North High School has been selected as a GRAMMY Signature School for 2009 and its music department will receive a $5000 grant, the school announced today.
North is one of 14 schools in the nation to receive the award, and the only school in Arizona. The GRAMMY Foundation program recognizes the top U.S. public high schools that are making an outstanding commitment to music education during an academic school year.
North was one of six schools to win the Enterprise Award, recognizing efforts made by schools with a student enrollment considered “economically underserved.”
“This is the same organization that gives out prestigious awards to the musical accomplishments of various artists. We literally got a Grammy,” band director Matthew Bock said.
The grant proposal, submitted by Bock and choir director Adrienne Meeker, focused on purchasing cutting edge music software for band, choir and orchestra students.
“This software, Smart Music will help us build new ways to teach and assess the music students of North High,” Bock said. “The money will be used to purchase computers, software, literature, and student subscriptions to the service. With this software students will be able to move through method books faster, perform with a full ensemble while practicing at home, and get critiqued on their performance. This is a wonderful opportunity to bring the true talents of Phoenix into the next millennium “
The North music department consists of two teachers and over 150 students. There are 74 students participating in marching band, concert band, jazz band, activity band, orchestra and a student-run drum line, and 80 students in North’s four choirs – “Premiere” beginning choir, “Dolce” advanced women’s choir, “Encore” advanced concert choir and an extra curricular vocal jazz ensemble. There are also 15 students who participate in class piano.
“Music is alive and thriving at North High School and the GRAMMY Grant will help to further the growth and excellence of music education for our students,” Meeker said.
The GRAMMY grants were available to more than 20,000 public high schools throughout the nation. Winners are determined by a panel of top music educators and professionals. Thirty-one finalists were selected in January, including Phoenix Union schools Central and Maryvale High Schools. The finalists had to submit recordings of school concerts, sample concert programs and repertoire.
One school, Martin High School in Arlington Texas was named the National GRAMMY Signature School, and was awarded $10,000. Eight schools received $5,000 and five schools received $1,000.
Funding for the GRAMMY Signature Schools, which was created in 1998, comes from contributions from Gibson Guitar Corp. and the Ford Motor Company.
Source: Phoenix Union High School District
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