Schools
Vienna Teacher Up For Grammy Music Educator Award
A Vienna teacher is one of 25 music educators up for the prestigious award from the Recording Academy.
VIENNA, VA—Wouldn't it be to say there's a Grammy winner from your hometown? That might be a possibility next year, as Vienna Elementary School teacher David Lee Reynolds Jr. is nominated for the Grammy's 2018 Music Educator Award.
Reynolds is one of 25 semifinalists nationwide up for the prestigious award. The award is meant to recognize significant contributions to music education and is open to any public or private school music teacher from kindergarten through college.
Families who know Reynolds can attest to his impact. He has taught at Vienna Elementary School for 17 years. Under his instruction, students have performed in flash mobs, National Anthem engagements, at the now-Capital One Arena. Vienna Elementary students have demonstrated success on multiple levels. His tradition of an annual farewell song for the sixth grade class has been ongoing since 2001.
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Reynolds is also the founder and artistic director of the Vienna Jammers, a non-profit group of over 100 students in six different ensembles representing over 25 area schools. Starting out on homemade marimbas, the group now plays a variety of percussion instruments ranging from marimbas to steel pans.
He actively participates in OneVoice, a charity that connects children around the world through music, and has traveled twice to Africa and once to Nicaragua as part of this group. Reynolds was recognized for his volunteer contributions to the Vienna community in 2012.
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The Recording Academy will select 10 finalists. The winner will be flown in to attend the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards in early 2018, receive the Music Educator Award at a ceremony during GRAMMY Week, and receive $10,000. All finalists will receive $1,000, while semifinalists received $500.
Community members, teachers and administrators are able to nominate educators for this award. The Academy is accepting nominations for the 2019 award through March 15, 2018.
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