The CMA Foundation will host its sixth Music Teachers of Excellence Awards ceremony, honoring 30 teachers from across the US, on Oct. 19 at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works.
Hosted by Country Music Hall of Fame member and longtime music education advocate Kix Brooks, this year’s event will award each Music Teacher of Excellence recipient $5,000, with $2,500 designated for each teacher’s music program and $2,500 designated to support professional development and personal expenses.
For the first time, as part of the CMA Foundation’s “Sponsor A Teacher” campaign, individuals and organizations have the opportunity to directly support one of this year’s honorees allowing sponsors to impact Music Teachers of Excellence in Metro Nashville Public Schools, as well as in districts throughout Tennessee and across the country. To learn more about sponsoring a teacher, click here.
“As we enter our CMA Awards season, we are thrilled to not only honor excellence within country music, but also excellence within the music education field,” says Tiffany Kerns, CMA Foundation Executive Director. “These 30 teachers are absolute rockstars, and we are so proud of their unwavering commitment to their students and communities. We recognize that teacher retention is an issue facing schools across the country, which makes it crucial that we continue to celebrate these teachers who not only lead the next generation, but also cultivate a positive environment to experience the arts. I cannot think of a better host than Kix, who has been instrumental in the CMA Foundation’s success the past 11 years.”
Brooks helped establish the CMA Foundation in 2011, guiding CMA to focus its philanthropic efforts towards music education. With early funds granted to Metro Nashville Public Schools, the CMA Foundation has expanded to provide students across the country with equitable access to music education through intentional investments and partnerships.
“When we established the CMA Foundation a decade ago, our goal was to get instruments and supplies into music classrooms,” Brooks explains. “Now, to see how far we’ve come and to see the ways the CMA Foundation is continuing to elevate and celebrate music teachers is incredible. Every student deserves the opportunity to experience the power of music and that wouldn’t be possible without the work of these teachers. The future of our business starts with music teachers, and these are some of the best of the best. Congratulations to this year’s Music Teachers of Excellence!”
To date, the CMA Foundation has invested $850,000 towards its Music Teachers of Excellence recipients to ensure teachers have the support and funding needed to create thriving programs within their schools.
- Justin Antos – Dwight D. Eisenhower High School, Community High School District 218, Blue Island, IL
- Evan Burton – Fred J. Page Middle School, Williamson County Schools, Franklin, TN
- Jesse Cannon II – Duncanville High School, Duncanville Independent School District, Duncanville, TX
- Jared Cassedy – Lexington High School, Lexington Public Schools, Lexington, MA
- Sara Cowan – Central High School, Omaha Public Schools, Omaha, NE
- Alicia Engram – Eagle View Elementary School, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Antioch, TN
- Elaina Gallas – Edmondson Elementary School, Williamson County Schools, Brentwood, TN
- Jason Glashauser – South Clinton Elementary School, Clinton City Schools, Clinton, TN
- Vivian Gonzalez – Miami Arts Studio 6-12 @ Zelda Glazer, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Miami, FL
- John David Hazlett – McGavock High School, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Nashville, TN
- Michael Holland – Nolensville High School, Williamson County Schools, Nolensville, TN
- Samuel Holmes – Garden Hills Elementary School, Atlanta Public Schools, Atlanta, GA
- Trey Jacobs – Nashville School of the Arts, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Nashville, TN
- Kevin Jankowski – W.H. Oliver Middle School, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Nashville, TN
- Ollie Liddell – Memphis Central High School, Memphis-Shelby County Schools, Memphis, TN
- Jarrett Lipman – Claudia Taylor “Lady Bird” Johnson High School, North East Independent School District, San Antonio, TX
- Andrew Lynn – Stewarts Creek Middle School, Rutherford County Schools, Smyrna, TN
- Darlene Machacon – John A. Murdy Elementary School, Garden Grove Unified School District, Garden Grove, CA
- Margaret Maurice – Billingsville-Cotswold Elementary School, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Charlotte, NC
- Tyler Merideth – Hillwood High School, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Nashville, TN
- Marie Millikin – Tara Oaks Elementary School, Collierville Municipal School District, Collierville, TN
- Linzie Mullins – Snowden School, Memphis-Shelby County Schools, Memphis, TN
- Joseph Powell – White Station High School, Memphis-Shelby County Schools, Memphis, TN
- Samantha Reid – Isaac Litton Middle School, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Nashville, TN
- Emily Riley – Julia Green Elementary School, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Nashville, TN
- Danielle Leigh Taylor – Mt. View Elementary School, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Antioch, TN
- Matthew Trevino – Roan Forest Elementary School, North East Independent School District, San Antonio, TX
- Tiffany Turner – Brentwood Middle School, Williamson County Schools, Brentwood, TN
- Susan Waters – W.H. Oliver Middle School, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Nashville, TN
- Frank Zimmerer – Antioch High School, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Antioch, TN
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