Fortissimo Awards Honor Music Educators, Administrators and Advocates

Several San Diego Unified music teachers, administrators and community members received awards recognizing exceptional work in music education, at the annual Fortissimo Awards of Excellence in Music Education, held on March 28.

Sara Spafford, from Creative Performing Media Arts Middle School, won the Choral Educator Award; Steve Steinberg, from Marshall Middle School, won the Orchestra Educator Award; and Glenda Gerde, from Loma Portal Elementary, won the Elementary Administrator Award.

The two most prestigious awards of the night went to Harvey Tellinghuisen, an itinerant music teacher, for the Music Educator of the Year Award, and community member Ann Marie Haney for the Fortissimo Award. Both Tellinghuisen and Haney are active in promoting music education within San Diego Unified schools.

The Fortissimo Awards are presented by the California Music Educators Association Southern Border Section, in conjunction with the San Diego County Office of Education, and honor educators and administrators from all over San Diego and Imperial counties.

For more information, contact Ron Jessee at ronarts@sdcoe.net or (858) 292-3547.