Kent Knappenberger of Westfield Academy and Central School in Westfield, N.Y., has been announced as the recipient of the first annual Music Educator Award presented by The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation.

A total of nine music teachers from nine cities across seven states are finalists for the award. In total, more than 30,000 initial nominations were submitted from all 50 states. The nine finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium, and the schools of all 10 finalists also will receive matching grants.

"I am extremely humbled and honored to be the recipient of the first-ever Music Educator Award," said Knappenberger. "I believe that this award has already been and will continue to be a tremendous encouragement to all music educators. Besides the attention it has brought to many fine teachers, it brings attention to the importance of music education in general."

View a complete list of Music Educator Award finalists

"The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation created this award to highlight the extraordinary influence of music teachers on their students in and beyond the classroom," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the GRAMMY Foundation and The Recording Academy. "Many musicians would not be expressing their gift for creativity had it not been for the dedication and encouragement of a music teacher who inspired them to pursue a professional career."

Knappenberger has been a music teacher and choir director at Westfield Academy and Central School for 25 years. He holds a bachelor's degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia and a master's degree in music education, harp performance and literature from Eastman School of Music, and is a member of the National Education Association. Knappenberger has taken his passion for teaching abroad by serving as a volunteer music teacher at the Ana Gonzaga Methodist Institute in Rio de Janeiro. He currently resides in Westfield with his wife and children.

The Music Educator Award was established to recognize current educators (kindergarten through college, public and private schools) who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools. Each year, one recipient will be selected from 10 finalists, and will be recognized for his/her remarkable impact on students' lives.

Knappenberger will be flown to Los Angeles to accept the award at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Nominees Reception on Jan. 25, attend the 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards ceremony, and receive a $10,000 honorarium.

Applications for the second annual Music Educator Award are currently online at GRAMMYMusicTeacher.com. The deadline to nominate a teacher is March 31. The application process will be adjusted each year to allow the broad array of effective teaching styles and methods used in the discipline to be recognized and awarded.

During her acceptance speech at the 2026 Grammys, Laufey delivered one of the most inspiring calls to action in Grammy history. Accepting the Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for A Matter Of Time, the Icelandic singer/songwriter gave a massive thanks to all the music educators around the world.

"I owe everything to my music education, to my arts education," she passionately said from the Grammy stage. "We cannot cut arts funding. It's so important. What you all do here is so important."

Much like Laufey, the Grammy organization strongly champions the power of music education and professional development. To mark Music In Our Schools Month this March, the organization that provides year-round learning, networking, and professional development is spotlighting the life-changing impact of music learning, honoring music educators, and elevating the next generation of creators and industry professionals through curated programs and immersive initiatives. The organization's commitment to music education supports the entire music ecosystem — from classroom to career — and ensures emerging leaders are prepared to shape the future of music.

"For me, both music education and professional development are the same: It all points to continuing education," Dr. Chelsey Green, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Recording Academy, told the Grammy organization in an exclusive interview for the Gramophone newsletter. "Staying on top of your development is the holistic education needed to be as rounded and healthy as an artist as you can, especially as so many independent artists are emerging and sustaining their careers independently."

Here are six essential ways the Grammy organization and its affiliates support working professionals and emerging artists and leaders through year-round music education and professional development.

Investing In The Next Generation Through Mentorship & Career Access

The Grammy organization provides access to mentorship programs, internships, workshops, scholarships, and networking opportunities to ensure that music's next biggest stars and industry leaders are equipped with the tools, knowledge, and networks they need to thrive.

Grammy U & The Grammy U Mentorship Program

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Grammy U is the Grammy organization's premier membership program for the emerging music community, designed to help aspiring creators and professionals launch their careers. One of its flagship initiatives, the annual Grammy U Mentorship Program Presented by Amazon Music connects eligible Grammy U members with Recording Academy members for a six-month mentorship session, during which participants build relationships that often extend well beyond the program, with some mentees landing their first industry roles through the Grammy U Mentorship Program.

In celebration of Music In Our Schools Month, the Grammy U Mentorship Program will continue to host virtual programming for mentees this month, as well as Grammy U Mentorship Mixers across Chapters nationwide.

