Three Lexington High School teachers were recently nominated as 2026 GRAMMY Music Educator Award quarterfinalists, an award presented by The Recording Academy, an acclaimed group of music professionals, to music educators who have contributed significantly to expanding music education.
These three teachers were Rachel Jayson, the conductor of Chamber Orchestra and Repertoire Orchestra; Jessica Billings-White, the conductor of Repertoire Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra and a district-wide orchestra teacher; and Sarah Labrie, LHS’s Chorale director. All three teachers started learning music from a young age and their passion eventually led to them pursuing a music education degree.
“For a long time, I believed that being a performer and a teacher were mutually exclusive. But I realized later on in college that I didn’t have to choose between performance and education—I could do both,” Billings-White said.
All three teachers enjoy music education because it allows them to build a tight-knit community that holds music in high esteem.
“I commissioned, in 2015, a Balkan piece that Symphony Orchestra later performed. For me as an artist, that was so fulfilling, and as an educator, it was immense because I’m looking at my students like, ‘This is the real deal.’ You’re literally making art together and sharing it with the world,” Jayson said.
To each teacher, the GRAMMY nomination was tangible evidence of the work and effort they had put into their careers.
“You know, this award feels really affirming. I think a lot of us, particularly music teachers, feel a lot of impostor syndrome, like, ‘Oh, I’ll never be as good as that person.’ And so when you get recognized like this, it’s really special,” Labrie said.
Nonetheless, each of the teachers has left meaningful and lasting impressions on their students.
“When I began teaching, there was a 5th-grade student on track to be a dedicated musician. At the time, I was a brand-new teacher, and I didn’t think I had made an impact. Years later, though, to my surprise, I ran into that same student. Not only did he remember me, but he had become a music educator himself,” Billings-White said.
Ultimately, music education is an important part of students’ lives, and awards like these recognize the lasting effects that music educators can have on students.
“I would really like to thank my orchestra teachers for all their time at LHS. They’ve done a great job of creating a welcoming and supportive environment where students are able to bond over music,” Daniel Kim, a senior cellist in Chamber Orchestra, said.
