Nominate Your Favorite Music Teacher for a Grammy

Remember that teacher who instilled a passion for music in your child that changed their life? Well now you can thank that teacher. A music teacher Grammy will be given next year! Here's how you can nominate your favorite teacher.

It makes perfect sense to honor the people who teach the people how to play music! So now the Recording Academy has announced that next year music teachers will be eligible for the Music Educator Grammy.

I try to make sure that my son's music instructors know just how much they mean to me and Benjamin. They have been critical in increasing his confidence and shaping a passion and, possibly, future career opportunities for him.

Music teachers put in hard hours working with kids who may or may not be aware of and thankful for the importance of what they're learning.

In case you've not seen the latest stats:

-- Students in high-quality school music programs score higher on tests.

-- Schools that have music programs have significantly higher attendance rates.

-- Schools that have music programs have significantly higher graduation rates.

-- And the combined results of 30 studies indicate that music instruction is linked to significantly improved reading skills.

So who is elegible for a Grammy?

Current Kindergarten through college teachers in the U.S. who teach music in public or private schools. Unfortunately, teachers in after-school, private studios, or other educational settings aren't eligible.

Students and colleagues may nominate candidates online.

The Deadline is April 15th, 2013. They'll select 10 finalists including one winner each year to be recognized for their remarkable impact. The winner will be flown to LA to accept the award and attend the Grammys, plus receive a $10,000 honorarium.

Best of luck, and, if you'd like to, thank your child's music teachers right here!