wilmette, Ill.
Samuel Anderson	Rockhurst High School	Kansas City, Mo.
Scott Baeseman	Lake Forest Country Day School	Lake Forest, Ill.
Barbara Baker	McIntosh High School	Peachtree City, Ga.
Dawn Barham	Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science	Columbus, Miss.
Peter Barsch	Oswego East High School	Oswego, Ill.
Carol Beadle	Liberty Corner Elementary School	Liberty Corner, N.J.
Gregory Bennett	Middletown High School	Middletown, N.Y.
Jay Berckley	The Village School	Houston
Gary Bernice	Springfield High School of Science and Technology	Springfield, Mass.
Matthew Berthot	Winfield High School	Winfield, Kan.
Lisa Bianconi	Kurn Hattin Homes for Children	Westminster, Vt.
Logan Biles	Las Vegas Academy of International Studies, Visual, and Performing Arts	Las Vegas
Aron Blanke	Center for Creative Learning	Ellisville, Mo.
Lloyd Bone Jr.	Glenville State College	Glenville, W.Va.
Faye Boyer	Lake Joy Primary School	Warner Robins, Ga.
Jamie Breiwick	Maple Dale School	Fox Point, Wis.
Adam Brennan	Mansfield University	Mansfield, Pa.
Brenda Brenner	Indiana University	Bloomington, Ind.
Dan Brenner	Spring Grove Area High School	Spring Grove, Pa.
Tony Brown	Mehlville High School	St. Louis
Glen Cain	Gold Trail School	Placerville, Calif.
Malena Calle	Southwood Middle School Center for the Arts	Palmetto Bay, Fla.
Brandon Catt	Glenbard East High School	Lombard, Ill.
Jeffrey Cayer	Southwest Middle School	Lakeland, Fla.
Caleb Chapman	Pioneer High School for the Performing Arts	Lehi, Utah
Linda Christensen	Wayne State College	Wayne, Neb.
Gary Coartney	Concord High School	Concord, Calif.
James Compton	Sunset Primary School	West Linn, Ore.
J. Scott Cooksey	Jeffersonville High School	Jeffersonville, Ind.
Tiffany Cox	Calusa Elementary School	Boca Raton, Fla.
Radio Cremata	Aspira	Miami
Charles Cushinery	Ed W. Clark High School	Las Vegas

Jetro da Silva	Berklee College of Music	Boston
Mark Dahlberg	Fort Myers High School	Fort Myers, Fla.
Amy Darby	Phoenixville Area Middle School	Phoenixville, Pa.
Jim Daughters	Conner Middle School	Hebron, Ky.
Neil Delson	Central Bucks High School West	Doylestown, Pa.
Andrew DeNicola	John P. Stevens High School	Edison, N.J.
Dr. Leslie Anne Denning	South Miami Middle Community School	Miami
Martin Dickey	Nation Ford High School	Fort Mill, S.C.
Christopher Dorsey	Dillard Center for the Arts	Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Mark Duker	Neuqua Valley High School	Naperville, Ill.
Jason Eckl	Sinaloa Middle School	Novato, Calif.
Jan Eddington	Blackfoot High School	Blackfoot, Idaho
Peter Eklund	University of Nebraska—Lincoln	Lincoln, Neb.
Cuauhtemoc Escobedo	Eckstein Middle School	Seattle
Aaron Evens	Lawrence County High School	Lawrenceburg, Tenn.
Krista Fanning	Caddo Middle Magnet	Shreveport, La.
Adrian Farris	Monroe Elementary School	Janesville, Wis.
Julia Federico	Grover Washington, Jr. Middle School	Philadelphia
Cynthia Feeney	Ironia Elementary School	Randolph, N.J.
Megan Franke	Las Vegas Academy of the Arts	Las Vegas
Jolene Dalton Gailey	Port Angeles High School	Port Angeles, Wash.
Tiffany Galus	New Prairie High School	New Carlisle, Ind.
Elaine Gates	New York University & LIU Post	New York
Diana Geiger	Boynton Middle School	Ithaca, N.Y.
Michael Genevay	Haynes Academy for Advanced Studies Public School	Metairie, La.
John Gillick	Terrill Middle School	Scotch Plains, N.J.
Chrissy Givan	Iroquois High School	Louisville, Ky.
Vivian Gonzalez	South Miami K-8 Center	Miami
Todd Goodman	Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School	Midland, Pa.
Dakeyan Graham	C. Leon King High School	Tampa, Fla.
Jeff Grant	Prattville High School	Prattville, Ala.
Brenda Gregory	Siegel High School	Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Janet Grice	Fordham High School for the Arts	Bronx, N.Y.
Jeffrey Haas	Ridgewood High School	Ridgewood, N.J.
Jeremy Hackworth	Etiwanda High School	Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Becky Hall	Smith Road Elementary	North Syracuse, N.Y.
Adam Hallam	Doris French Elementary School	Las Vegas
Zach Halop	Northwood High School	Irvine, Calif.
Mary Halsig	Truesdell Middle School	Wichita, Kan.

