For the second year in a row, Yamaha has selected 40 exceptional music educators under the age of 40 possessing action, courage, creativity, and growth characteristics while going above and beyond when instructing music programs.
Identical to the year before, hundreds of nominations were received by students, parents, teachers, and local instrument dealers and mentors, highlighting the music educators impacting their community and students in a positive direction.
2022 honorees include:
- David Amos – Heritage Middle School / Harvey High School (Painesville, Ohio)
- Justin Antos – Dwight D. Eisenhower High School/Saint Xavier University/Trinity Christian College (Chicago, Illinois)
- Cassandra Bechard – University of Northwestern St. Paul (St. Paul, Minn)
- Stephen Blanco – Las Vegas High School (Las Vegas, Nevada)
- Robert Bryant – Tennessee State University (Nashville, Tennessee)
- Adam Calus – Education Through Music – Massachusetts (ETM-MA) (Boston, Massachusetts)
- Kristopher Chandler – Gautier High School (Gautier, Mississippi)
- Danielle Collins – Huntington Beach High School (Huntington Beach, California)
- Dr. Nathan Dame – Wylie East high School (Wylie, Texas)
- Brandon Felder – SHABACHI! K-8 Christian Academy/Georgetown University (Landover, Maryland)
- Bryson Finney – We are Nashville / Metro Nashville Public Schools (Nashville, Tennessee)
- Alain Goindoo – Jeaga Middle School (West Palm Beach, Florida)
- Jayme Hayes – Mayberry Cultural and Fine Arts Magnet Middle School (Wichita, Kansas)
- Jonathan Helmick – Slippery Rock University (Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania)
- Anastasia Homes – San Elijo Middle School (San Marcos)
- Amir Jones – Thomas W. Harvey High School (Painesville, Ohio)
- Damon Knepper – Ironwood Ridge High School (Oro Valley, Arizona)
- Katie O’Hara LaBrie – (Fairfax, Virginia)
- Wesley Lowe – The King’s Academy (West Palm Beach, Florida)
- Tracy Meldrum – Verrado High School (Buckeye, Arizona)
- Tammy Miller – Omaha Conservatory of Music (Omaha, Nebraska)
- Gabrielle Molina – Project Music (Stamford, Connecticut)
- Justin John Moniz – New York University (New York, New York)
- Bryant Montalvo – Central Falls High School (Central Falls, Rhode Island)
- Cody Newman – Forney High School (Forney, Texas)
- Terry Nguyen – University of California, Riverside (Riverside, CA)
- Tanner Otto – Sycamore Community Schools (Cincinnati, Ohio)
- Kenneth Perkins – Joseph Keels Elementary School (Columbia, South Carolina)
- Joel Pohland – Pierz Healy High School (Pierz, Minnesota)
- Alec Powell – Mountain Ridge Junior High (American Fork, Utah)
- Benjamin Rogers – Liberty Middle School / University Congregational United Church of Christ in Seattle
- (Spanaway, Washington)
- Amanda Schoolland – Metlakatla (Metlakatla, Alaska)
- Jennifer Stadler – Jennifer Stadler’s Piano Studio (Okalhoma City, Oklahoma)
- Mark Stanford – Springfield High School (Springfield, Delco, Pennsylvania)
- Brandon Tambellini – Blackhawk High School (Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania)
- Heather Taylor – Lakeshore Elementary School (Rochester, New York)
- Katie VanDoren – Vandegrift High School (Austin, Texas)
- Chris Vitale – Westfield High School (Westfield, New Jersey)
- Armond Walter – Meadville Area Middle school / Meadville Area High School / First District Elementary (Meadville, Pennsylvania)
- Alexander M. Wilga – Davenport Central High School (Davenport, Iowa)
The selected 40 music educators elevate their communities by continually showing their love and charisma for music. The selection was based on:
- Proposing and implementing new or bold ideas.
- Offering innovation and imagination in achieving plans and objectives.
- Establishing and growing or improving music education in their schools and communities.
“Despite another year of challenges, educators are undertaking the most innovative, creative, and impactful programs to make a difference in strengthening and encouraging music education nationwide truly,” said Heather Mansell, segment marketing manager, education at Yamaha. “Yamaha shares the same commitment to high-quality music education for all, and we look forward to supporting and encouraging the efforts of these 40 outstanding educators and the thousands more like them across the country.”
To learn more about these educators and what they are doing in their local communities, visit: https://www.yamahaeducatorsuite.com/40-under-40/2022
