Grammy Foundation Announces 2014 Grammy Signature Schools Semifinalists

The GRAMMY Foundation (www.grammyfoundation.org) today announced that 123 schools nationwide have been selected as GRAMMY Signature Schools semifinalists (www.grammyintheschools.com) for 2014. Created in 1998, the GRAMMY Signature Schools program recognizes top U.S. public high schools that are making an outstanding commitment to music education during an academic school year.

Each of the GRAMMY Signature Schools finalists will receive a custom award and a monetary grant to benefit its music program. The top programs are designated Gold recipients. The best of the Gold recipients is designated the National GRAMMY Signature School. The remaining schools are designated GRAMMY Signature Schools. For schools that are economically underserved, the GRAMMY Foundation established the Enterprise Award category to recognize the efforts in music education made by these schools. GRAMMY Signature Schools are made possible in part through the generous support of Converse, the Ford Motor Company Fund, the Hot Topic Foundation, and Journeys.

"The GRAMMY Foundation's GRAMMY Signature Schools program recognizes public high schools across the U.S. that are providing excellent music education programs for their students," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation. "Many of these schools face serious economic challenges, so it's truly inspiring to see this level of commitment to arts education and to the students who benefit from this type of curriculum."

In mid-March 2014, the GRAMMY Foundation will announce the finalists for the GRAMMY Signature Schools program. These schools will receive a custom award and a monetary grant ranging from $1,000 up to $15,000 to benefit their music program.

The 2014 GRAMMY Signature Schools Semifinalists:

Abington Senior High School - Abington, Pa.
Allen High School - Allen, Texas
Arizona School for the Arts - Phoenix
Ashland High School - Ashland, Wis.
Athens Drive High School - Raleigh, N.C.
Bangor Area High School - Bangor, Pa.
Batavia High School - Batavia, Ill.
Bay Port High School - Green Bay, Wis.
Bay Shore High School - Bay Shore, N.Y.
Bellport High School - Brookhaven, N.Y.
Bergenfield High School - Bergenfield, N.J.
Berkley High School - Berkley, Mich.
Biloxi High School - Biloxi, Miss.
Broadview Public School - Broadview, Mont.

