Two Oswego High School band educators have received national accolades for their commitment to students and music education, Oswego-based School District 308 officials announced.
Oswego High School Band Director Stephanie San Roman has been named as one of the National CMA Foundation Music Teachers of Excellence and Oswego High School Associate Band Director Kevin Schoenbach has been named as one of the quarterfinalists for the 2024 Music Educator Awards by the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum.
The Nashville-based CMA Foundation – a philanthropic group that is part of the Country Music Association – recently announced the winners of the 2023 Music Teachers of Excellence. San Roman is one of 30 music teachers across the country to receive this year’s award.
The awards recognize teachers for their commitment and impact on the lives of students.
The program was created seven years ago to recognize educators who are having the greatest impact on their students and using the power of music as an avenue for change, according to the CMA Foundation.
Recipients undergo an extensive application process, which includes the submittal of videos, professional references and more, officials said.
San Roman, the only music educator from Illinois selected this year for the award, will be recognized along with the others at a ceremony in September in Nashville.
Schoenbach is one of 212 quarterfinalists for the Music Educator Award. The music teachers on the list represent nearly 200 cities across the country. More than 2,000 nominations were submitted, according to district officials.
The Music Educator Award was established to recognized educators who teach in kindergarten through the college level who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education as well as demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools, officials said.
The honoree who emerges from the list of finalists will attend the 66th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. The other finalists and semifinalists receive $1,000 and $500 matching grants, officials said.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
