Noblesville High School jazz director and assistant band director Bethany Robinson has earned her share of prestigious honors.
Her latest one is especially sweet. Robinson has been named a top 10 national finalist for the 2022 Grammy Music Educator Awards. Robinson was selected from more than 1,100 nominees across the United States. She will now compete for the top spot, which includes a $10,000 honorarium and matching grant for NHS.
“I am thrilled to be included in this list of incredible music educators from across the country,” Robinson said. “It immediately makes me grateful for all of the mentors and teachers who believed in me early on in my music and teaching careers. To walk alongside so many talented students and see them flourish musically and developmentally would be celebration enough, but to receive recognition on top of that is beyond what I could’ve dreamed.”
The winner will be announced during Grammy week. The Grammy Awards show is Jan. 31, 2022.
Robinson, a Fishers resident and accomplished jazz bass player, began teaching music in 2005 at Noblesville Schools. She is chair-elect for the National Association for Music Education Jazz Council and president of the Indiana Jazz Educators Association. She was named 2014 Indiana Jazz Educator of the Year, 2015 Noblesville Schools Teacher of the Year and was a 2016 Indiana Teacher of the Year semifinalist. She is a two-time Lilly Teacher Creativity Fellow.
“We couldn’t be prouder of Bethany and the expertise, dedication, creativity and care she brings to her students and our school every day,” NHS Principal Craig McCaffrey stated. “We’re lucky that she shares her talents with us and are excited to support her as she continues to make her mark in the world of music education.”
Robinson’s top jazz ensemble finished second at the National Jazz Festival in 2021 and was named a finalist for the 2021 Jazz at Lincoln Center Essentially Ellington Jazz Festival.
For more on the awards, visit grammymusicteacher.com. For more about Robinson, visit bethanyrobinsonjazz.com.
