Eastside Memorial High School Band Director Alan Guckian has been named a semifinalist for the Grammy Music Educator Award.
Guckian is one of only 25 semifinalists chosen by the Recording Academy and the Grammy Foundation from 4,500 nominations nationwide.
鈥淭his award means the world to me, but not as a personal recognition. It is a feather in the cap for my kids,鈥 Guckian said. 鈥淭hey have worked so hard to overturn the negative perception of their school, and this serves as a tribute to their efforts. I really want to give credit to my kids for this.鈥
The Music Educator Award was created by the Recording Academy and Grammy Foundation to recognize 鈥渃urrent educators who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education.鈥
- 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.
- Schools that have music programs have significantly higher attendance rates than do those without programs (93.3 percent as compared to 84.9 percent).
- 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 鈥渆xcellent or very good鈥 have an even higher graduation rate (90.9 percent).
- The combined results of 30 studies indicate that music instruction is linked to significantly improved reading skills.