Iconic singer-songwriter Barry Manilow is rocking into Savannah on Sunday, however not earlier than awarding Reggie Mitchell, the high quality arts division chair and director of bands at Savannah High School, with The Manilow Music Teacher Award.
The Manilow Music Trainer Award acknowledges a deserving native music instructor who helps to deliver music to life for his or her college students. When Mitchell first heard he’d been nominated by Savannah Excessive principal Gequetta Jenkins, he was shocked.
“She was saying that with the work that you simply put in, the time that you simply put in, you’re greater than a worthy recipient for this prestigious award,” Mitchell recalled when Jenkins introduced his nomination on the college’s winter recital. “She’s been in my nook since day one in serving to me construct this program.”
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From being impressed to hitch the band by a Savannah center college director to learning music schooling at Savannah State College by the urging of his highschool and faculty director, Mitchell is now occurring 23 years of bringing the identical pleasure to his college students.
“I’m humbled to be nominated as one of many prime educators, however much more so, profitable this award is humbling. Like I advised my college students, this award is nothing with out the onerous work and dedication of my workers, in addition to the children as a result of the children are those who really put the work in and make my job simple every day.”
The instructor with essentially the most public votes in every metropolis of Manilow’s tour will obtain $10,000 — a $5,000 money prize and a $5,000 Manilow Bucks credit score that can be utilized to buy devices for his or her classroom.
When Mitchell was first employed because the band director at Savannah Excessive, he began with seven children. That quantity has now elevated to 91 college students in this system, and he stated the cash is a necessity that may vastly assist additional the music schooling of his college students.
“Us being an inside metropolis college, now we have children who can not afford devices and issues of that nature. By having further devices available, I will put an instrument in a scholar’s hand versus turning a scholar away as a result of I don’t have an instrument for them. This may make an enormous distinction.”
Because the winner, Mitchell was invited to the upcoming Barry Manilow live performance and will probably be introduced with the award in a particular backstage meet and greet.
“I am grateful for my principal for the nomination … my help system so far as my mom, my aunts, my uncles and my mentors right here in Savannah in addition to in Jacksonville, Florida, who’ve supported me alongside my journey and pushed me to do the issues that I do to grow to be the educator that I’m. It takes a village to grow to be profitable educators.”
