Winter Garden Magazine January 2019 | Page 16

PROFILE THE RECORDING ACADEMY AND GRAMMY MUSEUM 2019 MUSIC EDUCATOR AWARDS! J effery Redding, director of choral activities at West Orange High School (WOHS), is one of ten finalists for the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum 2019 Music Educator Award. The honor recognizes current educators, kindergarten through college, who have made a significant and lasting contribution in the field of music education, and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in schools. Dr. Redding holds a Ph.D. in choral conducting/music education and was a quarter-finalist for the Music Educator Award in 2016-18. He has touched and changed the lives of many students, not only at West Orange, but across the United States. As the director of choral activities at WOHS, he has led his choirs in performances at state, regional and national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association. WOHS choirs have earned first-place awards at Heritage Festivals of Gold in California, Chicago, New York and at the Festival of Spirituals in Washington, D.C. While participating in the International Music Festival in Verona, Italy, WOHS received the Gold Award for best choir, with Dr. Redding honored as top director. Dr. 16  | WINTER GARDEN MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2019 Redding is also founder and Artistic Director of the Garden Community Choir and professional chamber choir Voci del Cuore. a special ceremony during GRAMMY Week, plus pick up a $10,000 personal honorarium. All finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium, and the schools of all 10 finalists will receive matching The WOHS Choral Department grants, all made possible by the Ford would like Dr. Redding to know Motor Company Fund. how privileged they feel to have as him as their Director of Choral The award is open to current U.S. Activities, and excitedly applauds and music teachers, and anyone can celebrates his deserved recognition as nominate a teacher. Dr. Redding is a GRAMMY Finalist. one of ten finalists, chosen from 2,800 nominations. The GRAMMY Awards The sixth annual honoree will be will broadcast live from Los Angeles’ flown to Los Angeles to attend the STAPLES Center on Sunday, February 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards, 10th on the CBS Television Network receive the Music Educator Award at at 8 pm.