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SAI-NATIONAL.ORG SPRING 2015 PAN PIPES 9 J ared Cassedy of Windham High School in Windham, NH, has been announced as the recipient of the second annual Music Educator Award presented by e Recording Academy and the Grammy Foundation. Including Cassedy, a total of 10 music teachers from 10 cities across nine states were selected as finalists for the award. In total, more than 7,000 initial nominations were submitted from all 50 states. Cassedy accepted the award at e Recording Academy's Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Nominees Reception (honoring recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Trustees Award and Technical GRAMMY Award) on Feb. 7. He also attended the 57th Annual Grammy Awards Ceremony and received a $10,000 honorarium. e nine other finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium, and the schools of all 10 finalists also will receive matching grants. "Words cannot describe how amazing this honor is," said Cassedy. "is award is not only recognition of the truly talented students and supportive community I get to work with every day, but it's also a representation of the fundamental significance of music and the arts in our schools. As a tribute to the thousands of outstanding music educators everywhere, I cannot thank e Recording Academy and Grammy Foundation enough for helping us to advocate for and to celebrate the importance of music education across the nation." "e Recording Academy and the Grammy Foundation partnered to create this award to honor the powerful and lasting influence music educators have on their students," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Grammy Foundation and e Recording Academy. "Generations of musicians — including many Grammy nominees and Grammy winners — got their start on the path to a creative life from a teacher who instilled in them a belief in their own talents, and a passion for building a professional career in music." Cassedy began his career as the band director and teacher of music appreciation at Windham Middle School. He has been Windham High School's director of bands since 2009. Cassedy has also been appointed director of the New Hampshire Youth Wind Ensemble and the director of K-12 fine arts for the Windham School District. He received his Bachelor's degree in music education from the University of New Hampshire. He is currently focusing on attaining his administrative certification in curriculum and institution with a focus on educational leadership at Southern New Hampshire University. e 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. — Grammy.com MUSIC EDUCATION Grammys Bestow Second Music Educator Award The facts about the importance of music education don't lie. Here are a few we think are important: 1. Students in high-quality school music programs score higher on standardized tests compared to students in schools with deficient music education programs, regardless of the socioeconomic level of the school or school district. 2. Schools that have music programs have significantly higher attendance rates than do those without programs (93.3 percent as compared to 84.9 percent). 3. Schools that have music programs have significantly higher graduation rates than do those without music programs (90.2 percent as compared to 72.9 percent). In addition, those that rate their programs as "excellent or very good" have an even higher graduation rate (90.9 percent). 4. The combined results of 30 studies indicate that music instruction is linked to significantly improved reading skills. The GRAMMY Music Educator Award is supported by the NAMM Foundation, the National Association for Music Education, and the National Education Association. Music Educator Award recipient Jared Cassedy is Director of Fine Arts for the Windham (NH) School District. THE IMPORTANCE OF MUSIC EDUCATION For more information, visit grammyintheschools.com CLICK FOR MORE

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