NAfME BLOG
173 of the 2024 Music Educator AwardTM Quarterfinalists Are NAfME Members
The Music Educator Award Is Presented by
The Recording AcademyTM and the GRAMMY Museum®
The Recording Academy™ and GRAMMY Museum® has announced 212 quarterfinalists for the 2024 GRAMMY Music Educator Award™, and of that number, 117 are currently members of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME)*. Nominations from 197 cities were submitted. In addition to the quarterfinalists, 123 legacy applicants from 2023 will also be eligible to win the award this year, and of that number, 56 are currently members of NAfME*. From elementary general music teachers to band directors, choral conductors, string teachers, and college professors, NAfME congratulates these exemplary, dedicated music educators.
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 2024, which takes place ahead of the 2024 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 66th GRAMMY Awards.
The eleventh honoree will also be flown to Los Angeles to attend the 66th 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. Additionally, 15 semifinalists will receive a $500 honorarium with matching school grants, all made possible by the GRAMMY Museum’s Education Champion Ford Motor Company Fund. The National Association for Music Education supports this program through outreach to music education supporters.
Semifinalists will be announced in October.
Eight of the previous ten GRAMMY Music Educator honorees, Kent Knappenberger, Jared Cassedy, Phillip Riggs, Keith Hancock, Melissa Salguero, Jeffery Redding, Mickey Smith Jr., and Director of Choral Music at DeSoto High School in DeSoto, Texas, Pamela Dawson—the 2023 GRAMMY Music Educator Award recipient—are NAfME members. The 2021 GRAMMY Music Educator Award recipient is Jeffrey Murdock, associate professor of music at the University of Arkansas, and the 2022 GRAMMY Music Educator Award recipient is Stephen Cox, band director at Eastland High School in Eastland, Texas.
Learn more about the Music Educator AwardTM process.
Below is a list of NAfME members who have been named quarterfinalists for the 2024 Music Educator Award. Click here for the full list of 212 quarterfinalists and 123 legacy applicants.
| Tyler Jones | Thompson Middle School | Alabaster | Alabama |
| Damion Womack | The Montgomery Academy | Montgomery | Alabama |
| Gwendolyn Brazier | Lathrop High School | Fairbanks | Alaska |
| Tracy Meldrum | Verrado High School | Buckeye | Arizona |
| Aaron Vogel | Mountain Ridge High School | Glendale | Arizona |
| Ryan Diefenderfer | Paradise Valley High School | Phoenix | Arizona |
| John Burn | Homestead High School | Cupertino | California |
| Valerie Vinnard | Webster Elementary | Long Beach | California |
| Lawrence Stoffel | California State University, Northridge | Los Angeles | California |
| Alexis True | Thomas Downey High School | Modesto | California |
| Amy Villanova | Canyon Crest Academy | San Diego | California |
| Jason Shiuan | Saratoga High School | Saratoga | California |
| Tyler Wigglesworth | West Covina High School | West Covina | California |
| Wes Sparkes | Eagleview Middle School | Colorado Springs | Colorado |
| Jasmine Faulkner | Polaris Expeditionary Learning School | Fort Collins | Colorado |
| Kate Klotz | Monarch High School | Louisville | Colorado |
| Amy Hannequin | Bethel Middle School | Bethel | Connecticut |
| Patrick Smith | Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School | New Haven | Connecticut |
| Amanda Hanzlik | E.O. Smith High School | Storrs | Connecticut |
| Wayne Splettstoeszer | Torrington High School | Torrington | Connecticut |
