Stevenson High School honored for music education

Stevenson High School has been named a semifinalist in a national music-education contest.

The Lincolnshire school is one of 125 schools from across the nation selected as Grammy Signature Schools semifinalists.

"It's gratifying," said Alice Nuteson, Stevenson's choirs director and music team leader. "It's a result not just of our work but really the hard work that our students do, day in and day out."

Eleven schools from Illinois were named semifinalists. Stevenson is the only one from Lake County.

"This is a tremendous honor for a great group of people," Stevenson High spokesman Jim Conrey said in an email. "We have one of the best music departments in the country, and it's nice to see them getting the notice they deserve."

Other semifinalists from the Chicago suburbs include Elk Grove, Prospect in Mount Prospect, Glenbard West in Glen Ellyn, Neuqua Valley in Naperville, and Waubonsie Valley in Aurora.

The Grammy program was created in 1998. It recognizes public high schools that are committed to music education.

It's part of the Grammy in the Schools effort, which also offers musical camps.

Schools submitted Grammy applications online in October. Recordings of school concerts, sample concert programs and repertoire were part of the applications.

Stevenson submitted a portfolio of programs and selected musical excerpts featuring four distinct areas: band, orchestra, choir and jazz ensemble.

"Each of the directors were looking to showcase the diversity and range of music that we program," Nuteson said.

Finalists will be announced in March 2012. Finalists will receive awards and grants for their music programs ranging from $1,000 to $10,000.

The top schools are designated gold recipients. The best of the gold recipients is named the National Grammy Signature School.

"That is a pretty high bar right there," Nuteson said.

Information about the program can be found online at grammyintheschools.com.