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The Grammy Foundation and the Recording Academy have selected Tesoro High School Choral Music Director Keith Hancock as Grammy Music Educator of the Year. Hancock was chosen from 3,300 Grammy Music Educator of the Year nominees nationwide.
“It’s about as good of a feeling as you can imagine,” Hancock said. “I am incredibly honored and proud to be selected. There are so many great music teachers working in the trenches all the time and I am proud to be recognized. It’s a confirmation of the dedication and hard work of the program at Tesoro that I have put in over the last 15 years.”
Keith and his wife Carly attended the Grammy Awards Ceremony February 12 in Los Angeles where he received a mention from the stage. Leading up to the awards ceremony, Keith attended a recording session at Capitol Records, spoke at an event for Grammy in the Schools Live to promote music education, attended a Grammy Person of the Year ceremony honoring Tom Petty and attend the Grammy Nominee’s reception.
Hancock will be presented with his Grammy Music Educator Award at a separate ceremony for those receiving special merit to be held in New York in June. He was also nominated for the award last year, and was a top-10 finalist. He says he and his wife Carly, who is also a music teacher for three elementary schools in Capistrano Unified School District, are excited about all this week’s Grammy events.
“It’s pretty surreal going from the high school teaching life, my normal life into this world of meeting famous people and talking to the press and walking the red carpet and going to black tie affairs,” Hancock said. “The highlight for me will be Metallica, Adele, Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters and Tom Petty, Carrie Underwood, Norah Jones…there is a long list…John Legend, Beyonce.”
Under Hancock’s direction, Tesoro Titan singers have performed on stages around the world like Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, New York City’s Carnegie Hall and on stages across Europe. The choir has been selected to sing twice at the American Choral Directors Association Conference (one of the highest honors a high school choir can receive), has taken first place twice at the Golden State South Choral Competition, and has taken first place three times at the Far Western District High School Quartet Championship. In 2015, Tesoro High’s music program was one of five schools in the nation named as a Grammy Foundation Signature School of Excellence and was given NAMM’s Support Music Merit Award. A singer in his own right, Hancock has appeared in many musicals and has performed onstage at Carnegie Hall, Orange County Performing Arts Center, and the Hollywood Bowl. Keith Hancock is phenomenally successful in his profession and he has made a positive impact on countless high school singers.
This is the first time the GRAMMY has been awarded to a vocal music teacher and the first time the award has been given to someone on the West Coast. Watch Keith be recognized at the GRAMMYS on our Facebook Page! Capo Talk: GRAMMY Awards Capistrano Unified School District <communications@capousd.org>
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