Clayton Teacher Earns Yale's Distinguished Music Educator Award

Wydown Middle School Choir Teacher Jerry Estes has been selected to receive the Yale University School of Music’s prestigious 2013 Yale Distinguished Music Educator Award. This award is presented biennially to 50 music educators from across the country who are selected, based on their outstanding accomplishments while teaching music in public schools, to attend the Yale Symposium on Music in Schools.

“Jerry Estes is the epitome of choir teachers. He is multitalented – a teacher, a writer and a composer whose music is published and used by other middle schools throughout the country,” said WMS Principal Mary Ann Goldberg, who nominated Estes for the honor. “Jerry is a creative, supportive, child-centered educator who truly engages his students. Having him work with our kids each day is a gift to all of us.”

Estes has been teaching choir to the sixth- through eighth-grade students at WMS for the past 18 years but has accumulated 30 years of teaching and directing experience throughout his career. He was nominated by Goldberg for his ability to understand the individual needs of his students while helping them develop a passion for music. Estes also has been lauded by his colleagues for going above and beyond for his students, often composing music that showcases his students’ strengths while challenging them to grow as performers and as individuals. 

The Symposium on Music in Schools is held once every two years at the Yale School of Music as part of the Music in Schools Initiative. Estes and other distinguished music educators will convene in New Haven, Conn., from June 6-9 to participate in a variety of workshops, discussions and other events. The Symposium will culminate with the presentation of the Yale Distinguished Music Educator Awards at the closing banquet.

“Getting to spend time and interact with music educators like myself will be a really valuable and fun experience,” said Estes. “One of their goals was to assemble a diverse group with many unique perspectives, and I know this experience will broaden my own range of ideas and viewpoints for the future. Teaching in a school where these experiences are valued is key, and I am very grateful for this opportunity.”

For more information, see the Yale Distinguished Music Educator Award.

About the School District of Clayton
As a public school system dedicated to the education of all children who come to our schools, the School District of Clayton strives to develop in all its children the strength of character, the skills, the knowledge and the wisdom necessary to build creative, productive lives and to contribute to a global society. The District’s early childhood center, three elementary schools, middle school and high school serve a diverse student body of approximately 2,500.