COOK- Trevor Nicholas, a Cook native who teaches vocal music at Nicholas Senn High School in Chicago, was named Tuesday as one of ten finalists for the 2022 GRAMMY Music Educator Award.
The ten finalists, chosen from among more than 1,100 nominees, were revealed during a CBS Mornings television broadcast. Finalists receive a $1,000 honorarium, with an additional $1,000 matching grant awarded to their school. The winner will be announced in January and flown to Los Angeles to receive the award during GRAMMY Week.
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 Recording Academy, known for the music industry’s GRAMMY awards, and the GRAMMY Museum co-sponsor the award.
Nicholas graduated from Cook High School in 2004 and earned a bachelor’s in music education from North Park University in Chicago in 2008. Nicholas taught music in the Skokie, Ill., school system before moving into the Chicago Public Schools system at Prosser Career Academy High School. Nicholas has been vocal music director and music theory instructor at the Senn Arts Magnet Program since 2016. He recently earned a Master’s in Music Education from the University of St. Thomas.
Nicholas has received widespread recognition for his use of music as a vehicle to help students address trauma in their lives. He has forged numerous professional and creative partnerships in Chicago that have provided unique opportunities to his students and brought more than $250,000 in grants and donations to the program at Senn Arts.