Noblesville High School teacher named finalist for Grammy Music Educator Awards
NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (WISH)– Noblesville High School teacher Bethany Robinson has a chance to add something new to her musical resume, and to do it on the national stage. Soon, she could be a Grammy Award winner after being named as one of 10 national finalists for the 2022 Grammy Music Educator Awards.
Robinson is a person who already plays to many different tunes. She began teaching music at Noblesville Schools back in 2005. Since then, she’s served the high school as the jazz band director and assistant band director, all the while playing in a live band in her spare time. She plays several string instruments but her favorite is the electric bass.
“Whenever I’m not teaching, I’m playing, but at the same time, I get to take that experience back to my students,” she said.
Robinson has been named Indiana Jazz Educator of the Year, Noblesville Schools Teacher of the Year and was a semi-finalist for Indiana Teacher of the Year in less than a decade. Her top jazz ensemble placed second at the National Jazz Festival in 2021. She credits her connection with students to consistency and flexibility.
“It doesn’t matter what the conditions are if you just show up every day and you are consistent with teaching students and meeting their needs. The things that really make my classroom feel like a family are those things that we even get to do outside the school,” Robinson said.
She talked with News 8’s Randall Newsome about the moment she found out she could be wearing the title “Grammy winner.”
“I’m absolutely elated,” Robinson said. “One of the first thing that came to mind was all the people that gave me chances along the way. That’s my job now, is to see potential and believe almost more in students than they believe in themselves to see what they can accomplish.”
A committee will decide on the Music Educator Awards in January before the Grammys.
The winner receives an honorarium gift of $10,000 and a matching grant for their high school.
More information about the Grammy Teacher Music Awards can be found here.