Leading Ladies of Entertainment Mentorship Program & Symposium

Created by the Latin Recording Academy in 2016, the Leading Ladies of Entertainment initiative bridges the gender gap in the music industry by honoring influential women and empowering future leaders. Paying-it-forward and forging opportunities for future generations is a core pillar of this initiative, and in 2021, the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation established its Mentorship Program, where  past honorees and industry professionals provide personalized guidance to selected mentees over three months, offering insights into entrepreneurship, branding, career navigation, and leadership. Applications for the fifth cohort of the Leading Ladies of Entertainment Mentorship Program are open now through Monday, April 6.

In March 2026, the initiative launched its inaugural Leading Ladies of Entertainment Symposium, an inspiring, all-day gathering focused on mentorship, leadership, networking, and the advancement of women in music.

Opening Doors Through Scholarships & Financial Support

The Grammy organization actively works to remove barriers to opportunity via its various scholarship programs, which ensure talented students can pursue their dreams without financial limitations standing in the way.

Your Future Is Now

Presented by Amazon Music and the Recording Academy's Black Music Collective (BMC), the Your Future Is Now scholarship program awards scholarships and hands-on, immersive professional development experiences to students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The program will return for its fifth year in 2026.

Quinn Coleman Memorial Scholarship

Established in 2021 in honor of late music executive and DJ Quinn Coleman, the Quinn Coleman Memorial Scholarship, presented by the Grammy organization and Grammy Museum, provides professional development and resources that prepare students for full-time careers in music; resources include scholarships, stipends, wellness seminars, and internship opportunities at the Recording Academy or Latin Recording Academy.

Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Scholarships

The Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation is a global champion of music education and empowers communities through Latin music and culture. For over a decade, the Foundation has fostered the next generation of Latin music creators through scholarships, education programs and grants that advance Latin music, such as:

• The Prodigy Scholarship, also known as the 2026 Noel Schajris Scholarship, which offers financial support toward a bachelor's degree at Berklee College of Music for the 2026 fall semester

• Gifted Tuition Scholarships awarded to students to cover tuition and housing costs, as well as wrap-around services provided by the Foundation, toward a four-year bachelor's degree at the institution of their choice

• Several Tuition Assistance Scholarships, which offer financial support to students pursuing or starting a degree in music in the 2026 fall semester

Learn more about and apply to the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation scholarship programs.

Immersive Learning: Real-World Industry Experiences

Professional development comes alive when students and rising professionals step into real music spaces and attain real-world experiences from working artists and executives. Here are a few examples the Grammy organization provides:

Grammy Camp

The music industry's only summer camp dedicated to delivering direct, real-world insight from working music makers, Grammy Camp is a national summer program for high school students. Led by Grammy winners, Grammy nominees, and music industry professionals, the program provides hands-on training and insider access across multiple disciplines — from performance and songwriting to production and music business.

Presented by the Grammy Museum, Grammy Camp is expanding to four U.S. cities for the 2026 summer season: Nashville, Miami, Los Angeles, and New York City.

Grammy In The Schools

The Grammy Museum's Grammy In The Schools program is a regional music industry career day, presented in partnership with a local Recording Academy Chapter, that provides insight to high school students about diverse career options in the music industry and direction on how to prepare for them.

The Grammy In The Schools Music Industry Career Day program connects high school students with Grammy winners, Grammy nominees, and working professionals across disciplines, offering candid conversations about what it takes to build a sustainable career in music. The program also features keynote panels as well as hands-on, interactive workshops where students can learn about producing a track, writing a song, and navigating the industry.

For Music In Our Schools Month, Grammy In The Schools 2026, in partnership with the Recording Academy's New York Chapter, heads to New Haven, Connecticut, this month for a day of hands-on learning and interactive sessions.

Professional Development & Networking At Every Stage

The Grammy organization prioritizes professional development for its members, as well as the creative community and the music industry at large, throughout the year, providing hands-on access to career pathways across the industry and helping emerging professionals build the networks and skills that shape long-term careers.

The Los Angeles Chapter's NEXT Class program, founded in 2014, provides real-life experiences and mentorship and networking opportunities for emerging Recording Academy members as they begin their paths as future leaders of the music industry.

