The Recording Academy and Grammy Museum announced Dec. 19 that Tony Small, the director of music at St. Bernardine in West Baltimore, has been named a finalist for the recording industry’s prestigious Music Educator Award.
Small, a music teacher at St. Vincent Pallotti High School in Laurel, is one of 10 finalists for the award that will be presented in a nationally televised ceremony Feb. 5.
He was named a finalist from an original pool of 1,205 nominees from 47 states.
The official announcement was made during a broadcast of “CBS Mornings.”
“I’ve known about it for 30 days, but we had to keep it a secret,” Small said. “That was pretty tough because I was really excited. I’m just so thankful that God has put me in this position.
“To be in the top 10 is really amazing,” Small said. “It’s a great feeling.”
The Music Educator Award recognizes educators “who have made significant and lasting contributions to the music education field and demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in schools.”
The award will include a $10,000 honorarium and a matching grant for the winner’s school. For being a finalist, Small will receive $1,000 and a matching grant if he is not the award winner.
Small said he would likely find out if he wins in January with the winner being invited to the presentation ceremony.
The Illinois native, who has 35 years of experience teaching and developing arts programs, was nominated by his students at Pallotti, where he developed a course called “From Bach to Beyoncé.”
Monsignor Richard J. Bozzelli, pastor of St. Bernardine, told the Catholic Review earlier this year, “Tony has brought new energy, new creativity and new possibilities to St. Bernardine’s – especially as we rebuild ministry in a COVID world. His musical skill and adeptness with young people is a special blessing to us and the people we serve.”
Small produced and directed a play and concert at St. Bernardine Dec. 18, and is planning to develop a music education program for neighborhood youths in the coming year.
Email Gerry Jackson at gjackson@CatholicReview.org
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