| Anthony Ferreira | Suffield High | West Suffield | Connecticut |
| Lou Kitchner | Bedford Middle School | Westport | Connecticut |
| DeAnna Zecchin | Indian River High School | Dagsboro | Delaware |
| Heather Akers | Central Middle School | Dover | Delaware |
| Ryan Moseley | Appoquinimink High School | Middletown | Delaware |
| Joshua Krohn | Brent Elementary School | Washington | District of Columbia |
| John Panella | Cottondale High School | Cottondale | Florida |
| Jess Gronberg | Hawkes Bluff Elementary | Davie | Florida |
| Gregory Urban | Dunedin Highland Middle School | Dunedin | Florida |
| Shelby Montgomery | George Jenkins High School | Lakeland | Florida |
| Joani Slawson | Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy | Melbourne | Florida |
| Vivian Gonzalez | Miami Arts Studio 6-12 @ Zelda Glazer | Miami | Florida |
| Jonathan Anderson | University High School (Volusia) | Orange City | Florida |
| Heather Bice | Ridgeview High School | Orange Park | Florida |
| Alexander Busby | Oviedo High School | Oviedo | Florida |
| Shannon Stem | University Academy | Panama City | Florida |
| Lance Rauh | Patriot Oaks Academy | St Johns | Florida |
| Ernesta Chicklowski | Roosevelt Elementary | Tampa | Florida |
| Wes Lowe | The King’s Academy | West Palm Beach | Florida |
| Paula Williams | The Ron Clark Academy | Atlanta | Georgia |
| Devin James | Salem High School | Conyers | Georgia |
| Curtis Carver | Harlem High School | Harlem | Georgia |
| Christopher Andrews | Hephzibah High School | Hephzibah | Georgia |
| Nicholas Garofalo | Chattahoochee High School | Johns Creek | Georgia |
| Elizabeth Baker | Ilima Intermediate School | Ewa Beach | Hawaiʻi |
| Trevor Nicholas | Senn Arts at Nicholas Senn High School | Chicago | Illinois |
| William Rank | Oak Prairie Junior High School | Lockport | Illinois |
| Jeremy Bartunek | Greenbriar School | Northbrook | Illinois |
| Bryen Warfield | Homestead High School | Fort Wayne | Indiana |
| Shawn Royer | Marian University | Indianapolis | Indiana |
| Bethany Robinson | Noblesville High School | Noblesville | Indiana |
| Kathy Wallace | Willard Elementary | Winchester | Indiana |
| Corey Hermens | Grant County High School | Dry Ridge | Kentucky |
| Heather Dipasquale | Todd County Middle School | Elkton | Kentucky |
| Eric Allen | Western Middle School for the Arts | Louisville | Kentucky |
| Tina Gibson | Jefferson County Traditional Middle School | Louisville | Kentucky |
| David Moss | West Hopkins School | Nebo | Kentucky |
| Cory Craig | Benton Intermediate School | Benton | Louisiana |
| Jessica Schwartz | Denham Springs High School | Denham Springs | Louisiana |
| Kylie Griffin | Dozier Elementary | Erath | Louisiana |
| Chesteron Frye | St. Helena College & Career Academy | Greensburg | Louisiana |
| Stephanie Robertson | Ponchatoula High School | Ponchatoula | Louisiana |
| Dayshawn Russell | North Iberville Elementary | Rosedale | Louisiana |
| Emmanuel Hudson | Booker T. Washington High School | Shreveport | Louisiana |
| Cassandra Sulbaran | Braintree High School | Braintree | Massachusetts |
| Matthew Cunningham | Brockton High School | Brockton | Massachusetts |
| Aaron Bush | Foxborough High School | Foxborough | Massachusetts |
| Michael Coelho | Ipswich Middle School and Ipswich High School | Ipswich | Massachusetts |
| Lisa Linde | Newton South High school | Newton | Massachusetts |
| Michael Lapomardo | Shrewsbury High School | Shrewsbury | Massachusetts |
| Marcos Carreras | Conservatory of The Arts | Springfield | Massachusetts |
| Kevin McDonald | Wellesley High School | Wellesley | Massachusetts |
