Before her death, Dolly Parton recorded a special message honoring 30 of the nation's top music teachers.
"I've always believed that music brings people together," Parton said in the pre-recorded video. "But none of that happens without dedicated teachers who encourage, inspire and believe in the next generation."
The country music legend, who died Aug. 25 at age 80, appeared on screen during the CMA Foundation's 10th annual Music Teachers of Excellence ceremony on Oct. 7 at The Pinnacle in Nashville. Zac Brown introduced the tribute.
The celebration featured performances by Sierra Hull, Marcus King, Carrie Manolakos, David Phelps, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Tucker Wetmore and Brown. Keith Urban and Kix Brooks were among the speakers.
The event
marked a decade of the CMA Foundation's Music Teachers of Excellence program, which has recognized more than 200 educators. This year's honorees represent 12 states, with each receiving $5,000, split evenly between personal use and classroom needs.
Among the winners were three Middle Tennessee teachers who spoke with The Tennessean about the honor and the lessons their students learn beyond music.
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How music education helps teach life skills
Aurora Foster teaches orchestra at Woodland Middle School in Brentwood. Originally from Mexico, Foster moved to the United States to pursue her master's degree and eventually found her calling in education.
She's beginning her sixth year at Woodland, where she hopes her students develop more than musical ability.
"It would be nice to have the next Yo-Yo Ma or the next great star, but at the same time, while that would be awesome, it is not my goal," Foster said. "What I really would love is to make better human beings."
Foster said music gives students a place to make mistakes, develop friendships and escape the pressures of their school day.
Essential education in Music City
At Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet High School in downtown Nashville, director of bands Dr. Allen Kennedy teaches students that failure is part of success.
"I just wanted people to feel seen and valued," Kennedy said.
That philosophy carries into his classroom, where he encourages students to embrace mistakes and work together.
"For me, I've always said music is not extra, it is essential," Kennedy said.
Skills and relationships that last beyond graduation
Lucy Alegria knew she wanted to teach music when she was 5 years old.
The Nashville native now teaches choir at Gallatin High School, where she hopes students leave with skills and relationships that last beyond graduation.
"It's a place to give kids a safe space to be and a skill that nobody can ever take away from them," Alegria said. "We should be the safest music programs in the world, but even we face cuts and challenges with funding," Alegria said of Music City.
She plans to use the classroom portion of her $5,000 award to purchase new sheet music, replacing selections dating back to the 1950s and 1970s.
2026 CMA Foundation Music Teachers of Excellence
The three Middle Tennessee teachers are part of the 30 educators from across the country in the CMA Foundation's 2026 class of Music Teachers of Excellence. The full list of all 30 honorees are:
Midwest
- Park Ridge, Illinois: David Hutter, Maine South High School
Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
- Wellesley, Massachusetts: Kevin McDonald, Wellesley High School
- Brooklyn, New York: Ryan Mack, P.S. 10 Magnet School of Math, Science, & Design Technology
- Brooklyn, New York: Alice Tsui, New Bridges Elementary School
- Chesapeake, Virginia: Kyle Cook, Western Branch Middle School
Southeast
- Orlando, Florida: Darlene Grande, Stonewyck Elementary School
- Atlanta, Georgia: Samuel Holmes, Garden Hills Elementary School
- Martinez, Georgia: Melissa Blizzard, Stevens Creek Elementary School
- Greenville, South Carolina: Ashleigh Ledford, Sterling School
- Antioch, Tennessee: Johnny Croft, Cane Ridge High School
- Brentwood, Tennessee: Aurora Foster, Woodland Middle School
- Franklin, Tennessee: Trevor Baxter, Centennial High School
- Franklin, Tennessee: Julia Culp, Freedom Middle School
- Franklin, Tennessee: Taylor Kollmeier, Page High School
- Gallatin, Tennessee: Lucy Alegria, Gallatin High School
- Germantown, Tennessee: Kinsey Healy, Houston High School
- Memphis, Tennessee: Ollie Liddell, Memphis Central High School
- Murfreesboro, Tennessee: Michael Aymett, Riverdale High School
- Murfreesboro, Tennessee: Tony Hartman, Scales Elementary School
- Nashville, Tennessee: Elmer Feliciano, McMurray Middle School
- Nashville, Tennessee: Sherie Grossman, James Lawson High School
- Nashville, Tennessee: Allen Kennedy, Hume-Fogg Academic High School
- Old Hickory, Tennessee: Nathaniel O’Neal, DuPont Hadley Middle School
- Ooltewah, Tennessee: Michael Perryman, Ooltewah Elementary School
Southwest
- Phoenix, Arizona: Efrain Casillas, Desert Oasis Elementary School and Porfirio H. Gonzales Elementary School
- Forney, Texas: Corey Graves, Themer Middle School
West
- Anaheim, California: Grace Kwon, Stoddard Elementary School
- Irvine, California: Henry Miller, Sierra Vista Middle School
- Westminster, California: Darlene Machacon, La Quinta High School
- Henderson, Nevada: Kimberly Ritzer, Green Valley High School
Bryan West is a music reporter at The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Dolly Parton honors 30 music teachers in one of her final messages
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