Jamestown Middle School Band Director Nominated For National Award

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JAMESTOWN – A Jamestown Middle School Band Director has been nominated for a national award.

Jefferson Middle School Band Director, Carrie Pawelski, was nominated by a former student to recognize her dedication and commitment to sharing her passion for music with others.

“I got nominated for the Grammy Music Educator award, and this is an award that the Grammy enterprise started back in 2014 and in the inaugural year in 2014, it was also a Chautauqua County person who won that award,” said Pawelksi. “Every year they send out an ad for students or community members to nominate a local teacher, and this year one of my former students nominated me.”

Chautauqua County is no stranger to this honor, with many others

“All of Chautauqua County this year, there’s 212 throughout the country that made it to this quarter final round that I’m in, and three of us are right here in Chautauqua County,”

Pawelski is grateful to be nominated for such a prestigious award, and especially to be nominated by one of her former students.

“It feels really great and the main thing that’s so important to me is my former student nominated me and said some really great things about me, and I think it just highlights what a great music education community we have in all of Chautauqua County but especially here in Jamestown,”

When teachers really enjoy their job, it definitely shows. Pawelski has been teaching middle school for six years and has seemingly enjoyed every minute of it.

“I love being a band teacher, I love my job, and I love working with middle school students,” said Pawelski. “It’s really an honor and I attribute it to so many things but especially the support we get from the Jamestown Public Schools and the legacy of these music departments.”

Each year, one recipient is selected from ten finalists and recognized for their remarkable impact on students’ lives. The winning honoree will be flown to Los Angeles to attend the Sixty-Fifth Annual GRAMMY Awards and a range of GRAMMY Week events.