| Jonathan Eldridge | Weston High School | Weston | Massachusetts |
| Meredith Lord | Burncoat High School | Worcester | Massachusetts |
| Ashley Sands | Kennedy Secondary School | Fergus Falls | Minnesota |
| Timothy Arnold | Orono High School | Long Lake | Minnesota |
| Shannon Curtis | Zimmerman Middle High School | Zimmerman | Minnesota |
| Joel Hill | Velma Jackson High School and Shirley D. Simmons Middle School | Camden | Mississippi |
| Travis Coakley | William Carey University | Hattiesburg | Mississippi |
| Cherie Bowe | Pascagoula High School | Pascagoula | Mississippi |
| Jim Daughters | Southeast Missouri State University | Cape Girardeau | Missouri |
| Cathryn Burt | East Newton High School | Granby | Missouri |
| Tracy Resseguie | Staley High School | Kansas City | Missouri |
| Natalie Moore | Sullivan High School | Sullivan | Missouri |
| Marci DeAmbrose | Lincoln Southwest High School | Lincoln | Nebraska |
| Tamara Frazier | North Valleys High School | Reno | Nevada |
| Serena Gorham | Weare Middle School | Weare | New Hampshire |
| James Sheffer | Medford Memorial Middle School and Haines Sixth Grade Center | Medford | New Jersey |
| Jayson Martinez | Arts High School | Newark | New Jersey |
| Jordan Peters | Dr. E Alma Flagg School | Newark | New Jersey |
| Shantavia Burchette | East Side High School | Newark | New Jersey |
| Courtney Powers | Muhammad Ali School 23 | Passaic | New Jersey |
| Jeanne Andrews | Pauline J. Petway Elementary School | Vineland | New Jersey |
| Michelle Trinidad | Sacred Heart School | Bronx | New York |
| Alice Tsui | New Bridges Elementary | Brooklyn | New York |
| Luis Ingels | Candor Elementary School | Candor | New York |
| Chris Toomey | Mineola High School | Garden City Park | New York |
| Michael Lee | Jericho Middle School | Jericho | New York |
| Harold Stephan | Stuyvesant High School | New York | New York |
| Brendon Lucas | Nyack High School | Nyack | New York |
| Kathy Perconti | Wayne Central High School | Ontario Center | New York |
| Phillip McMullen | Silver Creek Central Schools | Silver Creek | New York |
| Kristin Howell | Syosset High School | Syosset | New York |
| Phil Agugliam | Kenmore East High School | Tonawanda | New York |
| Hope Lewism | Charles O. Dickerson HS | Trumansburg | New York |
| Dawn Amthor | Wallkill Senior High School | Wallkill | New York |
| Roger Chagnon III | Westfield Academy and Central School | Westfield | New York |
| Jonathan Todd | Palisades High School | Charlotte | North Carolina |
| Jack A. Eaddy, Jr. | Western Carolina University | Cullowhee | North Carolina |
| Jennifer Walter | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Greensboro | North Carolina |
| Tammy White | Kiser Middle School | Greensboro | North Carolina |
| Brian McMath | Northwest Guilford High School | Greensboro | North Carolina |
| Christopher White | Hickory Ridge High School | Harrisburg | North Carolina |
| Matthew Brusseau | Davie County High School | Mocksville | North Carolina |
| Josh Settlemyre | R.J. Reynolds High School | Winston-Salem | North Carolina |
| Jeremy Overbeck | Century High School | Bismarck | North Dakota |
| David Pope | Baldwin Wallace University | Berea | Ohio |
| Amanda Blevins | Tri-Valley High School | Dresden | Ohio |
| Katie Silcott | Olentangy Shanahan Middle School | Lewis Center | Ohio |
| Samuel Maran | Lake High School | Millbury | Ohio |
| Brian Nabors | Shelby High School | Shelby | Ohio |
| Nicholas Young | Altus High School | Altus | Oklahoma |
| Justin Britt | Kingston Public Schools | Kingston | Oklahoma |
