BOONE, N.C. — Of the 2,000 nominations submitted for the eighth annual 2021 Music Educator Award, two Appalachian State University alumni have been named award quarterfinalists.

Jenny S. Lanier ’01, an alumna of the Hayes School of Music (HSOM), and Kameron L. Radford ’08, an alumnus of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), are among 216 quarterfinalists nationally and 10 North Carolina music educators nominated for the award.

The Music Educator Award, presented by the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum, was established to recognize current educators in both 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 schools.

HSOM Dean James Douthit said, “Appalachian is extremely proud that these nominees have been recognized by the Grammys for the excellent music instruction they are bringing to their students.

“The Hayes School of Music contributes to all of the majors on the campus of Appalachian State University, and one of our most popular courses is a course in music education for teachers from other disciplines. We are proud to provide exceptional training in music education and opportunities to participate in music for our majors, as well as those pursuing other teaching certifications.”

“Beginning as a teacher’s college in its inception, Appalachian has created a culture set on building community engagement and high-quality professional education programs. We have also helped lay the foundation for a commitment to lifelong learning and excellence,” said Dr. Melba Spooner, dean of Appalachian’s Reich College of Education (RCOE).

All education majors at Appalachian, regardless of their specialization, are required to take core education courses through RCOE.

“Incorporating the fine arts, including music, in a student’s learning experience is key to developing and enriching the whole person,” Spooner added.

About the App State nominees

Jenny S. Lanier ’01

Lanier, who serves as director of bands at McDowell High School in Marion, said Appalachian and its HSOM will always hold a special place in her heart. “I was fortunate to study alongside peers who were amazing musicians and have now turned into amazing colleagues and friends,” she said.

She cited the instruction of the late Dr. William Gora, HSOM professor emeritus of music, as having a lasting impact on her career. “I continue to strive to be a better musician and teacher because of the lessons he taught me,” she said.

Prior to her appointment at McDowell High School, Lanier spent 10 years teaching at West McDowell Junior High School, where, during the 2011–12 school year, she was selected as the school’s Teacher of the Year. She served eight years on the Board of Directors of the Western North Carolina Bandmasters Association and has served as guest clinician for music camps and honor bands across North Carolina.

In 2013, she co-founded “Music Across the Miles,” an international program in which she traveled to Haiti to work with village bands.

Lanier said, if selected as the award winner, she plans to use the award’s monetary prize to help her students. “It’s the students who motivate me to do the absolute best job I can as a teacher every day,” she said.

She holds undergraduate degrees in music education and saxophone performance from Appalachian and a master’s degree in saxophone performance from the University of Georgia.

Kameron L. Radford ’08

Radford, who holds a Bachelor of Science in history, secondary education with a minor in music from Appalachian, began his career in music education at Hunter Huss High School in Gastonia, where he served as band director from 2009–13. He is a 2004 graduate of Hunter Huss High.

Radford currently serves as band director at Stuart W. Cramer High School in Cramerton, a position he has held since 2013. During his tenure, he created and implemented the school’s Raging Storm Band Booster Front Inc. — a program in which his students “feel a sense of acceptance, value and purpose, surrounded by a family atmosphere of their peers who all share a common interest in striving for musical excellence,” he said.

He said to be named a Music Educator Award finalist or semifinalist would affirm for him that the time, energy and effort provided by his parents, mentors and educators have been well invested — that he has turned their lessons into something meaningful for others.

While at Appalachian, Radford was supported by Dr. Scott Tobias, HSOM former associate director of bands; Dr. John Ross, HSOM associate professor and director of bands; and Dr. Jay Jackson, HSOM associate dean.

“Without them seeing something in me that maybe I didn’t see in myself, I would not be where I am today. The interest they took in me personally, as a student, is something I strive to do for the students in my own classroom,” he said.

The Music Educator Award recipient, who will be recognized during Grammy Week in January 2021 and attend the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, will receive a $10,000 monetary prize in addition to the award.

Additionally, nine award finalists will each receive a $1,000 prize, and 15 semifinalists, who will be announced in September, will each receive a $500 prize. The schools of the award winner, finalists and semifinalists will receive matching grants through the Grammy Museum’s Education Champion Ford Motor Company Fund. An additional 91 legacy applicants — those who were nominated for the award in 2020 — are also be eligible to win the 2021 award.

Appalachian alumnus Phillip Riggs ’88, music instructor emeritus at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, was the third recipient of the award in 2016. Learn more about past Music Educator Award recipients.

What do you think?

Share your feedback on this story.

Phillip Riggs ’88 receives 2016 GRAMMY Music Educator Award

Feb. 15, 2016

Appalachian graduates achieve incredible accomplishments! Phillip Riggs ’88 received this year’s GRAMMY Music Educator Award for “significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education.”

Read the story

About the Hayes School of Music

The Hayes School of Music prepares young musicians for professional lives as performers, composers, music educators, music therapists, conductors and music industry professionals, ensuring the next generation of musical leadership for the state, region and nation. Noted for quality instruction by national and internationally recognized faculty musicians, the school offers four undergraduate degree programs and three graduate-level programs. Learn more at https://music.appstate.edu.

About the College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at Appalachian State University is home to 17 academic departments, two centers and one residential college. These units span the humanities and the social, mathematical and natural sciences. CAS aims to develop a distinctive identity built upon our university's strengths, traditions and locations. The college’s values lie not only in service to the university and local community, but through inspiring, training, educating and sustaining the development of its students as global citizens. More than 6,800 student majors are enrolled in the college. As the college is also largely responsible for implementing App State’s general education curriculum, it is heavily involved in the education of all students at the university, including those pursuing majors in other colleges. Learn more at https://cas.appstate.edu.

About the Reich College of Education

Appalachian State University offers one of the largest undergraduate teacher preparation programs in North Carolina, graduating about 500 teachers a year. The Reich College of Education enrolls more than 2,000 students in its bachelor’s, master’s, education specialist and doctoral degree programs, with offerings that span multiple fields — from teacher preparation, counseling, and therapy, to higher education, school and student affairs administration, library science, educational leadership and more. With over 10,000 alumni employed in North Carolina public schools, there is at least one Reich College graduate in every county in the state. Learn more at https://rcoe.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.