JEFFREY MURDOCK NAMED RECIPIENT OF THE 2021 MUSIC EDUCATOR AWARD™, PRESENTED BY THE RECORDING ACADEMY® AND GRAMMY MUSEUM®

 

MURDOCK AND NINE FINALISTS WILL RECEIVE CASH HONORARIUMS, WITH GENEROUS SUPPORT AND RESOURCES PROVIDED BY THE GRAMMY MUSEUM^®'S EDUCATION CHAMPION FORD MOTOR COMPANY FUND

WHO: Jeffrey Murdock of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark., is the recipient of the 2021 Music Educator Award™ presented by the Recording Academy® and GRAMMY Museum®. In addition, nine music teachers have been announced as finalists for the award. Initial nominations were submitted from all 50 states. A complete list of the recipients is below. Music Educator Award Winner Jeffrey Murdock - University of Arkansas - Fayetteville, Ark. Finalists Justin Antos - Dwight D. Eisenhower High School - Frankfort, Ill. Stephen Cox - Eastland High School - Eastland, Texas Pamela Dawson - DeSoto High School - DeSoto,Texas Michelle Folta - Columbus State University - Columbus, Ga. Elizabeth Hering - Churchill High School - Livonia, Mich. Chris Maunu - Arvada West High School - Arvada, Colo. Brian McMath - Northwest Guilford High School - Greensboro, N.C. Lynne Ruda - Lancaster High School - Lancaster, N.Y. Donald Walter - Northwest Guilford Middle School and Northwest Guilford High School - Oak Ridge, N.C.

WHAT: A partnership and joint presentation of the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum, the Music Educator Award was established to recognize current educators (kindergarten through college in 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.   The award is open to current U.S. music teachers, and anyone can nominate a teacher— students, parents, friends, colleagues, community members, school deans, and administrators. Teachers are also able to nominate themselves, and nominated teachers are notified and invited to fill out an application. Each year, one recipient is selected from 10 finalists and recognized for their remarkable impact on students' lives. The 2021 honoree will be recognized during GRAMMY Week. The winner will also receive a $10,000 honorarium with a matching school grant. The nine additional finalists will each receive a $1,000 honorarium, and their schools will also receive matching grants.   The grants provided to the finalists and schools are made possible by the generosity and support of the GRAMMY Museum's Education Champion Ford Motor Company Fund. In addition, the American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, NAMM Foundation, and National Education Association support this program through outreach to their constituencies.

WHEN: Each year, one recipient is selected from 10 finalists and recognized for their remarkable impact on students' lives. The 2021 honoree will be recognized during GRAMMY Week. The winner will also receive a $10,000 honorarium with a matching school grant. The nine additional finalists will each receive a $1,000 honorarium, and their schools will also receive matching grants.   The grants provided to the finalists and schools are made possible by the generosity and support of the GRAMMY Museum's Education Champion Ford Motor Company Fund. In addition, the American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, NAMM Foundation, and National Education Association support this program through outreach to their constituencies.

WHERE: Nominations and applications for the 2022 Music Educator Award™ are now open via www.grammymusicteacher.com.

ABOUT DR. JEFFREY ALLEN MURDOCK
Dr. Jeffrey Allen Murdock is internationally known as a music educator, conductor, and clinician. He currently serves as Associate Director of Choral Activities and Associate Professor of Music at the University of Arkansas, where he conducts the Razorback Men's Chorus, the Inspirational Chorale, and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses within the music education curriculum. He is the 2016 Connor Endowed Faculty Fellow in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. In addition to being an accomplished conductor of Western choral music, Dr. Murdock is also a skilled gospel musician and conductor. He has served on the conducting staff of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., has collaborated with numerous world-renowned Gospel recording artists, and is nationally recognized as a leader in the field. Dr. Murdock has conducted regional and state honor choirs in Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Colorado. He has also presented at regional and national conferences of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) where he serves on the National Choral Council, the International Society for Music Education (ISME), and at state and regional conferences of the American Choral Director's Association, where he serves as President-Elect of the Southwestern Division and on its national diversity subcommittee. 

ABOUT THE GRAMMY MUSEUM
Established in 2008, the GRAMMY Museum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to cultivating a greater understanding of the history and significance of music through exhibits, education, grants, preservation initiatives, and public programming. Paying tribute to our collective musical heritage, the Museum explores and celebrates all aspects of the art form—from the technology of the recording process to the legends who've made lasting marks on our cultural identity.

For more information, visit www.grammymuseum.org, "like" the GRAMMY Museum on Facebook, and follow @GRAMMYMuseum on Twitter and Instagram.

ABOUT THE RECORDING ACADEMY
The Recording Academy represents the voices of performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and all music professionals. Dedicated to ensuring the recording arts remain a thriving part of our shared cultural heritage, the Academy honors music's history while investing in its future through the GRAMMY Museum, advocates on behalf of music creators, supports music people in times of need through MusiCares^®, and celebrates artistic excellence through the GRAMMY Awards — music's only peer-recognized accolade and highest achievement. As the world's leading society of music professionals, we work year-round to foster a more inspiring world for creators.
 
For more information about the Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @RecordingAcad on Twitter, "like" Recording Academy on Facebook, and join the Recording Academy's social communities on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.


ABOUT FORD MOTOR COMPANY FUND
As the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, Ford Fund’s mission is to strengthen communities and help make people’s lives better. Working with dealers and nonprofit partners in more than 60 countries, Ford Fund provides access to opportunities and resources that help people reach their full potential. Since 1949, Ford Fund has invested more than $2 billion in programs that support education, promote safe driving, enrich community life, and encourage employee volunteering. For more information, visit www.fordfund.org or join us at @FordFund on Facebook and Twitter.