The monthly Level Up series, one of the Grammy organization's many exclusive membership programs, engages Recording Academy members through purposeful programming focused on professional development and member networking. For Music In Our Schools Month, the Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Chapters will collaboratively host a special edition of Level Up featuring Education Committee Members discussing music and health spaces.

In 2024, the Grammy organization established the Music Education & Professional Development Committee (MEPD), a hub to centralize its efforts and facilitate collaboration regarding education and professional development initiatives across the Recording Academy and its affiliates. Currently led by Co-Chairs and industry executives Nikisha Bailey and Riggs Morales, the MEPD Committee amplifies the organization's mentorship and education initiatives for its collective +29,000 members across its Chapters, Wings and affiliates, including Grammy U, the Grammy Museum, MusiCares, the Latin Recording Academy, and the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation. The MEPD Committee includes Recording Academy members from across the country and activates locally at each of the Academy's 12 Chapters and on a national level.

Honoring The Educators Who Inspire The Next Generation

Every year, the Grammy organization proudly celebrates music educators through awards that spotlight the changemakers shaping the future of music and ensuring the impact and longevity of music education in the classroom.

Music Educator Award

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Presented by the Recording Academy and the Grammy Museum, the Music Educator Award honors current educators who have made a significant contribution to music education while demonstrating a deep commitment to ensuring music education remains a vital part of school communities.

Jennifer Jimenez, of South Miami Senior High School in Miami, Florida, received the 2026 Music Educator Award; she was honored at the annual Special Merit Awards ceremony in January during Grammy Week 2026.

Applications for the 2027 Music Educator Award are now open. Nominations are due March 15, 2026. Applications are due March 31, 2026.

Latin Music Educator Award

In 2025, the Latin Recording Academy, in partnership with the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation, launched the Latin Music Educator Award to honor educators from the global music community who are making a significant impact by incorporating Latin music into their curriculum.

Luciana Ortega, of the Instituto Santa María de San Carlos in Chile, was honored with the inaugural Latin Music Educator Award during Latin Grammy Week 2025 last November.

The Impact Of Music Education: By The Numbers

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The Grammy organization's commitment to music education and professional development is reflected not only in its programs, but in the thousands of lives they impact every year. Here's a look at the organization's impact on music education and professional development by the numbers:

Grammy Museum (in the last year alone)

• 18,000: Number of K-12 students who attended a workshop, field trip, or program at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles

• +38,000: Number of students and teachers who were impacted by 446 music education programs and initiatives at the Grammy Museum and across the country

• $200,000: The amount awarded in grants for music research and sound preservation by the Grammy Museum

• In 2025, the Grammy Museum announced free youth admission (17 and under), generously underwritten by the Stengaard Gross Family Education Initiative

Grammy U

• +8,000: The amount of Grammy U members worldwide

• +2,000: Participants in the current Grammy U Mentorship Program Presented by Amazon Music

• +130: Programs in 2025

• 700: Schools with members represented in Grammy U

Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation

• +$15 million: The amount the Foundation has awarded to students, schools, music programs, musicologists, and researchers from around the world to date

• New programs launched by the Foundation in 2025

  • Leading Ladies of Entertainment Fireside Chat  

  • Emerging Talent Spotlight  

  • Latin Grammy In The Schools Learning Session and After School

See the full list of winners and nominees from the 2026 Grammys.

Watch highlights and exclusive Grammys content from the 2026 Grammys all year long.

The Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum have announced Jennifer Jimenez of South Miami Senior High School in Miami, Florida, as the recipient of the 2026 Music Educator Award. Jimenez will be recognized at the Recording Academy's Special Merit Awards Ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 31, during Grammy Week 2026, on the day before the 2026 Grammys.

In addition, nine music teachers have been announced as finalists for the award. Initial nominations were submitted from all 50 U.S. states. A complete list of the recipients is below.

View the full list of recipients for the 2026 Music Educator Award below.

Learn more about Jennifer Jimenez and the Music Educator Award below.

Learn More Jennifer Jimenez:

Jennifer Jimenez, a Kennedy Center Sondheim Inspirational Teaching Award winner and previous Grammy Music Educator Award Finalist, is currently in her 19th year as Director of Bands and Elective Department Chair at South Miami Senior High, an urban public school in the third-largest school district in the nation (MDCPS). Mrs. Jimenez, a native of Nebraska, fell in love with teaching and the Miami community during her days as a student at the University of Miami, where she was later inducted into the Band Hall of Fame.

