I had the pleasure to award the Grammy Signature School Gold Award to my alma mater, Plano West Senior High School. I spent the day catching up with my former teachers and speaking to students about careers in music. The evening was finished with a jazz band concert.
Original Article from PISD
Here is the article published originally on the Plano Independent School District Website
Plano West Senior High School has been selected as a 2011 GRAMMY® Signature School and one of only seven "Gold" level award recipients. The award recognizes top U.S. public high schools making an outstanding commitment to music education.
Nick Landis of the Recording Academy Board of Governors and the GRAMMY® nominating committee, presented a custom award and a $5,500 monetary gift to benefit Plano West's school music program during a May 20 school assembly celebration.
Landis happens to be a graduate of Plano West's inaugural class and was in the Wolf Band. Plano Mayor Phil Dyer also attended the May 20 assembly where he presented the school with a proclamation.
History of GRAMMY Signature Schools
Created in 1998, 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. Read the press release
Each of the 36 GRAMMY® Signature Schools will receive a custom award and a monetary grant to benefit its music program. The top seven schools are designated Gold recipients. The best of the Gold recipients is named the National GRAMMY® Signature School.
The National GRAMMY® Signature School will receive $15,000, and the six remaining Gold schools each will receive $5,500. Two remaining GRAMMY® Signature Schools recipients will receive a grant award of $2,500 to benefit their music programs. In the Enterprise Award category, which recognizes efforts made by schools that are economically underserved, 27 schools will receive a grant of $5,500 each.
The selection process began in August when the GRAMMY® Foundation mailed notification to more than 20,000 public high schools. Applications were submitted online in October and then scored. Finalists were identified and asked to submit additional documentation, such as recordings of school concerts, sample concert programs and repertoire, which was reviewed by an independent blue ribbon committee of top music educators and professionals to determine the schools that merited GRAMMY® Signature School status.
Plano Star Courier
Here is another original article from the Plano Star Courier by Dan Eakin
Most of Plano West Senior High School's 2,500 students were in the gymnasium for a pep rally Friday morning when they were told that their high school has been named as one of only 36 Grammy Signature Schools in the nation.
Nick Landis, a former Plano West music student and a member of the Recording Academy board of governors and the Grammy Nominating Committee, proudly presented a trophy and a $5,500 check to members of the Plano West Senior High School Music Department.
"The check is awarded as a merit-based grant," Landis said.
He said the music department will use the funds for private lessons, scholarships and instrument rentals.
Allen High School and Flower Mound High School are the only other two schools in Texas to be named as 2011 Grammy Signature Schools.
The awarding of the check and the presenting of the trophy to the Plano West Music Department was considered to be a special honor for Landis, who graduated from Plano West 10 years ago and who said the school's music department changed his life.
"Because of the Plano West band director, Mr. James Hannah, I changed my mind about pursuing a medical career and started to focus on music," Landis said. "If it wasn't for Mr. Hannah and the Plano West Music Department, I wouldn't have gotten into college, and I definitely wouldn't have become one of the youngest members of the Recording Academy board of governors."
"Friday's check presentation to Mr. Hannah and the entire music program staff was a way for me to repay the person and the high school that has made such a huge impact on my life," Landis said. "And I'm happy to be part of an organization that is helping all of the other 'Mr. Hannahs' across the country thrive."
Plano Mayor Phil Dyer came to the pep rally to help the school celebrate receiving the award and to proclaim the day as "Grammy Gold Award Day," honoring the Plano West Senior High School Music Department.
"I, Phil Dyer, mayor of the city of Plano, Texas, do hereby proclaim Friday, May 20, 2011, as Grammy Gold Award Day in Plano, and I do thereby encourage all citizens to join me and the Plano City Council in congratulating the Plano West High School Music Department on this notable achievement," Dyer said. "I also bestow special recognition on the music department staff. Your hard work and dedication made this outstanding accomplishment possible."
Created in 1998, the Grammy Signature Schools program recognizes top American public high schools that are making an outstanding commitment to music education during an academic school year.
Awards to Grammy Signature Schools are made possible in part through the grants from Best Buy, Campbell's Labels for Education program, the Ford Motor Company Fund, Gibson Foundation and the Hot Topic Foundation.
"The Grammy Signature Schools program exemplifies the Grammy Foundation's commitment to fostering excellence in music education in public high schools," said Neil Portnow, president/CEO of the Recording Academy and the Grammy Foundation.