Nashville music teacher a finalist for Grammy educator award
The Grammy Awards announced the 10 finalists for the 2024 music educator award on Tuesday — and Nashville music teacher Jasmine Fripp made the list.
Fripp directs the choir and teaches music at KIPP Nashville Collegiate High School, a public charter school situated on Douglas Avenue in the heart of East Nashville. Under her leadership, the choir has flourished, winning national competitions and seeing students earn all-state and mid-state honors. A champion of diversity and empowerment, Fripp is also nationally known as a speaker, working under the name "The Passionate Black Educator."
Set foot in Fripp's classroom on any given day and you'll find a diverse, lively bunch of students. Fripp hardly stops moving as she teaches and directs her classes. Her students and colleagues will all tell you that choir is a place where friendships and family-like bonds are forged. It also offers an opportunity to grow in confidence and rise to a challenge.
It's not the first time Fripp has been up for the award. She was in the running last year. While she said it was a heartbreaking loss for her, she used the opportunity to remind herself, along with her students, that perseverance is key.
"This whole process, in all honesty, reminds me that everything happens in God's timing and there's a reason for everything," Fripp told The Tennessean. "I feel like this process has made me a better teacher."
A look at the 10 finalists for the 2024 Grammy music educator award
More than 2,000 initial nominations came in for the 2024 Grammy music educator award. A list of 25 semifinalists was released in October, followed by Tuesday's announcement of the 10 finalists.
Here are 10 music educators being considered as finalists. The winner will be announced during Grammy week in February. The main award ceremony is set for Feb. 4.
Meg Byrne, Pleasant Valley High School, Bettendorf, Iowa
Ernesta Chicklowski, Roosevelt Elementary School, Tampa Florida
Michael Coelho, Ipswich Middle and High School, Ipswich, Massachusetts
Antoine Dolberry, P.S. 103 Hector Fontanez School, Bronx, New York
Jasmine Fripp, KIPP Nashville Collegiate High School, Nashville, Tennessee
J.D. Frizzell, Briarcrest Christian School, Eads, Tennessee
Coty Raven, Morris Portland State University, Portland, Oregon
Annie Ray, Annandale High School, Annandale, Virginia
Kevin Schoenbach, Oswego High School, Oswego, Illinois
Matthew Shephard, Meridian Early College High School, Sanford, Michigan
"The Music Educator Award recognizes current educators who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the music education field and demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools," a news release from the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum stated.
The winner will receive a $10,000 honorarium and matching grant for the music program at their school, according to the release. The nine remaining finalists will receive $1,000 honorariums and matching grants. Additionally, 15 semifinalists will receive $500 honorariums and matching grants.
The award is open to all music teachers currently working in the United States. Students, parents, friends, colleagues, community members, school deans and administrators are able to submit nominations. Teachers can also nominate themselves.
The award program is made possible by donations from the Chuck Lorre Family Foundation, along with support from the American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, NAMM Foundation and National Education Association.
Nominations for the 2025 award are now open. Learn more at www.grammymusicteacher.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville music teacher Jasmine Fripp a finalist for Grammy award