Throughout her teaching career, Mrs. Jimenez has served as a standard-bearer for excellence, community building, and music education advocacy. Her firm belief that "band is the family that you choose" has led her and her students to build a unique community that uplifts and inspires students and families. Her passion and standard of excellence have culminated in student performances at Carnegie Hall and two Super Bowls.

In addition to her teaching, Mrs. Jimenez is an avid grant writer, securing over $84,000 for her program. She has supported aspiring teachers by being a clinical supervising teacher and has supported her colleagues through district and state presentations, serving as an adjudicator, and through her active roles in the Florida Bandmaster's Association and a charter and state board member for Women Band Director International's Florida chapter. 

As an advocate of music education for her students and community, Mrs. Jimenez earned Florida International University's Graduate Research Award for her work focusing on underrepresented populations in music education. Additionally, she has collaborated with the Greater Miami Youth Symphony (GMYS) to bring free and reduced-cost music programs and camps to the students of Miami.

An active professional musician, Mrs. Jimenez is the principal percussionist for the Miami Symphony Orchestra. Mrs. Jimenez enjoys a beautiful community and family, including her husband, Desi, their children, Noah and Eden, and their puppy, Obi-Wan.

Learn More About The Music Educator Award:

Presented by the Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Museum, the Music Educator Award recognizes current educators who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the music education field and demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools.

The Music Educator Award program, including honorariums, is made possible by the generosity and support of The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation. In addition, the American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, NAMM Foundation, and National Education Association support this program through outreach to their constituencies.

Learn More About The Music Educator Award Honoree Process:

The award is open to current U.S. music teachers. Anyone can nominate a teacher — students, parents, friends, colleagues, community members, school deans, and administrators. Teachers can also nominate themselves. Nominated teachers are notified and invited to fill out an application.

Each year, one recipient is selected from 10 finalists and recognized for their remarkable impact on students' lives. The final honoree receives a $10,000 honorarium and matching grant for their school's music program. The nine additional finalists receive a $1,000 honorarium and matching grants. The remaining 15 semifinalists receive a $500 honorarium with matching school grants.

Nominations For The 2027 Music Educator Award

Nominations for the 2027 Music Educator Award are now open.

Nominations for the 2027 Music Educator Award are due Sunday, March 15, 2026.

Applications for the 2027 Music Educator Award are due Tuesday, March 31, 2026.

2026 MUSIC EDUCATOR AWARD RECIPIENTS

Last month, GRAMMY U fostered the intersection between current and future leaders of the global music industry with the launch of the 2025–2026 GRAMMY U Mentorship Program. Presented by Amazon Music, the program is cultivating the careers of over a thousand rising music industry professionals. The program evolved this year to include additional benefits like structured phases and curated supplemental virtual programming with guest lecturers. The program also welcomed its largest number of pairings since its inception, counting nearly 1,200 Mentor-Mentee pairs representing all 12 Recording Academy Chapters and GRAMMY U members from nearly 20 countries, including Australia, Brazil, and South Korea.

The GRAMMY U Mentorship Program matches eligible GRAMMY U members with Recording Academy Voting and Professional Members for a six-month period based on the GRAMMY U members’ career interests and pursuits. The pairs meet to create actionable professional goals and focus on quality discussions around career growth, networking and industry knowledge. While pairs are only required to meet three times throughout the program period, many choose to connect more frequently, often forming relationships that continue well beyond the program’s official end, with some even landing their first industry job through the program.

Learn more about the renovated 2025–2026 GRAMMY U Mentorship Program and its benefits below.

Amazon Music Teams Up With GRAMMY U

Amazon Music has served as a long-time supporter of GRAMMY U with a strong presence at national programs like the 2024 GRAMMY U Conference featuring keynote speaker Ben Platt. Over the last couple of years, Amazon Music has also provided GRAMMY U members with special mentorship experiences, including educational office tours in their Seattle, Nashville, and Brooklyn offices and one-on-one mentorship pairings. This year, Amazon Music continues its dedication to GRAMMY U and mentorship as an official presenting sponsor of GRAMMY U’s Mentorship Program.

