Tag Archives: Music Teachers

Teachers who specialized in music.

Miami teacher Lizbet Martinez: She came to the US on a raft

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Florida music educator Lizbet Martinez fled the repressive Castro regime and came to the United States on a raft when she was just a child. Photo credit: The Buffalo News.

Many dedicated educators can share a personal history of overcoming great adversity. One is Lizbet Martinez, an elementary school teacher who, when she was just a child, fled the repressive Castro regime to come to the United States on a raft.

Lizbet was only 12 years old when she braved the dangers of the sea to immigrate to this country from her home island of Cuba on nothing more than a raft. She was one of more than 30,000 Cubans who made this treacherous journey during what is known as the “balsero crisis” of 1994. Lizbet and her family were plucked from the waters by the US Coast Guard on Aug. 21, 1994. At the time, the child was clutching a violin case, which the Americans discussed confiscating because they believed the case might contain a weapon. To prove them wrong, Lizbet opened the case, pulled out her violin, and began to play The Star Spangled Banner. Before the family fled the Castro regime in Cuba, she was studying violin at Alejandro Garcia Caturla Conservatory in Havana.  After their rescue, the Martinez family and other refugees spent five months at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base before being relocated to Miami.

When she grew up, Lizbet enrolled at Florida International University in Miami. There she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education in 2003. Cuban-American singer Willy Chirino offered her with a $3,000 scholarship to help pay for her college expenses. At her college graduation, she was asked to performed the national anthem to open the commencement ceremonies. Later, Lizbet performed with music stars Gloria Estefan and Jon Secada. She also performed for President Bill Clinton and George H. Bush.

The aspiring teacher completed her student teaching assignment at Emerson Elementary School located in Westchester, Florida, and at Coral Reef High School in Miami. At the grade school, she taught basic music skills. At the high school, a magnet school for teenagers interested in music, she conducted the string orchestra.

Lizbet became a teacher at Emerson Elementary school. She also taught at M.A. Milam K-8 Center, where she was a music instructor until budget cuts cancelled the school;s music program. She then taught English.

To read more about this remarkable educator, see this story published by The Buffalo News.

Jim Johnson of Eastvale, CA, earns prestigious SCSBOA award

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Music educator Jim Johnson (left) of Eastvale, California, has just earned the 2021 Veteran Teacher Award from the Southern California School Bands and Orchestra Association.. Photo credit: Jim Johnson.

I always enjoy sharing the stories of superlative educators who have earned accolades for their work with young people. One of these is Jim Johnson, a music educator from Eastvale, California. Jim has just been named the recipient of the 2021 Veteran Teacher Award by the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association (SCSBOA).

The Veteran Teacher Award is awarded  to teachers who have made an extraordinary contribution to local music education, and who have taught 20 years or more. In a career that has spanned more than three decades, Jim has taught band and orchestra at all levels, including elementary school, junior high school, high school, and college. Currently, he serves as the Director of Bands and Color Guard for Eleanor Roosevelt High School (ERHS), a public high school located in the Corona Norco Unified School District. There he instructs over 250 student musicians in marching band and orchestra ensembles.

Before working at ERHS, Jim directed music programs at Travis Ranch Middle School in Yorba Linda, CA;  Palm Springs High School in Palm Springs, CA; Rancho Cucamonga High School in Racncho Cucamonga, CA; and Esperanza High School in Anaheim, CA. “Every position Jim Johnson has taken on has resulted in success for students and schools,” reads the SCSBOA announcement of his award.

In addition to his responsibilities in the classroom, Jim has also served as an SCSBOA Field and Parade adjudicator and as a member of the music list committee. He has hosted field show tournaments and solo and ensemble festivals. He has also supported the honor groups as a manager of the All-Southern Jazz Honor Band.

Congratulations, Jim! To read more about this superlative music educator, see this link to CNUSD.

 

CA music educator Glen Nakahara succumbs to Covid-19

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Sadly, we report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of Glen Nakahara, a beloved and talented music teacher from Garden Grove, California. He succumbed to the disease on July 26, 2020.

Sadly, we report the passing of yet another beloved and talented educator to Covid-19. Glen Nakahara, an elementary school music teacher from Garden Grove, Orange County, California, succumbed to the disease on July 26, 2020. He was 61 years old.

