Grammy To Award Music Educators

BE TRUE TO YOUR SCHOOL: Lost in all the hoopla of last night’s 55th Annual Grammy Awards was Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow’s announcement that the Grammy Foundation will present next year its first-ever Music Educator Award to recognize music educators for their contributions and positive influences on their student’s experience. The Foundation’s Ryan Seacrest and Justin Timberlake also joined to announce the award, open to current U.S. music teachers from kindergarten through college, public and/or private schools. Anyone can nominate a teacher—students, parents, friends, colleagues, community members, school deans and administrators—and teachers can also nominate themselves. Nominated teachers will be notified and invited to fill out an application. One winner will be selected from 10 finalists each year. The first award will be presented during next year’s Grammy week. The winner will be flown to Los Angeles to accept the award, attend the ceremony, and receive a $10,000 honorarium. The nine finalists will all receive a $1,000 honorarium. (2/11p)