With this new partnership, the program can expand its access to additional resources, such as new educational panels and site tours. Amazon Music executives can also serve as guest speakers on virtual programs throughout the program period. Amazon Music will also continue its participation in select GRAMMY U national programs throughout the year through its ever-popular curated networking mixer, which brings industry professionals and GRAMMY U members together.

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The Largest Cohort in Program History

This Mentorship Program period welcomes the largest number of participants in the program's history, counting nearly 1,200 pairs globally, almost double the number of pairings just two cycles ago. The Mentors consist of more than 1,000 Recording Academy Voting and Professional Members globally, covering major focal points of the industry across six tracks: Producing & Engineering, Performance, Songwriting & Composition, Content Creation & Marketing, Music Business, and, new this year, Entertainment Law. The mentor pool comprises a number of major music companies and organizations, including Amazon Music, Universal Music Group, NBC Universal, Spotify, Warner Chappell, and, of course, the Recording Academy.

Mentees are pursuing a combination of traditional music careers, like artist management and songwriting, as well as rising fields like freelance DJing, content creation, music tech, and tour production. With nearly 250 non-student members paired, the program underscores that a music industry career path may not be linear and access to a Mentor could significantly amplify opportunities and drive success down the road.

This year's cohort of mentees is diverse, representing 41 U.S. states and nearly 400 colleges and universities. The program continues to expand globally, with 20 international pairings from countries including Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Romania, Spain, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and more.

Romanian mentee Andreea Dascalu reflects on her return as an international participant. "It is my second time being a mentee in the GRAMMY U Mentorship Program, and I could not say enough good things about it. This time, I was lucky to be paired with the amazing Adaoha Njemanze, a PR professional based in Lagos, Nigeria, with whom I have already had my first meeting and from whom I can tell I have a lot to learn, especially when it comes to discovering new and effective means of putting your artist music and name out there in today's attention-fighting world."

Industry Legends Step Up To The Plate

This year's program brings in hundreds of industry professionals. Meka Nism, a returning Mentor and GRAMMY-nominated artist, is paired with University of Miami's Frost School of Music student Angelina Mack in the Recording Academy Florida Chapter, where they will focus on the artist relations industry. Michael Kauffman, a member of the Recording Academy New York Chapter and executive director of the music program at the Clio Awards, will work together with mentee Kendry Hilario to exploremarketing and content creation.

Within the Performance track, singer/songwriter Soleil has joined this year's program as a Mentor. As the track highlights all elements of music performance, she and her mentee, Santiago Bolanos, could experience performance opportunities, studio sessions, and beyond during their time together. Songwriter and composer Laurin Talese in the Recording Academy Philadelphia Chapter will mentor Drexel University music industry student Alanna Bell within the Songwriters & Composers track, another track focused on the artistic aspect of the industry, allowing for writing, performing and recording opportunities.

Mentors and Mentees may work together in various capacities throughout their time together. In the past, producers have brought their mentees to live recording sessions and have even produced singles together, while songwriters have co-written projects with their mentees and gone on to work together after the program ends. Within the Producers & Engineers track, returning Mentor and producer, songwriter, arranger, and music executive Kennard Garrett notes, "I have been a Mentor in the past, and the experience was great. I was able to pour into a young producer and serve as a sounding board for their ideas about their future career. Conversely, I was able to learn so much from my mentee, and the experience was equally beneficial and fulfilling."

The Mentorship Program also covers newer and high-demand niche fields quickly growing in today's music industry. Mentor Naledi Nyahuma, vice president of diversity, equity & inclusion at The Orchard, reflects on the impact of the GRAMMY U Mentorship Program within today's competitive music industry. "The music industry may be big, but it's a small community at heart. With so many diverse voices and overlapping paths, it can be tough to navigate alone. Mentorship offers essential support, and within an organization like the Academy, it helps creatives develop both artistically and professionally."

A Three-Phase Structure For Guided Growth

One of the most notable changes to this year's program is the implementation of a three-phase system. While the previous program structure provided meeting guidelines and check-in points, this updated structure offers benchmarks, much like a guided course. The program's expanded structure now further supports mentorship pairs, encouraging intentional progression throughout the program period.

The three-phase system comprises: Connect, which starts with relationship building and sets goals and expectations for the pair; Cultivate, which guides the pairs through collaborative meetings; and Conquer, which encourages discussions regarding career growth and enhancement as their final phase.

