LIMHOF Announces High School Music Education Recognition Awards 2021 Winners

The Long Island Music Hall of Fame has announced the winners of its fifth annual High School Music Department Recognition Program. Due to COVID-19, the 2020 awards had to be canceled. In 2021, the awards shifted to a virtual application process. For the first time, video entries were accepted that showcased the amazing music that schools created under unbelievably difficult conditions and pandemic restrictions.

Both the LIMHoF Education committee and a panel of music educators reviewed the videos that were submitted from each school. As a result, 12 Long Island high school music programs were awarded recognition wins and celebrated via video format. For the first time in its history, music performance videos from each applicant have been posted to LIMHoF's website. And some high schools submitted multiple videos to showcase their different music groups. Click here to view the videos.

"During the pandemic, school music programs in particular were dealing with incredible restrictions due to social distancing and remote learning, which created major difficulty for students learning to play music," saidLIMHoF Education Chairman, Tom Needham. "Music is a collaborative process and students need to be able to play music together. A lot of schools made it work, and we wanted to showcase their accomplishments under the circumstances. These schools found a way to do something great. The students overcame tremendous odds. This showcases, and is a tribute, to the students who adapted to a difficult situation."

The schools receiving this prestigious recognition are:

Centereach HS, Farmingdale HS, Great Neck North HS, Great Neck South HS, Half Hollow Hills HS East, Harborfields HS, Hicksville HS, Kellenberg Memorial HS, Long Beach HS, Lynbrook HS, Southampton HS, Wheatley HS

LONG ISLAND MUSIC HALL OF FAME 2021 HIGH SCHOOL RECOGNITION PROGRAM:

• Centereach HS Philharmonic Orchestra - https://youtu.be/LqtF9XIp3xc
• Centereach HS Select Vocal Ensemble - https://youtu.be/NrK96BIhoSw
• Centereach HS Wind Ensemble - https://youtu.be/n8hs5xL_87c
• Farmingdale HS Mixed Chorus - https://youtu.be/Jq_Y4oHs9Hg
• Great Neck North HS Chamber Ensembles - https://youtu.be/dBgEEzS4R5E
• Great Neck South HS Wind Ensemble - https://youtu.be/JHe1A36nWfg
• Great Neck South HS Wind Ensemble - https://youtu.be/YXRGYZyhIXI
• Half Hollow Hills HS East Guitar Ensemble - https://youtu.be/kKlq3Phq2oQ
• Harborfields HS Jazz Band - https://youtu.be/ZrOuaWLsBUk
• Hicksville HS Chamber Singers - https://youtu.be/jDkbKK1iigk
• Kellenberg Memorial HS Ensemble - https://youtu.be/Wuq632wvV1Q
• Long Beach HS Select Choir - https://youtu.be/p4NL4Ap2n-g
• Lynbrook HS Concert Choir - https://youtu.be/IbBXMzBd-sQ
• Southampton HS Swing Orchestra - https://youtu.be/rDXIjua2LZg
• Wheatley HS Jazz Ensemble - https://youtu.be/OXKm9eY8hBg
• Wheatley School Strings - https://youtu.be/b3Sppud2p_Y

LIMHoF currently encourages schools to apply for the 2022 High School Recognition Program. The LIMHoF High School Recognition Program is designed to identify Long Island High School music programs that are creating notable music experiences for their students and that are incorporating the National and New York State Standards for The Arts in creative and meaningful ways. LIMHoF accepts applications from Brooklyn, Queens, and Nassau and Suffolk Counties for this prestigious award recognition.

Application categories included program details, inclusion of national and state standards for music in curriculum, facility, staffing, and community and board support. All applications were reviewed by a panel of music educators, some of whom have also been recognized as the Long Island Music Hall of Fame's "Music Educators of Note." Additional information can be found at: https://www.limusichalloffame.org/hs-recognition-program/

For more information on the High School Music Department Recognition Program or Education scholarships and grants offered by LIMHoF, please visit http://www.limusichalloffame.org/scholarshipsgrants/ or contact LIMHoF's Board Member for Community Outreach, Kelly Leung at (516) 938-1626 or kellyl@limusichalloffame.org.