Music Educator of the Year

The highest honor bestowed by AMEA, the Music Educator of the Year personifies the goals and visions of AMEA and exemplifies excellence in teaching, leadership, and advocacy for music and arts education in Arizona.

Nominations by: AMEA general membership

Selection by: Committee of past recipients

Criteria for the AMEA Music Educator of the Year Award:

Please upload a minimum of two recommendation letters that address the following characteristic traits of your nominee for the AMEA Music Educator of the Year Award:

• Full active member of the Arizona Music Educators Association
• Be, or have been, employed by a school system/s or college/s within Arizona for a minimum of 10 years
• Have demonstrated effectiveness in teaching young people through music and the ability to inspire positive attitudes among students, the school, the community, and members of AMEA
• Have developed, maintained, and supported an effective balanced program in music education
• Has made an outstanding contribution to music education by active involvement in local district, state, regional, or professional organizations
• Have demonstrated the highest ideals and professional integrity during time of service

Past Winners of the AMEA Music Educator of the Year Award:

• Ralph Hess, 1964
• Ardith Shelly, 1965
• Elizabeth Jerles, 1966
• Dr. Max T. Ervin, 1967
• Barbara Andress 1968
• Dr. O. M. Hartsell, 1969
• Dr. Carroll A. Rinehart, 1970
• Dr. William S. English, 1971
• John C. Faris, 1972
• Dr. Pat Curry, 1973
• Raymond G. Van Diest, 1974
• Lorainne Curry, 1975
• Dr. Ralston O. Pitts, 1976
• William E. Richardson, 1977
• Constance Myren, 1978
• Larry Mabbitt, 1979
• Rudy Thompson, 1980
• Elizabeth White, 1981
• William E. Wells, 1982
• E. Lowell Rogers, 1983
• Grace Nash, 1984
• Del Bohlmeyer, 1985
• Dr. Koste Belcheff, 1986
• Janet Sessions, 1987
• Dr. David Ashcraft, 1989
• Dr. Mary Frances Fest, 1990
• Dr. John Fitch, 1991
• Joe Dixon Lloyd, 1992
• William J. Richardson, 1993
• Dr. Joan Dively Ashcraft, 1994
• Tom O’Kelly, 1995
• Dr. David Lunt, 1996
• Dr. Margaret Ruccolo, 1997
• Dr. Richard E. Strange, 1998
• V. Rich Christensen, 1999
• David A. Perry, 2000
• Janice L. Greisch, 2001
• Jean Perry, 2002
• Gloria Day, 2003
• Dr. Edith Copley, 2004
• Dr. J. Edmund Hughes, 2005
• Bartlett R. Evans, 2006
• Dr. Michael Willson, 2007
• Jeffery A. Harris, 2008
• Danny O Lindsey, 2009
• Jill Mahoney, 2010
• Dr. Walter Temme, 2011
• Michael Miller, 2012
• William Humbert, 2013
• Bill Bitter, 2014
• Rob Nichols, 2015
• George Hattendorf, 2016
• Darin Shryock, 2017
• Amy Van Winkle, 2018
• Renee Shane-Boyd, 2019
• Jenny Nichols, 2020
• Brian Murphy, 2021