THE GRAMMY FOUNDATION® ANNOUNCES 

THE 2009 GRAMMY® SIGNATURE SCHOOLS

Program Presented By Gibson Foundation With Support From Ford Motor Company Fund Awards

$1,000 – $10,000 Grants To Top U.S. Public High Schools For Music Excellence 

Six Enterprise Awards Granted This Year To Economically Underserved Schools

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (March 11, 2009) — The GRAMMY Foundation® today announced that 14 schools

nationwide have been selected as GRAMMY® Signature Schools for 2009. Created in 1998, the GRAMMY

Signature Schools program recognizes top U.S. public high schools that are making an outstanding commitment

to music education during an academic school year. GRAMMY Signature Schools is presented by the

Gibson Foundation with support from the Ford Motor Company Fund.

 

"It is especially significant in these challenging economic times, that we are able to continue our commitment to

recognizing and rewarding excellence in music education at public high schools around the country," said Neil

Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy® and the GRAMMY Foundation. "Our GRAMMY

Signature Schools program is a testament to these schools and their dedication to offering high quality music

programs. Many do so while facing serious financial challenges, so it is very rewarding that we are able to

increase the number of Enterprise Awards from three to six this year. We appreciate the continued support of the

Gibson Foundation in helping us present this program and are grateful that the Ford Motor Company Fund has

joined our initiative. Both of these sponsors understand the significant and beneficial role music can play in the

lives of students."

Each of the 14 GRAMMY Signature Schools will receive a custom award and a monetary grant to benefit its

music program. The top three are designated Gold recipients. The best of the Gold recipients is designated the

National GRAMMY Signature School. The National GRAMMY Signature School will receive $10,000, and the

two remaining Gold schools each will receive $5,000. In the Enterprise Award category, which recognizes

efforts made by schools that are economically underserved, six schools will receive a grant of $5,000 each. The

remaining five GRAMMY Signature Schools recipients will receive a grant award of $1,000 to benefit their

music programs. The recipients are determined by the Blue Ribbon Committee, a panel of top music educators

and professionals. 

Martin High School, Arlington, Texas, was named the National GRAMMY Signature School. Schools awarded

Gold status are: Las Vegas International Academy of Performing & Visual Arts, Las Vegas, and Neuqua Valley

High School, Naperville, Ill. The GRAMMY Signature Schools Enterprise Award recipients are: Detroit School

of the Arts, Detroit, Mich.; Mesa Ridge High School, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Miami Coral Park Senior High

School, Miami; North High School, Phoenix, Ariz.; Pacific High School, Pacific, Mo; and Rochester City

School of the Arts, Rochester, N.Y.

The selection process for GRAMMY Signature Schools begins each year in September when the GRAMMY

Foundation mails notification to more than 20,000 public high schools from districts large and small, urban,

suburban and rural, requesting information about each school's music program. Applications are completed and

submitted online in October at www.grammyintheschools.com. After the applications are scored, finalists are

identified and asked to submit additional documentation, such as recordings of school concerts, sample concert

programs and repertoire, which is then reviewed by an independent screening committee to determine the

schools that merit Signature School status. 

The GRAMMY Foundation was established in 1989 to cultivate the understanding, appreciation and

advancement of the contribution of recorded music to American culture — from the artistic and technical

legends of the past to the still unimagined musical breakthroughs of future generations of music professionals.

The Foundation accomplishes this mission through programs and activities that engage the music industry and

cultural community as well as the general public. The Foundation works in partnership year-round with its

founder, The Recording Academy, to bring national attention to important issues such as the value and impact of

music and arts education and the urgency of preserving our rich cultural heritage. For more information, please

visit www.grammyintheschools.com.

Gibson Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Gibson Guitar Corp., the world's premiere musical instrument

manufacturer and leader in music technology. The mission of Gibson Foundation is to make the world a better

place for children by creating, developing and supporting programs and other nonprofit organizations in their

efforts to advance education, music and the arts, the environment and health and welfare causes. For more

information please visit www.gibsonfoundation.org.

Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services is committed to creating opportunities that promote

corporate citizenship, philanthropy, volunteerism and cultural diversity for those who live in the communities

where Ford operates. Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2009 and made possible by funding from Ford Motor

Company, Ford Motor Company Fund supports initiatives and institutions that foster innovative education, auto-

related safety, and American heritage and legacy. National programs include Ford Partnership for Advanced

Studies, which provides high school students with academically rigorous 21st century learning experiences, and

Driving Skills for Life, a teen-focused auto safety initiative. The Ford Volunteer Corps, established in 2005,

continues Ford's legacy of caring worldwide. Through the Volunteer Corps, Ford employees and retirees

participate in a wide range of volunteer projects in their communities. For more information on programs made

possible by Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services, visit www.community.ford.com. 

The Complete List of 2009 GRAMMY Signature Schools:

      

2009 National GRAMMY Signature School ($10,000)

Martin High School — Arlington, Texas

2009 GRAMMY Signature Schools Gold ($5,000 each)

Las Vegas International Academy of Performing & Visual Arts — Las Vegas

Neuqua Valley High School — Naperville, Ill

2009 GRAMMY Signature Schools Enterprise Award ($5,000 each)

Detroit School of the Arts — Detroit, Mich.

Mesa Ridge High School — Colorado Springs, Colo.

Miami Coral Park Senior High School — Miami

North High School — Phoenix, Ariz.

Pacific High School — Pacific, Mo.

Rochester City School of the Arts — Rochester, N.Y.

2009 GRAMMY Signature Schools ($1,000 each) 

Charles A. Sprague High School — Salem, Ore.

Cinco Ranch High School — Katy, Texas

Diamond Bar High School — Diamond Bar, Calif

Evanston Township High School — Evanston, Ill.

Linn-Mar High School — Marion, Iowa

Media Contact: 

Christina Cassidy/The GRAMMY Foundation/310.392.3777/christina.cassidy@grammy.com 

Jaime Sarachit/The Recording Academy/310.392.3777/jaime.sarachit@grammy.com