12 LI Schools Winners In 2021 High School Music Education Awards
The awards were presented by the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame.
The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame announced the 12 high schools that won its fifth annual High School Music Department Recognition Program. (Courtesy of Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame)
LONG ISLAND, NY — Twelve Long Island high schools are among the winners of the fifth annual High School Music Department Recognition Program presented by the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMHoF), according to a news release.
Centereach HS, Farmingdale HS, Great Neck North HS, Great Neck South HS, Half Hollow Hills HS East, Harborfields HS, Hicksville HS, Kellenberg Memorial HS, Long Beach HS, Lynbrook HS, Southampton HS and Wheatley HS are the winners this year on the island.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 awards had to be canceled. In 2021, the awards shifted to a virtual application process. For the first time, video entries were accepted. “Amazing music” crafted by students under “unbelievably difficult conditions” brought on by the pandemic was showcased, according to LIMHoF.
“During the pandemic, school music programs, in particular, were dealing with incredible restrictions due to social distancing and remote learning, which created major difficulty for students learning to play music,” LIMHoF Education Chairman Tom Needham said via news release. “Music is a collaborative process and students need to be able to play music together. A lot of schools made it work, and we wanted to showcase their accomplishments under the circumstances. These schools found a way to do something great. The students overcame tremendous odds. This showcases, and is a tribute, to the students who adapted to a difficult situation.”
Both the LIMHoF Education Committee and a panel of music educators reviewed the videos that were submitted from each school. As a result, 12 Long Island high school music programs were awarded recognition wins and celebrated via video format. For the first time in its history, music performance videos from each applicant were posted to LIMHoF’s website. And some high schools submitted multiple videos to showcase their different music groups.
The videos can be watched on the LIMHoF website.
The LIMHoF is encouraging schools to apply for the 2022 High School Recognition Program. The program is designed to identify Long Island high school music programs that are creating notable music experiences for their students and are incorporating the National and New York State Standards for The Arts in creative and meaningful ways. LIMHoF accepts applications from Brooklyn, Queens, and Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
Application categories included program details, inclusion of national and state standards for music in curriculum, facility, staffing, and community and board support. All applications were reviewed by a panel of music educators, some of whom have also been recognized as the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame’s “Music Educators of Note.”