George N. Parks Leadership in Music Education Award
The George N. Parks Award honors an exemplary music educator who embodies the characteristics and leadership the late Mr. Parks showed his students every day.
Developed by the National Association for Music Education and Music for All, the George N. Parks Leadership in Music Education Award is named for the late George Parks, Director of the University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band. Considered a national authority on drum majoring, Mr. Parks led the George N. Parks Drum Major Academy at the Music for All Summer Symposium.
The recipient must demonstrate:
- Collaborative spirit
- Dedication to knowing students as individuals
- Perseverance and enthusiasm
- Ability to instill qualities in students for life beyond the classroom that create and foster community
Rules and Eligibility
Rules and Nominee Eligibility
- Your nominee must be or formerly have been a band teacher.
- Nominations must be completed via online form.
- We will only accept up to three nomination forms per nominee. Please collaborate with others if there is a desire to submit more than three.
The Nomination Form includes:
- Nominee Information: Name, Title, Email address, Phone number, Physical address, School taught, and Years taught.
- Nominator Information: Name, Title, Email address, Phone number, Physical address, Relationship to nominee.
- Response to the following five criteria: (no more than 200 words per response).
- Collaborative spirit
- Dedication to knowing students as individuals
- Provides a culture of inclusivity, belonging, and community
- Perseverance and enthusiasm
- Ability to instill qualities in students for life beyond the classroom that create and foster community
Individuals selected as finalists will be contacted by e-mail. Finalists who wish to be considered for the award will be asked to complete a two-part prompted essay and submit two letters of recommendation from colleagues in the music education profession.
Members of the Music for All board of directors and the NAfME Council for Band Education will select the recipient based on the criteria, and information submitted with the nomination.
2024 Nomination Information
Nominations for the 2024 award will open August 13, 2024 and will close September 6, 2024.
The recipient will be notified the week of October 14.
The recipient will be brought to the Bands of America Grand National Championships in Indianapolis. Award acceptance will take place on the field of Lucas Oil Stadium on November 16, 2024. The recipient will be listed on the NAfME website following the award presentation. Music for All will provide hotel accommodations (one room, double occupancy) for three nights as well as VIP tickets to all Grand Nationals events for up to four family members. Round trip airfare will be provided for up to two people.
Please send questions to lisam@nafme.org.
Access the Nomination Form
(1953 – 2010)
About George N. Parks
Mr. Parks began teaching drum majors at the West Chester University summer marching band workshops in 1973, and founded the Drum Major Academy® in 1977. Mr. Parks was Professor of Music at the University of Massachusetts/Amherst, and the director of the Minuteman Marching Band for 33 years. He was a recipient of the University’s Distinguished Teacher Award and the Chancellor’s Medal for Distinguished Service. He was named an Honorary Alumnus of the University of Massachusetts and inducted into the Massachusetts Instrumental Conductor’s Association Hall of Fame.
Professor Parks conducted numerous district and regional bands in Massachusetts, Maine, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, as well as conducting the University Concert Band at UMass. Over the years his involvement with Bowl Games of America placed him at the helm of half–time productions for the National BCS Game, the Sugar, Orange, Carquest and Hall of Fame Bowl Games. In 2005 Professor Parks was Director of the Bands of America National Honor Band during their inaugural performance in the Tournament of Roses Parade. He returned as director in 2009 for the group’s second appearance.
Professor Parks has been featured in various instructional videos teaching drum majoring, leadership skills, and mace techniques, and authored “The Dynamic Drum Major,” a text on the art of drum majoring. Mr. Parks was drum major of the West Chester University Golden Rams Marching Band, an 8 time recipient of the DCA World Championship Drum Major Award as drum major of the Reading Buccaneers Senior Drum and Bugle Corps and was inducted into the Drum Corps Associates Hall of Fame.
The Drum Major Academy® is the nation’s foremost authority on the art of drum majoring, and the staff, all prominent music educators, brings over 35 years of teaching and performing experience, instructing over 3000 drum major and band leadership students each year.
2023 George N. Parks Leadership in Music Education Award Recipient
Music for All and NAfME honored Alison Miles (Band Director, Fabius-Pompey Middle/High School, NY) with the 2023 George N. Parks Leadership in Music Education Award.
Past recipients
2022 – Dr. Lawrence Stoffel, Professor of Instrumental Conducting, Director of Bands, Head of Wind Performance Studies, Music Education – Instrumental), California State University Northridge
2020 – Jennifer Collins, Director of Bands, Broad Rock M.S., RI
2019 – Edward F. Protzman, Director of Bands, William Mason H.S., OH
2018 – David LaMorte, Assistant Principal of Visual, Performing, and Career Arts at Tottenville H.S., NY
2017 – Marisa Weinstein, Director at Warsaw M.S., ME
2016 – Thom Hannumm, Associate at the University of Massachusetts
2015 – Patrick M. Erwin, Director of Bands at Hillgrove H.S., GA
2014 – Cynthia Napierkowski, Director of Bands at Salem High School in Salem, MA
2013 – Dr. Barry Shepherd, Superintendent of Cabarrus County Schools, NC
2012 – Daniel Kirk, Blue Valley West H.S., KS
2011 – Dr. Peter Boonshaft, Hofstra University, NY