DeSoto High School Music Director Named Top 10 Finalist for Grammy Music Educator
A total of 10 music teachers from 10 cities across eight states have been announced as finalists for the Music Educator Award™ presented by the Recording Academy® and GRAMMY Museum®.
Only one finalist is from the great state of Texas.
That one finalist is a resident of DeSoto, Texas, and an employee of the DeSoto Independent School District!
For the SECOND TIME in three years, DeSoto High School Director of Choirs, Pamela Dawson, has been named a top 10 finalists for the Grammy Music Educator Award! In total, more than 1,205 initial nominations were submitted from 47 states.
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. Each year, one recipient is selected from 10 finalists and recognized for their remarkable impact on students' lives. They will receive a $10,000 honorarium and matching grant for their school's music program. The nine additional finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium and matching grants.
The matching grants provided to the schools are made possible by the generosity and support of the GRAMMY Museum’s Education Champion Ford Motor Company Fund. In addition, the American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, NAMM Foundation, and National Education Association support this program through outreach to their constituencies.
The recipient will be recognized during GRAMMY® Week 2023.
Dawson was a 2021 top 10 Finalist for Grammy Music Educator of the Year. Her choirs have earned numerous state and National recognitions, including being invited to perform in Carnegie Hall as well as the SWACDA National honor choir. Several former students are in high level music programs and performing in venues such as Broadway. She has touched the lives of countless students and has always served as a positive ambassador for DeSoto ISD for her over 16-year tenure.
An active community member, Dawson has served in the City of DeSoto as member and then chair of the DeSoto Arts Council, where she initiated the DeSoto Arts LIVE project creating a full day of artistic endeavors and ending with a live musical performance by nationally renowned artists. Her exceptional skills as a harpist and vocalist ensure she and her choirs are in constant demand for performances at city events, state representative events, holiday events and to perform for local corporations. Her choirs have been a regular feature for the Dallas Black Dance Theater's DanceAfrica event for many years.
Pamela Dawson has built the DHS choir program to the world class program it is today. She has changed countless lives and her students demonstrate the top levels of discipline and decorum. As most teachers are settling in for winter break, Ms. Dawson and her DHS choirs are gearing up for a Christmas performance tonight at North Park Mall. On January 13, the choir will again team with the Dallas Black Dance Theater at DHS to kick off the City of DeSoto's MLK weekend celebration
This Eagle is SOARING and continues to encourage others to fly high. Tune in for the Grammy week announcement.