HARRISON, N.Y. -- Harrison High School band director Ferdinand Pasqua has been named a quarterfinalist for the Music Educator Award, presented by the Recording Academy and the Grammy Foundation.
Pasqua is among 217 quarterfinalists across the country and 21 in the state of New York. This is the first year that the Music Educator Award will be presented, and it will be given to a teacher who demonstrates commitment to maintaining music education in the schools. More than 30,000 nominations were received from across the country.
Pasqua was honored this past weekend at Harrison's annual Memorial Day parade. He will be retiring at the end of this year after 23 years serving Harrison students and the community.
The semifinalists for the award will be announced in August. The winner of the Music Educator Award will be presented with the award at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony during Grammy Week 2014. The winner will also attend the Grammy Awards and receive a $10,000 honorarium.
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