Phoenixville Teacher One Step Closer to Grammy Honors

A Phoenixville Area Middle School Music teacher is one step closing to winning Grammy Honors.  PAMS teacher Amy Darby is a semifinalist for the first-ever Music Educator Award presented by the Recording Academy and the Grammy Foundation.

The Phoenixville Area School District provided the following updated information on Ms. Darby's nomination to Phoenixville Patch:

More than 30,000 initial nominations were received from 50 states.  Darby received notification in the spring that she was one of 250 quarterfinalists, and this week was thrilled to be among the 25 semi-finalists—the only Pennsylvania teacher on the list.  The final list of 10 will be announced in December.

“I was so honored and surprised to receive a phone call from the Grammy Foundation,” Darby said.  “I was flattered to be nominated, and never dreamed I would get this far,” she added.

Fellow music teacher, Christine Trafford was one of the people who nominated Darby.  “She is just amazing, as a teacher and a friend.  I learn something from her every single day,” said Trafford. 

The Music Educator Award was established to recognize current educators (kindergarten through college, public and private schools) who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools. A joint partnership and presentation of The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation, this special award will have its inaugural presentation at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony and Nominees Reception honoring recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Trustees Award, and Technical GRAMMY® Award during GRAMMY Week 2014.