Pleasant Valley music educator Meg Byrne named semifinalist for Grammy Award

A local music educator is a semifinalist for an award from the Grammys.

Meg Byrne, Director of Vocal Music for the Pleasant Valley Community School District, has been named a semifinalist for the 2024 Grammy Music Educator Award. The award is presented by the Grammy Museum and The Recording Academy and recognizes active U.S. music teachers from kindergarten through college at both public and private institutions. It highlights educators who have made profound impacts in the field and emphasizes the importance of music education in schools. Anyone can nominate a teacher, including students, parents, friends, colleagues, community members, school deans and administrators. Teachers can also nominate themselves. Nominees are notified and invited to fill out an application.

Only 25 semifinalists were chosen from over 2,000 nominations from all 50 states. Ten finalists will be announced in December and the winner will be recognized during Grammy Week 2024 and receive a $10,000 honorarium. The nine finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium and the 15 semifinalists will receive a $500 honorarium. All 25 semifinalists will receive a matching grant for their school’s music program.

Byrne has been the Director of Vocal Music at Pleasant Valley High School for 29 years. She directs the Chamber Choir, Treble Chamber Choir and the a cappella jazz choir the Leading Tones. The Chamber Choir has been invited to sing in concert with multiple collegiate ensembles, the Nova Singers and the Quad City Symphony Orchestra during her tenure and was chosen to perform at the Iowa Choral Showcase. She also teaches AP Music Theory. Byrne holds degrees from Bryn Mawr College, the University of Northern Iowa, and Western Illinois University. She has been a member of ACDA for over 30 years and has served as the Iowa Choral Directors Association chair of the All-State Jazz Choir (2011-2016) and chair of the 2022 ICDA Summer Symposium. She is currently the High School R&R chair for Iowa.

“Having spent my whole career at Pleasant Valley High School, I feel this award is largely a recognition of the wonderful music community we have here,” said Byrne. “I’m very honored to be selected as a semifinalist and grateful to all my colleagues and students past and present for making Pleasant Valley Choirs and choral music in Iowa such a joy to be a part of.”

To learn more about the Grammy Music Educator Award, click here.