The Pleasant Valley Community School District is thrilled to announce that Meg Byrne,Director of Vocal Music, has been named a semifinalist for the 2024 GRAMMY Music Educator Award. This prestigious accolade is presented by the GRAMMY Museum® and The Recording Academy® and acknowledges current U.S. music teachers from kindergarten through college in both public and private institutions.
The GRAMMY Music Educator Award shines a light on educators who have made profound impacts in the field, emphasizing the importance of music education in schools. From a pool of over 2,000 nominations spanning all 50 states, only 25 music educators were chosen as semifinalists. In December, 10 finalists will be announced. The winner of the award will then be recognized during GRAMMY® Week 2024, and will also receive a $10,000 honorarium. The nine finalists will receive $1,000 honorarium, with the 15 semifinalists receiving a $500 honorarium. All 25 will receive a matching grant for their school's music program.
Meg Byrne has served as the Director of Vocal Music at Pleasant Valley High School for 29 years. She directs the Chamber Choir, Treble Chamber Choir, the a cappella jazz choir the Leading Tones, and teaches AP Music Theory. During her time at Pleasant Valley, the Chamber Choir has been invited to sing in concert with multiple collegiate ensembles, the Nova Singers, the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, and was selected as one of the outstanding high school ensembles to perform at the Iowa Choral Showcase.
She holds degrees from Bryn Mawr College, the University of Northern Iowa, and Western Illinois University. She has been a member of ACDA for over 30 years, has served the Iowa Choral Directors Association as chair of the All-State Jazz Choir (2011-2016), chair of the 2022 ICDA Summer Symposium, and is currently the High School R&R chair for Iowa.
Byrne's distinction places her among the top music educators in the country, recognizing her commitment and contributions to the realm of music education. “Having spent my whole career at Pleasant Valley High School, I feel this award is largely a recognition of the wonderful music community we have here. I'm very honored to be selected as a semifinalist, and grateful to all my colleagues and students (past and present) for making Pleasant Valley Choirs and choral music in Iowa such a joy to be a part of," Byrne said.
We look forward to the announcement of finalists in December, and we congratulate Meg on this commendable achievement!
To learn more about the GRAMMY Music Educator Award, visit https://www.grammy.com/news/music-educator-award-semifinalists-announced-2023.