Buchanan High School - Clovis, Calif.
Cabell Midland High School - Ona, W. Va.
Canton High School - Canton, Conn.
Cazenovia High School - Cazenovia, N.Y.
Charles C. D'Amico High School - Albion, N.Y.
Cherry Creek High School - Greenwood Village, Colo.
Clear Lake High School - Houston
Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy - Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Coral Reef Senior High School - Miami
Davis Senior High School - Davis, Calif.
Decorah High School - Decorah, Iowa
Detroit School of Arts High School - Detroit
Diamond Bar High School - Diamond Bar, Calif.
Dover-Eyota High School - Eyota, Minn.
Duke Ellington School of the Arts - Washington, D.C.
Eastridge High School - Rochester, N.Y.
Eden Prairie High School - Eden Prairie, Minn.
Edinburg North High School - Edinburg, Texas
Eldred Junior Senior High School - Eldred, N.Y.
Elk Grove High School - Elk Grove Village, Ill.
Esperanza High School - Anaheim, Calif.
Ferndale High School - Ferndale, Mich.
Ferris High School - Spokane, Wash.
Flower Mound High School - Flower Mound, Texas
Folsom High School - Folsom, Calif.
Foothill High School - Henderson, Nev.
Fox Lane High School - Bedford, N.Y.
Foxborough High School - Foxboro, Mass.
Freeport High School - Freeport, Ill.
Garden City High School - Garden City, N.Y.
Glenbard East High School - Lombard, Ill.
Guilderland High School - Guilderland Center, N.Y.
Harrison High School - Harrison, N.Y.
Harriton High School - Rosemont, Pa.
Harry D. Jacobs High School - Algonquin, Ill.
Hellgate High School - Missoula, Mont.
Hendersonville High School - Hendersonville, Tenn.
Herricks High School - New Hyde Park, N.Y.
High School for the Performing and Visual Arts - Houston
Hilton High School - Hilton, N.Y.
Hopkins High School - Minnetonka, Minn.
Iowa City West High School - Iowa City, Iowa
Irvine High School - Irvine, Calif.
John Burroughs High School - Burbank, Calif.
John L. Miller-Great Neck North High School - Great Neck, N.Y.
John P. Stevens High School - Edison, N.J.
John S. Davidson Fine Arts School - Augusta, Ga.
Johnson City High School - Johnson City, N.Y.
Kamiak High School - Mukilteo, Wash.
Kenmore East High School - Tonawanda, N.Y.
Kenwood Academy High School - Chicago
Lake Braddock Secondary School - Burke, Va.
Las Vegas Academy of the Arts - Las Vegas
Lebanon High School - Lebanon, Ohio
Legacy High School - North Las Vegas
Liverpool High School - Liverpool, N.Y.
Los Gatos High School - Los Gatos, Calif.
Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School - Detroit
Mercer Island High School - Mercer Island, Wash.
Metea Valley High School - Aurora, Ill.
Milford Central School - Milford, N.Y.
Mineola High School - Garden City Park, N.Y.
Mira Costa High School - Manhattan Beach, Calif.
Monroe-Woodbury High School - Central Valley, N.Y.
Mt. Eden High School - Hayward, Calif.
Naperville North High School - Naperville, Ill.
Nederland High School - Nederland, Colo.
Niskayuna High School - Niskayuna, N.Y.
North Allegheny Senior High School - Wexford, Pa.
Northland Preparatory Academy - Flagstaff, Ariz.
Northville High School - Northville, Mich.
Northwood High School - Irvine, Calif.
Omaha North High Magnet School - Omaha, Neb.
Osbourn High School - Manassas, Va.
Pennsbury High School - Fairless Hills, Pa.
Piscataway High School - Piscataway, N.J.
Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School - Plainview, N.Y.
Plymouth Whitemarsh High School - Plymouth Meeting, Pa.
Pulaski High School - Pulaski, Wis.
Randolph High School - Randolph, N.J.
Red Hook High School - Red Hook, N.Y.
Richland Center High School - Richland Center, Wis.
Robertsdale High School - Robertsdale, Ala.
Rocky Mountain High School - Fort Collins, Colo.
Sayville High School - Sayville, N.Y.
SC Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities - Greenville, S.C.
Seaholm High School - Birmingham, Mich.
Shiloh High School - Snellville, Ga.
Spring High School - Spring, Texas
St. Joseph High School - St. Joseph, Mich.
State College Area High School - State College, Pa.
Strath Haven High School - Wallingford, Pa.
The Chicago High School for the Arts - Chicago
Thomas Jefferson High School - San Antonio
Toledo School for the Arts - Toledo, Ohio
Walden III - Racine, Wis.
Walnut High School - Walnut, Calif.
Walter Johnson High School - Bethesda, Md.
Warren Central High School - Indianapolis
Waubonsie Valley High School - Aurora, Ill.
Wayland High School - Wayland, Mass.
West Ottawa High School - Holland, Minn.
West Port High School - Ocala, Fla.
William A. Shine Great Neck South High - Great Neck, N.Y.
Williamsport Area High School - Williamsport, Pa.
Windsor Central High School - Windsor, N.Y.
Woodbridge High School - Irvine, Calif.
York Community High School - Elmhurst, Ill.
Yorktown High School - Arlington, Va.

The selection process for GRAMMY Signature Schools begins each year in August when the GRAMMY Foundation mails notification to more than 20,000 public high schools from districts large and small, urban, suburban and rural, requesting information about each school's music program. Applications are completed and submitted online in October at
www.grammyintheschools.com. After the applications are scored, finalists are identified and asked to submit additional documentation, such as recordings of school concerts, sample concert programs and repertoire, which is then reviewed by an independent blue-ribbon committee of top music educators and professionals to determine the schools that merit GRAMMY Signature School status.

The GRAMMY Foundation was established in 1989 to cultivate the understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contribution of recorded music to American culture. The Foundation accomplishes this mission through programs and activities that engage the music industry and cultural community as well as the general public. The Foundation works in partnership year-round with its founder, The Recording Academy, to bring national attention to important issues such as the value and impact of music and arts education and the urgency of preserving our rich cultural heritage. In recognition of the significant role of teachers in shaping their students' musical experiences, the GRAMMY Foundation and The Recording Academy are partnering to present our first Music Educator Award. Open to current U.S. music teachers in kindergarten through college, the Music Educator Award will be given out during GRAMMY Week 2014. For more information on the Music Educator Award, please visit grammymusicteacher.com. For more information about the Foundation, please visit www.grammyfoundation.org. For breaking news and exclusive content, please like "GRAMMY in the Schools" on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/grammyintheschools, follow the GRAMMY Foundation on Twitter @GRAMMYFdn at www.twitter.com/GRAMMYFdn and join us on Instagram @GRAMMYFdn at www.instagram.com/GRAMMYfdn.

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