Christopher T.F. Hanson	Goodnight Middle School, Miller Middle School, San Marcos High School	San Marcos, Texas
Sky Harris	Chestnut Hill Middle School	Liverpool, N.Y.
Rodney Harshbarger	Old Kings Elementary	Flagler Beach, Fla.
John Harshey	West Oak Middle School	Mundelein, Ill.
Steve Hayes	Roanoke-Benson High School	Roanoke, Ill.
Silvester Henderson	Los Medanos College	Pittsburg, Calif.
Micah Hirokawa	Le Jardin Academy	Kailua, Hawaii
Keith Hodgson	Mainland Regional High School	Linwood, N.J.
Johnny Holloway	Evans Middle School	Newnan, Ga.
Michael Hood	Wissahickon High School	Ambler, Pa.
Robin Hopper	Homestead Elementary School	Eagle River, Alaska
Scott Houston	M.B. Lamar High School	Houston
Greg Hutchison	Lower Dauphin Middle School	Hummelstown, Pa.
Glendon Ingalls	Rutland Town School	Rutland, Vt.
Roberto Iriarte	Hudson City School District	Hudson, Ohio
Charles Jackson	Dodgen Middle School	Marietta, Ga.
Curtis Johnson	West Virginia Wesleyan College	Buckhannon, W.Va.
Dawn Johnson	KIPP DC: KEY Academy	Washington, D.C.
Brandon Johnson	Wichita Heights High School	Wichita, Kan.
Valerie Jones	Helen B. Duffield Elementary School	Ronkonkoma, N.Y.
Deanna Joseph	Georgia State University	Atlanta
James Kachulis	Berklee College of Music, NYC Public Schools	Boston
Jim Kirkpatrick	West Forsyth High School	Clemmons, N.C.
Barbara Klemp	Chatham High School	Chatham, N.J.
Kent Knappenberger	Westfield Academy and Central School	Westfield, N.Y.
Jamie Knight	Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts	Huntington Beach, Calif.
Jee Yeoun Ko	New Orleans Center for Creative Arts	New Orleans
Kathrine Kouns	Horizon High School	Scottsdale, Ariz.
Ingrid Kovacs	Canarelli Middle School	Las Vegas
Mark Kraft	South Brunswick High School	Monmouth Junction, N.J.
Gordon Krauspe	Wheaton Warrenville South High School	Wheaton, Ill.
Danielle Krison Hyland	Val Vista Academy	Gilbert, Ariz.
Dana Lamb	Cleveland Elementary School	Fayetteville, Ga.
John Landers	Patch High School	APO, N.Y.
Camilla Larson	Little Falls Community High School	Little Falls, Minn.
Spencer Lau	Woodruff Middle School	Seabrook, N.J.