| Toye Harris | Miami High School | Miami | Oklahoma |
| Jill Melchitzky | Northwestern Middle School | Albion | Pennsylvania |
| George Bradshaw | Dover Area High School | Dover | Pennsylvania |
| Brian Querry | Charles A. Huston Middle School | Lower Burrell | Pennsylvania |
| Brett Keith | Northern Bedford County Middle/High School | Loysburg | Pennsylvania |
| Deanna Grandstaff | Cecil Intermediate School | McDonald | Pennsylvania |
| Adam Nobile | Big Spring High School | Newville | Pennsylvania |
| Martha Heise | Seventh Street Elementary School | Oil City | Pennsylvania |
| Allison Kline | Blue Mountain Area School | Orwigsburg | Pennsylvania |
| Jennifer DiVasto | Pennridge High School | Perkasie | Pennsylvania |
| Jenny Neff | The University of the Arts | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania |
| Ronnie Ziccardi | Avonworth | Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania |
| Scott Weyman | Solanco High School | Quarryville | Pennsylvania |
| Jonathan Helmick | Slippery Rock University | Slippery Rock | Pennsylvania |
| Ryan Bulgarelli | Loyalsock Township High School | Williamsport | Pennsylvania |
| Angela Rex | Riverside Middle School | Greer | South Carolina |
| Nathaniel Gunter | Greer High School | Greer | South Carolina |
| Matthew Kilby | Fort Dorchester HS | North Charleston | South Carolina |
| William Bennett | Cane Bay High School | Summerville | South Carolina |
| Thomas Slater | Chestnut Oaks Middle School | Sumter | South Carolina |
| Johnathan Gore | Sandy Run K8 School | Swansea | South Carolina |
| Dylan Sims | York Middle School | York | South Carolina |
| Daryl Jessen | Dakota Valley School | North Sioux City | South Dakota |
| Natalie Pratt | Brentwood High School | Brentwood | Tennessee |
| Vanessa Cobb | Montgomery Central High School | Cunningham | Tennessee |
| J.D. Frizzell | Briarcrest Christian School | Eads | Tennessee |
| Deonte Kennedy | Craigmont High School | Memphis | Tennessee |
| Francis Cathlina | University of Memphis | Memphis | Tennessee |
| Benjamen Blasko | Lipscomb University | Nashville | Tennessee |
| Joshua Light | Soddy-Daisy HS | Soddy-Daisy | Tennessee |
| Daniel Cook | University of North Texas | Denton | Texas |
| Sam Noyce | Thomas Jefferson Jr. High School | Kearns | Utah |
| Hayley Winslow | Snow Canyon Middle School | Saint George | Utah |
| Lynn Sweet | Mount Anthony Union High School | Bennington | Vermont |
| Alberto Rodriguez | Mount Vernon High School | Alexandria | Virginia |
| Ær Queen | Braddock Elementary School | Annandale | Virginia |
| Annie Ray | Annandale High School | Annandale | Virginia |
| Mark Collins | John S. Battle High School | Bristol | Virginia |
| Kyle Cook | Western Branch Middle School | Chesapeake | Virginia |
| Mary Catherine Campbell | Seven Pines Elementary | Sandston | Virginia |
| Hannah Ryan | University of Virginia’s College at Wise | Wise | Virginia |
| Tim O’Donnell | Ephrata High School | Ephrata | Washington |
| Jeff Chang | Decatur High School | Federal Way | Washington |
| Andrew Bowerly | Tenino High School | Tenino | Washington |
| Chris Hayslette | Bridgeport Middle School | Bridgeport | West Virginia |
| Cassandra Nelson | Mountaineer Middle | Morgantown | West Virginia |
| Victor Iapalucci | Philip Barbour High School | Philippi | West Virginia |
| Luke Aumann | Appleton North High School | Appleton | Wisconsin |
| Lisa Werner | St. Bruno Parish School | Dousman | Wisconsin |
| Chad Rose | Sheridan High School | Sheridan | Wyoming |
* This number reflects those whose memberships were current at the time of this announcement and is subject to change.
