E.O. Smith Teacher A Semifinalist For Grammy-Backed Music Award

STORRS, CT — A Storrs educator is among 25 music teachers, from 25 cities across 17 states, announced as semifinalists Monday for the 2024 Music Educator Award, presented by the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum.

The local teacher is Amanda Hanzlik, of E.O. Smith High School.

One ultimate recipient will be honored during Grammy Week 2024.

Presented by the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum, the Music Educator Award recognizes current educators who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the music education field and demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools.

The Award is open to current U.S. music teachers. Anyone can nominate a teacher — students, parents, friends, colleagues, community members, school deans, and administrators — while teachers are also able to nominate themselves; nominated teachers are notified and invited to fill out an application.

Each year, the recipient of the Music Educator Award, selected from 10 finalists, receives a $10,000 honorarium and matching grant for their school's music program.

The nine additional finalists receive a $1,000 honorarium and matching grants.

The remaining 15 semifinalists, among the group announced today, will receive a $500 honorarium with matching school grants.

The Music Educator Award program, including honorariums, is made possible by the support of the Chuck Lorre Family Foundation. In addition, the American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, NAMM Foundation, and National Education Association support the program through outreach to their constituencies.

Here are the semifinalists:

1. Dawn Amthor, Wallkill Senior High School, Wallkill, New York
2. Jeremy Bartunek, Greenbriar School, Northbrook, Illinois
3. William Bennett, Cane Bay High School, Summerville, South Carolina
4. Meg Byrne, Pleasant Valley High School, Bettendorf, Iowa
5. Ernesta Chicklowski, Roosevelt Elementary, Tampa, Florida
6. Michael Coelho, Ipswich Middle and High School, Ipswich, Massachusetts
7. Drew Cowell, Belleville East High School, Belleville, Illinois
8. Marci DeAmbrose, Lincoln Southwest High School, Lincoln, Nebraska
9. Antoine Dolberry P.S. 103x Hector Fontanez, Bronx, New York
10. Jasmine Fripp, KIPP Nashville Collegiate High School, Nashville, Tennessee
11. J.D. Frizzell, Briarcrest Christian School, Eads, Tennessee
12. Amanda Hanzlik, E.O. Smith High School, Storrs, Connecticut
13. Michael Lapomardo, Shrewsbury High School, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts
14. Ashleigh McDaniel Spatz, Rising Starr Middle School, Fayetteville, Georgia
15. Kevin McDonald, Wellesley High School, Wellesley, Massachusetts
16. Coty Raven Morris, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon
17. Trevor Nicholas, Senn Arts at Nicholas Senn High School, Chicago, Illinois
18. Vicki Nichols, Grandview Elementary, Grandview, Texas
19. Annie Ray, Annandale High School, Annandale, Virginia
20. Bethany Robinson, Noblesville High School, Noblesville, Indiana
21. Danni Schmitt, Roland Park Elementary/Middle School, Baltimore, Maryland
22. Kevin Schoenbach, Oswego High School, Oswego, Illinois
23. Matthew Shephard, Meridian Early College High School, Sanford, Michigan
24. Alice Tsui, New Bridges Elementary, Brooklyn, New York
25. Tammy Yi, Chapman University, Orange, California

The Grammy Awards return Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, airing live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.