Music educators across the country put so much into creating amazing music programs and inspiring our youth. However, music educators do not receive the recognition they greatly deserve. In order to promote excellent teachers, programs like the Music Educator of the Year award were created. This helps remind us of the amazing impact educators have on students and communities. Applications were received from all across the country for the Music Educator of the Year award but only 25 music educators rose to the top of the list.

Congratulations to our 2017 Music & Arts Music Educator of the Year semi-finalist: Richard McCready

"I had the great privilege of being a student of Mr. McCready for 2 years during my high school career. In those two years, Mr. McCready unlocked something in me that I would never have found had he not have been intentionally fostering my potential and my passion. Because of Mr. McCready’s encouragement, excitement, and dedication, I am now studying Commercial Voice with tracks in Music Business and Music Technology, at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. McCready instructed me in our school’s Chamber Choir, as well as in Music Technology. When I entered high school, I never would have imagined taking Music Tech (or loving it enough to pursue it in higher education). But, Richard’s infectious passion for creative music drew me in to signing up as the only female in the Advanced Music Tech class. With almost any other instructor, being the girl in an all boy class would have been enough for me to drop it. However, Mr. McCready never made me feel any different or less than the other members of my class. He treated me equally, challenged me just as much, and encouraged me every time I needed it. I found myself looking forward to his class every day, even at the 6 AM alarm."