Marion band director selected as quarter-finalist for national award

Patriot student musicians taking talents to the college level through scholarships

www.msd3.org Marion High School Director of Bands Monty Hill has been named a National Quarter-Finalist for the Grammy Music Educator Award.

The Music Educator Award was established to recognize current music educators 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 the schools.

A joint partnership and presentation of the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum, the recipient will be recognized during GRAMMYWeek 2022.

The award is open to current U.S. music teachers, and anyone can nominate a teacher — students, parents, friends, colleagues, community members, and administrators.

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 eighth annual honoree will be flown to Los Angeles to attend the 64th Annual GRAMMYAwards and a range of GRAMMYWeek events. The nine additional finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium, and the schools of all 10 finalists will receive matching grants.

Fifteen semifinalists will receive a $500 honorarium with matching school grants. The matching grants provided to the schools are made possible by the generosity and support of the

Monty Hill MARION BAND (cont.)

GRAMMY Museum's Education Champion Ford Motor Company Fund.

Mr. Hill is the only band director in the state of Arkansas that has been named a National Quarter-Finalist.

The Marion High School Patriot Pride Band had six members of the class of 2021 accept college scholarships during its annual Springs Concert and Awards Celebration. These outstanding students will continue their band careers at the collegiate level next fall.

'We are all very proud of their musical accomplishments,' said Director of Bands Monty Hill. 'This is a culmination of seven years of hard work and dedication in the Marion Band Program.”

Similar to athletic scholarships, band members garner attention from college band directors by earning All-Region and All-State awards and auditioning with potential collegiate directors as well.

Band members also require a recommendation from Mr. Hill in the process.

'This year I tried something new,' Hill added.

'We created highlight recordings of each student and sent them to schools of their choice.'

Band Members earning scholarships include:

• Kaiya Tucker, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

• Tyeshia Hurd, University of Memphis

• Avigail Mendez, University of Memphis

• Tierra Ford, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

• Miteria Dorsey, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

• Matthew Adkins, Arkansas State University

With a growing enrollment of nearly 3,900 students, the Marion School District is committed to helping students develop the academic, social, and decisionmaking skills needed to become productive citizens in the rapidly changing technological world. For enrollment information, including information on school choice, visit https://www.msd3.org/ or call 870-739-5100.