CMA Foundation’s Music Teachers Of Excellence Awards To Be Hosted By Country Music Hall Of Famer Kix Brooks

Nashville, TN - Sep 12, 2022

Music Teachers of Excellence Event Kicks off CMA Awards Season October 19 in Nashville,

Recognizing 30 Music Teachers from Across the United States

Learn More About the CMA Foundation’s Inaugural “Sponsor A Teacher” Campaign HERE

In celebration of National Arts in Education Week, the CMA Foundation has announced its sixth Music Teachers of Excellence Awards ceremony, a special event honoring 30 invaluable teachers from across the U.S., which will be hosted by Country Music Hall of Fame member and longtime music education advocate Kix Brooks (of Brooks & Dunn). This year’s Music Teachers of Excellence Awards will take place Wednesday, Oct. 19 at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works. The CMA Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Country Music Association and is pleased to welcome JTV as the event’s presenting sponsor. welcome JTV as the event’s presenting sponsor.

“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 was hugely influential in establishing 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 since 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,” says Brooks. “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!”

Along with a night of celebration and recognition, each Music Teacher of Excellence recipient is awarded $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 this year, 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. By supporting teachers, sponsors are able 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, visit cmafoundation.org/support-music-teachers/. The deadline to sponsor is September 20.

Music Teachers of Excellence are selected based on their dedication to bringing a high-quality music education to their students and the impact they’ve had on their school community through music. To date, the CMA Foundation has invested $850,000 towards its Music Teachers of Excellence recipients to ensure music teachers have the support and funding needed to create thriving programs within their schools and communities.

2022 Music Teachers of Excellence Award Recipients (in alphabetical order):

  • 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

About the CMA Foundation

Established in 2011 as the philanthropic arm of the Country Music Association (CMA), the CMA Foundation is committed to improving and sustaining high-quality music education programs across the United States, working to ensure every child has the opportunity to participate in music. Through strategic partnerships, professional development and grant distribution, the CMA Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3), invests various resources across the national public school system, after school programs, summer camps and community outreach organizations.

For more information about the CMA Foundation, visit CMAfoundation.org.

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