Glen was born on Sept. 15, 1958. He graduated from Santiago High School in Garden Grove,  California. Following his high school graduation, Glen enrolled at California State University, Long Beach, where he earned his degree in 1981. While there, he played the trumpet in the university’s marching band.

Glen’s career as a music educator spanned 30 years. He inaugurated his career at Lindbergh Middle School in Long Beach, where he taught for 10 years. He spent the last 20 years of his career at Jackie Robinson Academy in Long Beach. The beloved educator touched the lives of thousands of students, remembered Robinson Academy Principal Salvadore Madrigal. “He loved this school, and we all are heartbroken with his loss. He has left so many memories and a wonderful legacy behind,” Madrigal asserted.

In addition to his classroom activities, the talented musician performed as the lead trumpet player in the marching band that performed in the Disneyland Parade. He also performed in the closing ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Olympics.

To read more about Glen Nakahara, click on this link to the Orange County Register.

Iris Stevenson: The choir director who inspired Sister Act 2

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California’s Iris Stevenson , The choir director  whose story served loosely as the basis for the movie Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit.

I am always intrigued by stories about educators who have caught the attention of Hollywood. One of these is Iris Stevenson, a Los Angeles music teacher whose story is, loosely, the basis for the hit movie Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit. The movie starred Whoopi Goldberg

Iris was raised in public housing in Buffalo, New York. Her father earned his living as a blue-collar worker and part-time musician. Her mother worked as a domestic. At an early age, Iris demonstrated an extraordinary talent for music. As a young girl, she attended Villa Maria Institute, a program for talented young musicians. When she was 15, Iris earned a four-year scholarship to attend the prestigious Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio. Once she graduated from Oberlin, Iris began teaching courses at Canisius College. She also earned her Master’s degree in Fine Arts  from the State University of New York, Buffalo.

In 1985 Iris relocated to southern California, where she accepted a position as a music teacher at Crenshaw High School in the Los Angeles Unified School District. There she serves as the Chair of the Music Department. She also teaches piano, choir, music theory, and practical application of music at Crenshaw High School. Crenshaw has a student population that is a predominantly African American.

Under the expert leadership of Iris, Crenshaw’s choir students have performed on several national television specials. In 1992 and 1993, she escorted her students to Nice, France, to perform in the Worldwide Music Festival. Her choir also garnered first place in the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival four years in a row. In 2011, the group traveled to China to compete in the World Choir Games, where they earned a Gold Medal. In 2014, this amazing educator took her choir to the White House to perform with Jennifer Hudson for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. 

To read more about this amazing educator, see this story printed in the Los Angeles Times.

Heather Gadd-Ardrey: Mississippi’s 2019 Teacher of the Year

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Hannah Gadd-Ardrey: Mississippi’s 2019 Teacher of the Year. Hannah teaches music education in Oxford, Mississippi.

I love to share stories about amazing educators that have been recognized for their professional talents and hard work. One of these is Hannah Gadd-Ardrey, a middle high and high school music teacher who has been named the 2019 Teacher of the Year for the state of Mississippi.

Hannah teaches music history and choir in grades six through twelve at Lafayette Middle School and Lafayette High School. Her school is part of a rural public school district located in Oxford, Mississippi. Her students come from diverse backgrounds and varied learning abilities.

As an educator, Hannah says she is passionate about using music to create interdisciplinary connections and to develop real-world skills. Throughout her career, Hannah has overseen the growth of the choral program from 60 to 130 students. She believes that all students should have access to a quality fine arts education. She asserts that classes like choir, band, visual art, and theater empower students, providing them with outlets to lead and cultivate a climate for growth and acceptance among their peers and the community.

The honored educator is particularly interested in using music to enrich the lives of special education students. In 2018, she collaborated with elementary teachers of students with special needs in her district to create the More than Music program. The program is a student-led music class for elementary students with special needs. “My students are building a legacy,” she declares. “They are learning life skills in choir that can help students become successful citizens. Music allows students to cultivate a climate for change and make the world a better place,” she continued.

In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Hannah serves as a mentor for teachers in her school district. She also serves on the Mississippi Teacher Council. Before being named the 2019 Mississippi Teacher of the Year, the Chalkboard Champion presented research at the Summer Conference of the Mississippi American Choral Directors Association.

Heather earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music in 2013 and her Master’s of Music in Choral Conducting in 2015, both from the University of Mississippi. She has been a teacher since 2013. To read more about this amazing educator, see this story printed in Ole Miss, University of Mississippi News.