NEWS Walnut Valley Unified School District
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 880 S. Lemon Avenue
December 8, 2015 Walnut, CA 91789
Contact:
Kelli Gile, Office of Community Resources
(909)595-1261 ext. 31204
Music Education Excellence
Walnut High Named Grammy Signature School Semifinalist
WALNUT, CA--Walnut High School has garnered national recognition as a 2016 Grammy Signature School Semifinalist by the Grammy Foundation.
The Grammy Signature Schools program recognizes top U.S. public high schools that are making an outstanding commitment to music education during an academic school year.
A total of 119 schools around the country received the distinction.
“We are very proud of the work that Instrumental Music Directors Dr. Buddy Clements, Corey Wicks, and Choir Director Lisa Lopez do to support the arts at Walnut High,” said Principal Brandon Dade. “These outstanding music educators have gone above and beyond to develop a top-rate program!”
The Grammy Signature School program, created in 1998, recognizes top public high schools that are making an outstanding commitment to music education.
Finalists will be announced in mid-March. These schools will received a custom award and $1,000-$6,0000 grant benefit their music program.
The top programs are designated as Gold recipients, and the best of the Gold recipients is designated as the National Grammy Signature School.
The selection process for Grammy Signature Schools begins each year in August when the Grammy Foundation mails notification to more than 20,000 public high schools from districts large and small, urban, suburban and rural, requesting information about each school's music program.
Applications are completed and submitted online in October. After the applications are scored, finalists are identified and asked to submit additional documentation, such as recordings of school concerts, sample concert programs and repertoire, which is then reviewed by an independent blue-ribbon committee of top music educators and professionals to determine the schools that merit Grammy Signature School status.
The Grammy Foundation was established in 1989 to cultivate the understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contribution of recorded music to American culture.
Shown:
Walnut High School has been named a 2016 Grammy Signature School Semifinalist. The Home for the Holidays band and orchestra concert, under the direction of Corey Wicks and Dr. Buddy Clements, was presented on December 3 in the Performing Arts Center.