In the Connect phase, pairs focus on setting up their first meetings and setting goals for the program. They discuss expectations, share background stories, and together establish a goal that the mentee wants to achieve by the end of the program.

In February, pairs continue onto the second phase, Cultivate, through March. This phase focuses on growth, skill-building, and professional direction. Conversations and meetings will likely include elements of expanding industry knowledge, building confidence, adjusting artistic or professional materials, and gaining experience through mock interviews or shadowing. Pairs may also collaborate on creative sessions, recordings, co-writes, performance opportunities, résumé or portfolio building, networking, and more.

The final phase, Conquer, will run through the end of the program in May and, hopefully, beyond. Pairs use their last meetings to fine-tune résumés, discuss job or internship postings, evaluate the mentee's professional presence, and address next steps beyond the program. Many pairs also discuss how they can maintain contact with one another, building professional relationships that last beyond the program's official end date.

Enhanced Virtual Programming & Academic-Style Learning

In addition to implementing the new three-phase structure, the GRAMMY U Mentorship Program has a new virtual curriculum for mentees that reflects the experience of an academic environment. Last year's virtual "Meet the Mentors" series was the first iteration of the program's supplemental program offerings. This year, the enhanced curriculum structure features virtual programs that highlight industry-relevant skills through Core Curriculum courses and guest lectures from industry professionals across the six tracks. These additional virtual programs are designed to create meaningful ways to expand mentees' knowledge and provide additional touchpoints throughout the six-month program.

The new core curriculum, taught by Recording Academy staff, will cover foundational topics important to emerging music industry professionals, such as social media, communications and publicity, advocacy, partnerships, and entertainment law. Each session is intended to give mentees practical tools they can apply daily, regardless of their desired industry journey.

Guest lectures feature top industry creators and professionals from every mentorship track. All participating mentees also have the opportunity to learn from other tracks and professionals in the industry beyond their assigned Mentor. Mentees can learn about new professional pathways to different career types and emerging trends in their profession.

This year's program offers a comprehensive experience for every GRAMMY U participant, from Amazon Music office tours to virtual programs. While applications are closed for the current 2025-2026 cycle, the GRAMMY U Mentorship Program runs annually from November through May. Applications for the 2026–2027 GRAMMY U Mentorship Program open in fall 2026. Prospective participants must be active GRAMMY U members to apply as Mentees. Industry professionals must be active Voting or Professional Members of the Recording Academy to apply as Mentors.

Interested participants can stay connected through GRAMMY U's Instagram and TikTok channels, where updates, stories, and announcements from this year's program will be shared regularly.

The GRAMMY Museum, in collaboration with Inspire EDU, has announced that its Industry Sessions are now eligible for graduate extension credit, adding significant academic value to the Museum's celebrated professional learning portfolio.

The Industry Sessions — a suite of online courses designed to equip emerging music creators, professionals and educators with industry-relevant knowledge — lineup includes immersive six-week online courses such as:

• Songwriting 101 taught by Anika Paris

• Content Creator 101 taught by Yulia Gonzalez

• Music Business 101 taught by James McKinney

• Music Production 101 taught by Marcus Marshall with guest professionals curated by Live Out L!VE

Other highlights of the Industry Sessions program include:

• Flexible online format for ages 18+ with global access

• Direct engagement with music industry professionals via moderated Q&A, enabling real-time learning and networking

• Graduate-level extension credit through Inspire EDU, enabling accredited recognition for professional development and career progression

• Diverse course topics, including songwriting, content creation, music business fundamentals, and hands-on production using DAWs

Participants may enroll hour-free for non-credit access or register for graduate extension credit for a fee through the Inspire EDU partnership.

"We've seen a growing number of educators participating in Industry Sessions as a way to stay current with today's music industry," Arin Canbolat, VP of Education and Community Engagement at the GRAMMY Museum, said in a statement. "By offering graduate extension credit, we're able to support teachers in meeting continuing education requirements while also giving them practical, industry-informed learning they can bring directly back to their students."

Applications for the spring 2026 Industry Sessions program are now open.

Learn more about the GRAMMY Museum's Industry Sessions program, including enrollment deadlines and start dates.