Your Nominations
Raymond Churchill
Ray Churchill was my high school choir director. His enthusiasm and passion for teaching has inspired countless students over the years to not just be wonderful musicians, but to also be the best versions of themselves they can be. Throughout the year you can see Ray and his choirs performing throughout the community of Griswold, CT and spreading the joy of song. His choirs sing the national anthem at every home football game at which Ray also assistant coaches the team. They carol throughout the community spreading holiday cheer. Then Ray puts on a musical in the spring that sells out every single performance and is at the highest caliber a high school performance could possibly attain. Aside from concerts, festivals and performances throughout the year he also has created the ECPAA which aims to bring arts education to a new generation of musicians. His love for music and his students inspired me to become a music teacher myself. He is truly an amazing educator.
Stacie Mavis
Ms. Mavis is the chorus director at Flowery Branch High School, and directs FOUR different choirs, all while coaching all state students and dealing with teenagers. She creates beautiful music and touches the heart of every student that walks through her doors. She is a pillar of strength and trust for nearly every single student in her program, and her choirs have become safe spaces for so many students I have seen.
Samuel Potts
Mr. Potts deserves to be nominated for the fantastic work he has done for my HS chorus in just one semester. This is his first year teaching at our HS and he has thoroughly demonstrated his ability to truly connect both musically and emotionally with his students. He taught our Mastery chorus Eric Whitacre’s piece, Seal Lullaby, for our fall concert in the very beginning of the year after just a few weeks of getting to know us and learning our choir’s voices. We performed it like we had worked on that piece for 5 months rather than the month and a half we had. He is incredibly musically talented, and has given us his all in making this transition from a previous 11 year chorus teacher smooth and enjoyable for everyone. In the semester he’s been with us, he has given us the best emotional support throughout anything. He loves to give us 3 seconds at the beginning of class to scream and let everything out, and he’s always encouraging us anytime we are having an off singing day.
Mr. Potts transferred to my high school this year, and has changed my life in so many ways. I am the a cappella small group leader in my school and when he first auditioned me he asked what my worst trait was. I proceeded to tell him about my mental health and how music has helped me through the darkest moments in my life, and he told me if there was anything I needed that I could always ask him. Since then, he has helped me by letting me sit in his room when I need to take a break, and helping me get better at expressing my emotions through music. Last semester, somebody in my grade passed away in a car accident and he let me sit in a practice room and play piano to process my emotions, as well as giving the rest of the class that opportunity and taking over my a cappella duties for the day. His humor makes my day, and he has been everything I could’ve asked for in a teacher and mentor. I’m so glad he’s my teacher.
My nomination is Mr. Potts. He has only been at our school for 1 year but has already shaped and molded us into very talented singers. His positive demeanor and great attitude truly makes him an inspiration to continue to sing.
Matthew Gingras
I am nominating my choir director, Mr.Gingras. He goes above and beyond to keep every student engaged and motivated in class. I have been under his wing for four years, and it has been the best four years of my life. He is constantly pushing us to bring our best to the table and never leaves anyone behind. He interacts with the class so well, there is never a dull moment with ging. He has a heart of gold and is truly someone to look up to. He is truly a teacher for the students, I’m not sure where I would be in music if it wasn’t for him.
Jana Ballard
She works with so many different choruses and still produces an amazing quality of sound from each. She’s a great teacher.
David Mead
Mr. Mead has been through many hardships throughout his life, with the most predominant being heart attacks. He has survived 4 heart attacks and not once has he let his health stop him from accomplishing greatness. He and his choir have sang in many large cities, from LA, Chicago, Austin, New Orleans, Carnegie Hall under the direction of Eric Whitacre himself, and now we are singing in Rome under the direction of Z. Randall Stroope in June 2023. Mr. Mead has never turned a student away in his classroom, and anyone and everyone is welcome to sing. He has accomplished 22 years of straight ones (the highest score possible) at District Music Contest. He pushes his choir to be the very best they can be, and every day in class is a new challenge. Mr. Mead deserves this recognition more than anyone in my opinion. He changed my life and helped me discover my love and passion for music. I would not be where I am today without his guidance!!
Willy Dolan
Mr.Dolan’s philosophy is that “you matter, each and every single one of you!” He truly lives up to this statement he goes out of his way for each and every one of his student no matter if he has known them for a day or years. He makes class a welcoming, inclusive, and enjoyable place to be and really cares about his students and their well being! And teaches in a style that is fun and different to what most choir directors do and it’s really unique. Dolan is a wonderful teacher and person and makes an impact in the life’s of his students and anyone you ask can say he is one of a kind, and has personally pushed me to become a better person and musician. And that is why I nominate Mr.Dolan!
Mr. Dolan is one of the few (and by few I mean I can probably count them on one hand) teachers I’ve had as of late who seem like they genuinely care about their students outside of class. He always does his best to make us laugh and feel happy, and has created a safe and open space for us to talk about and solve our problems. He is also open about his own struggles, whether it be time management or mental health, and helps us realize that having mental health issues don’t make us a bad person. Our flaws, whether they be under our control or not, are what make us human. He is a genuinely nice human being that believes music can help connect and strengthen the world, and even after only having a class with him for about two semesters total so far, I’m tempted to believe him.