Angel Lawrie	Summit Academy Middle School	Akron, Ohio
Rebecca Leonard	Kelly Mill Middle School	Blythewood, S.C.
Jeffrey Link	Berkshire Community College, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts	Pittsfield, Mass.
Brian Logan	Wheeling High School	Wheeling, Ill.
Terry Lowry	Oak Mountain Academy	Carrollton, Ga.
Dr. Eva Diane Lyle-Smith	Dr. Brimm Medical Arts High School	Camden, N.J.
Anthony Maiello	George Mason University	Fairfax, Va.
Richard Marchetti	West Warwick High School	West Warwick, R.I.
Dean Marino	West Port High School	Ocala, Fla.
Amy Martin	North Dorchester Middle School	Hurlock, Md.
Mathilda Martin	Broussard Middle School	Broussard, La.
John Mastroianni	William H. Hall High School	West Hartford, Conn.
Donna Mateyka	West Essex Regional Middle School	North Caldwell, N.J.
Kevin Mayse	Riverside City College	Riverside, Calif.
Anthony Mazzocchi	Montclair State University	Montclair, N.J.
Regina McAllen	Howell High School	Farmingdale, N.J.
Ron McBain	Open Magnet Charter School	Los Angeles
Glen McCarthy	George Mason University	Fairfax, Va.
Dawn McInroy	Canisteo Greenwood Central School	Canisteo Greenwood, N.Y.
Theresa McKibben	Edgewood Elementary School	Homewood, Ala.
Dr. Brian McLaughlin	West Milford High School	West Milford, N.J.
Danielle McRoy	Half Hollow Hills High School East	Dix Hills, N.Y.
Rich Medd	West High School	Iowa City, Iowa
Dan Meeks	Shawnee High School	Lima, Ohio
Sonora Mello	Antelope High School	Antelope, Calif.
Justin Merrick	Stax Music Academy	Memphis, Tenn.
Chris Miller	MItchell High School	Mitchell, S.D.
John Mobilio	Waterbury Arts Magnet School	Waterbury, Conn.
Angelo Moreno	Davis Senior High School	Davis, Calif.
Charles Morgan	Joliet Junior College	Joliet, Ill.
Josh Murray	Rio Americano High School	Sacramento, Calif.
Thomas Nagy	Cambria Elementary School	Ebensburg, Pa.
Laura Nelson	Orangewood Christian School	Maitland, Fla.
Stephanie Nelson	Liberty-Eylau High School	Texarkana, Texas
Peter Neu	Pennbrook Middle School	North Wales, Pa.
Todd Nichols	Roxbury High School	Succasunna, N.J.
Richard Nickerson	Windham High School	Windham, Maine
Stephanie Nixdorf	Suncoast Community High School	Riviera Beach, Fla.
Eugene Novotney	Humboldt State University	Arcata, Calif
Dustin Olsen	Hot Springs County High School	Thermopolis, Wyo.
Michael Ortiz	Bellalago Academy	Kissimmee, Fla.
Dee Dee Paakkari	John Marshall High School	Los Angeles
Jeremy Parker	Bixby High School	Bixby, Okla.
Pasquale Pascaretti	Fraser High School	Fraser, Mich.
Ferdinand Pasqua	Harrison High School	Harrison, N.Y.
Sarah Payne	Bryan Station Middle School	Lexington, Ky.
Jerry Phelps	Democracy Prep Endurance Middle School	New York, N.Y.
Vonda Phillips	Mountain View High School	Mt. View, Wyo.
Kenneth Piascik	Black River Middle School	Chester, N.J.
Juan Pineda	Academy for Performing Arts	Scotch Plains, N.J.
Joseph Puzzo	Arlington Science Focus School	Arlington, Va.
Debra Reilly	Orefield Middle School, Springhouse Middle School	Allentown, Pa.
Kathy Rohrs	Chaminade College Preparatory Middle School	Chatsworth, Calif.
Audrey Rome	Roosevelt Middle School	Roosevelt, N.Y.
Les Rose	Dos Pueblos High School	Goleta, Calif.
Tarik Rowland	Tri-Cities High School	East Point, Ga.
Thomas Ruggieri	Boardman High School	Youngstown, Ohio
Kevin Rush	Brockway High School	Brockway, Pa.
Joseph Rutkowski	John L. Miller-Great Neck North High School	Great Neck, N.Y.
Patty Sampson	West Aurora High School	Aurora, Ill.
Peter Sampson	Whiteland Community High School	Whiteland, Ind.
Dr. James Satterwhite	Nashville School of the Arts	Nashville, Tenn.
Cindy Scarberry	Norman High School	Norman, Okla.
Eric Schaberg	Randolph High School	Randolph, N.J.
Benita Scheckel	Blair Middle and High School	Pasadena, Calif.
Joanne Scott	Fairfield Center School	Fairfield, Vt.
Laurie Scott	The University of Texas at Austin, The University of Texas Middle School	Austin, Texas
Michael Sewell	Pickerington High School Central	Pickerington, Ohio
Matthew Shaftel	Florida State University College of Music	Tallahassee, Fla.
Keven Shepherd	Miller Grove High School	Lithonia, Ga.
Karl Siewertsen	John H. West Elementary School	Bethpage, N.Y.
Stephanie Skizas	Glenbard South High School	Glen Ellyn, Ill.
Nathan Sletten	Earlham Middle and High School	Earlham, Iowa
Michael Smith	Nyack High School	Upper Nyack, N.Y.
Timothy Sterner	J. P. McCaskey High School	Lancaster, Pa.
Erin Stroup	Lower Moreland Twp. High School	Huntingdon Valley, Pa.
William David Stufft	Toccoa Falls College	Toccoa Falls, Ga.
Jeremy Taylor	Old Saybrook High School	Old Saybrook, Conn.
Sandra Thornton	Anderson High School	Cincinnati
Bill Tiberio	Fairport High School	Fairport, N.Y.
Frank Timmerman	Pebblebrook High School	Mableton, Ga.
Christy Todd	Rising Starr Middle School	Fayetteville, Ga.
Peter Toews	Mountain View High School	Loveland, Colo.
Robert Traugh	Norwin High School	North Huntingdon, Pa.
Kristina Turpin	Pinecrest School Simi Valley	Simi Valley, Calif.
David Tyson	Murray Middle School	Wilmington, N.C.
Dan Venner	Central Elementary	Chillicothe, Mo.
Steve Vutsinas	Grassfield High School	Chesapeake, Va.
Meghan Wagner	Auburn Riverside High School	Auburn, Wash.
Ben Wahlund	Naperville Central High School	Naperville, Ill.
Jo Wallace-Abbie	Plano West Senior High School	Plano, Texas
Russ Weaver	Osceola County School for the Arts	Kissimmee, Fla.
Todd Wedge	San Francisco School of the Arts	San Francisco
Mary Jo West	George Mason High School	Falls Church, Va.
Kristi Wicihowski	Nathan Hale High School	West Allis, Wis.
Richard Wiederman	Setauket Elementary School	Setauket, N.Y.
Ken Wiele	Indian Trail High School and Academy	Kenosha, Wis.
Dustin Wiley	Firelands High School	Oberlin, Ohio
Kelly Winovich	Northgate Middle/Senior High School	Pittsburgh
Daniel Wooten	Niceville High School	Niceville, Fla.
Mark Wurtzel	Pershing Middle School	Houston
Davey Yarborough	Duke Ellington for the Arts	Washington, D.C.
Alexis Yatuzis-Derryberry	Siegel Middle School	Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Kari Zamora	Faubion Middle School	McKinney, Texas
Bridget Zimmermann	Barretts Elementary School	Manchester, Mo.

