The Well-Tempered Ear

Classical music education: Defend and support teachers. The Madison Symphony Orchestra is seeking nominations for its Excellence in Music Education award. The deadline is Jan. 15

By Jacob Stockinger

The Ear’s friends at the Madison Symphony Orchestra have asked for the following announcement to be posted.

The Ear is more than happy to do so. For one, he believes in the lifelong benefits of music education as it applies to many other fields and to learning and life enhancement in general by fostering creativity and imagination. Just listen to the Australian music educator talking about the benefits of music education in the YouTube video at the bottom.

A lifelong teacher himself, The Ear also thinks that these days teachers are getting an undeserved bad rap from state and national politicians – especially Republicans – who are looking for scapegoats to blame for their own bad stewardship and inadequate funding of public education.

Here is the announcement:

The Madison Symphony Orchestra (MSO), in partnership with Ward-Brodt Music, is accepting nominations for its Award for Excellence in Music Education to one outstanding music educator in southern Wisconsin.

Nominations will be accepted until January 15, 2016 and the nomination form can be found on the Madison Symphony website.

For more information visit: http://madisonsymphony.org/award

Cultivating the artistic growth of young students is one of the most unique and challenging jobs for teachers in Wisconsin.

Recognizing this challenge, the Award for Excellence in Music Education is intended to salute and honor one outstanding individual who displays leadership, passion, dedication, and innovation within the music classroom, positively affecting the lives of her or his students and the community at large.

The award will consist of a commemorative plaque and a $500 prize, to be presented at the recipient’s school.

These prizes have been made possible through the generosity of Ward-Brodt Music of Madison, Wisconsin.

To be qualified, the nominee must teach within a 75-mile radius of Madison in a public or private K-12 school and instruct a band, orchestra, choir or general music course. 

Colleagues, current or former students, parents of students, or friends can nominate a music educator for the award.

The review panel will consist of representatives from public and private school administration, teachers, university staff, community members and one MSO representative. (For the sake of full disclosure, The Ear should announce that he has also accepted an invitation to serve on the panel.)