Dolan is a father figure to many students, and always a advocating for them. He’s goofy and hilarious yet takes things seriously. He is always there when his students need him and do whatever it takes to support them. He’s a younger teacher and has only been teaching choir for 5 years at Milwaukie high school and Milwaukie academy of the arts. It would mean everyone to Dolan and his students for him to be nominated.
Bill Rutherford
Mr. Rutherford has been teaching in Pasco County school district in Florida, for almost 30 years. Most of his career being at Gulf High School. He is an extraordinary teacher, bringing music, love and plenty of “dad jokes” to his class every day. The students light up when they see him and Mr. Rutherford will always be there to help when a student or colleague is in need. Having grown up in Pasco County, I have known Mr. Rutherford for quite a long time. Although I went to a different high school, he still knew my name and brightened my days whenever I saw him as a teenager and now even more so as a colleague. His band is a place for everyone to feel welcome, learn and grow. Mr. Rutherford serves the “whole student” not just the musician inside and for that I’m sure his students are forever grateful. Over the years he has become not only a phenomenal music educator, but a pillar of the community in our little historic town.
Eric Christenson
This man is the “Mr. Holland” of Shakopee Highschool. He joined the dwindling band program as a young teacher and has seen it through some pretty amazing growth (and growing pains) in the last nearly 25 years. His passion for music and music education is unsurpassed and I am honored to have learned under him.
Justin Goff
Mr. Goff has kindled my love for music and inspired me to pursue a career in music education. He has always pushed his students to achieve more at the highest level. Although his program isn’t perfect without him we would never be to where we are now.
Rob Vanover
Mr. Rob Vanover day after day leads our choir program in the right direction. From spending his free time helping students with music theory, presenting us with bountiful opportunities for leadership and growth as musicians, to just sitting and listening when we need an open ear, “Mr V” is always there.
In our Chamber choir, we have a tradition of post concert “bagel days.” We spend an entire class eating bagels and just enjoying each other’s company. This was obviously Mr V’s idea because old people LOVE brunch food. Bagel days are a sacred occasion. They are a constant reminder that we are more than the sound we produce on stage, we are every single person that steps foot into the choir room, we are the loud cackles when a new quote of the day is written on our whiteboard, we are the gefilte fish that is rumored to be hidden somewhere in the title ceiling, we are a family. Mr Vanover gave us that.
Kirsten Carpenter (KC)
SHE IS AMAZING!!! She has made choir a safe and fun place for everyone. She inspires everyone to make music and build community on the daily no matter who you are. One of my favorite things she does is she puts a chair in the middle of our choir room and everyone goes around in a circle and says something we appreciate about the person in the chair. On top of that, she’s always interested to hear what students have to say, even if it’s completely random, and makes choir something to look forward to each day. Though she has only been with our program for a little less than a year, she has greatly impacted everyone and is always there for us students. She keeps our program thriving in all aspects, and we greatly appreciate everything she does for us!!!
THANKS KC!!!!
She is the most patient teacher ever, and always has time to hear what you have to say. She will always push us to be the best students we can while creating a fun yet driven classroom.
Mrs.Carpenter is new to our school this year and she is thriving. She handles us with such Grace and patience and kindness. She creates such amazing music with us and what may seem like picky things, she creates into beautiful adjustments. She’s always looking for ways to connect with us and have us create better connections with each other. She doesn’t let us forget why we sing and she keeps us motivated to keep giving our best. We’ve only known her since august and she’s already created such an amazing impact.
Ms. Carpenter is the most inspiring choir teacher I’ve ever had. She teaches us about the techniques of choral music while also inspiring our ideas about the meaning behind what we’re singing. Our choir sounds incredible thanks to her and everyone just adores her !
She is the sweetest most loving teacher ever. She is always ready to step up and be bold and make choices for the choir. She is the best friend and companion. She needs to know how much our choir cares about her because she jumped in to be a sub teacher for a year. She is amazing and lovely.
She may just be our interim choir director but she has taken on this role with such grace and drive. She’s never shied away from challenging us and pushing us out of our comfort zone, and she’s offered us an entirely new way of singing that has made us infinitely more adaptive singers in every way. You can tell she loves what she does and her goal is always to build us up and gives us critiques that make think about what we’re doing, not just going through the motions. I think I speak for everyone in my choir when I say I’ve never been more confident in my voice and my singing ability because of her encouragement, and it’s made for one of the best choir experiences I’ve ever had. She works tirelessly all for us to reap the benefits and I believe that she deserves a benefit of her own. We as a choir program love Eric Whitacre and to be honored by him would be the perfect way to she her our appreciation and how much we love her.