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, songwriters, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @TheGRAMMYs on Twitter, like "The GRAMMYs" on Facebook, and join The GRAMMYs' social communities on Foursquare, GetGlue, Google +, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, and YouTube.

The GRAMMY Foundation was established in 1989 to cultivate the understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contribution of recorded music to American culture. The Foundation accomplishes this mission through programs and activities that engage the music industry and cultural community as well as the general public. The Foundation works in partnership year-round with its founder, The Recording Academy®, to bring national attention to important issues such as the value and impact of music and arts education and the urgency of preserving our rich cultural heritage. In recognition of the significant role of teachers in shaping their students' musical experiences, The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation are partnering to present their first Music Educator Award. Open to current U.S. music teachers in K through college, the Music Educator Award will be presented at the Special Merit Awards ceremony during GRAMMY Week 2014. For more information about the Music Educator Award, please visit GRAMMYMusicTeacher.com. For more information about the Foundation, please visit www.grammyfoundation.org. For breaking news and exclusive content, please like "GRAMMY in the Schools®" on Facebook at www.facebook.com/grammyintheschools, follow the GRAMMY Foundation on Twitter @GRAMMYFdn at www.twitter.com/GRAMMYFdn and join us on Instagram @GRAMMYFdn at www.instagram.com/GRAMMYfdn.

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Media Contacts:
Christina Cassidy/GRAMMY Foundation/310.581.8670/christina.cassidy@grammy.com
Hannah Berryman/GRAMMY Foundation/310.581.8724/hannah.berryman@grammy.com
For Ford Motor Company Fund: Edna Sims-Bruce/ESP Public Relations/310.827.9727/ESPPR@aol.com

Program Contact:
Kellyn Robison/GRAMMY Foundation/310.581.8605/kellyn.robison@grammy.com

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