I am nominating Ms. Carpenter because she came in to teach for just this year after a long line of a father and a daughter producing and tending to the choral department at RV. Our teacher last year (the daughter) is having her baby and she’s coming back next year, and she needed someone to fill in for just one year. Ms. Carpenter came in, and she has done an absolutely incredible job at hitting the ground running and getting all 5 choirs to perform at least 4 songs each at each choir concert, running the choir boosters, and getting to form amazing bonds with all 60 students she has. Love you Ms. Carpenter!
Jason Penner
He spends every day sharing his joy of music with his students. I am one of his past students, and I am now a music education major in hopes to be like him one day. He studied band in college, but was thrown into choir when he came to his high school. Despite that, he created an excellent choir who has gone on to competitions and sing collegiate level music.
Mrs. Michelle Uhler
I have worked very closely with Mrs. Uhler throughout my time at Morris Hills High School. Freshman-Junior year I was completely lost with who I was going to become. My senior year, she became my Mentor for an Independent Study project where I started my own Tenor-Bass choir. Teaching that group with her help, I realized I wanted to be a vocal teacher. She shaped my future. Last year, she gave us the opportunity of a lifetime: performing at Carnegie Hall. We submitted a video of our best performance of one of our favorite pieces, and to our shock, our school’s group was chosen. “The Scarlet Singers” were a part of Eric’s debut of The Sacred Veil and we were ecstatic. It was some of the best 3 days I have ever spent in NYC. So many insane memories from that time we had I could never stop naming them. It truly changed my life and it is all thanks to Mrs. Uhler.
Eli King
I’ve been really lucky and had the chance to work with Eli for over 5 years now, and I can confidently say he’s one of the most fantastic people I’ve ever met. He’s incredibly kind and caring, always putting everyone else’s needs over everything else, and is the best listener. I know I can talk to him about anything and he’ll always be on my side. High school hasn’t been easy for me, offering plenty of challenges from others and myself, but there’s always been one constant in my life and it’s him. Not only is he a fantastic person, Eli has also been crucial in rebuilding the choir community, as it was left in complete shambles by the previous directors. Watching the choirs grow over my years of being in them is magical. There are many educators who can teach, but there are very few that inspire. Eli is one of them. He directs, he composes, he performs… He has made the choir room a home to hundreds. I’m so grateful I’ve gotten to work with him, and I owe him the world.
Jennifer Mercado
Mrs. Mercado is by far the most amazing teacher and person. If you need help with anything she is there no matter what. She always brings a smile to my face and has changed my life musically forever. She helped me go from not sight-reading at all to becoming a Texas All-stater. She puts her heart into everything she does and I will forever be grateful for her presence in my life.
Brenna Provence
Mrs. Provence is everything a person wants and needs out of a mentor; she’s hardworking, kind, and a forgiving person. She has put so much effort into our choir and brought us to Carnegie Hall in the spring of 2022 to perform The Sacred Veil under Mr. Whitacre. She’s an amazing violinist and performs on her own time as well as directs three choirs. All in all, this amazing woman has worked so hard to get us where we are and never stops supporting her students and everyone else around her. Specifically, the class of 2023 choir students will never forget her. She’s helped us grow into better people and taught us how to share a community with others like us. Thank you, Mrs. Provence, for everything.
My nominee has worked extremely hard to bring our choir program to the level it’s at now. She’s only been with my school for about 6 or so years, and last year we came to New York to perform The Sacred Veil in Carnegie Hall. She’s a kind, hardworking woman who cares for each and every one of her students.
Brandon Troy Baker
Mr.Baker is like a commet. He soars at the speed of light (literally), to allow our choir to succeed in our goals. Without him we would not have been able to have a program that continues to grow, the way it has. He continues to mentor new students to professional musicians with his knowledge. Mr.Baker works hard to make sure everything is on time, it’s like our program has escaped purgatory because of his persistence. From dropping everything in Georgia and moving to Texas this year to take over- that takes a lot of energy and risk, so we are very glad he is with us now. We only move forward from here, and one thing he always reminds us is “too make good choices!”
We love you Mr.Baker!
Joshia Mann
In the craziness of school, Mann is the one teacher who I know who can bring positive light to any stressful situation. He gives it his all each and every day, while being a father to three children! He is able to balance being the head of the theatre department here at my school, along with the “tech supervisor” of our auditorium! When it comes to theatre, Mr. Mann has been able to create talented students and crew members who have gone on to do amazing things. He is an advocate for every student, not matter who they are. He is an inspiration, and someone I look up to. He is always prepared with an answer, and brings so much potential to our school’s theatre program. Mann is one of the reasons why I want to continue acting in the future. He is the reason why my passion has continued to bloom and flourish. Thank you, Mr. Mann.
Johnny Powers
Mr. Powers has helped me grow in my music studies as well as encouraging me to challenge my self by participating in things like region band. Mr. Powers dedicates so much time into the program, and really cares about his students. He puts in a lot of hard work in order to make the West Florence Band operate, and I’m thankful for him!
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