Jared Cassedy is director of bands at Windham High School.  Normally, getting called to the principal’s office is cause for concern. But Windham High School music teacher Jared Cassedy got some of the best news of his life when he excused himself from a school board budget meeting a few weeks ago to take the call in which he learned that he had won the second annual Music Educator Award from the Recording Academy and Grammy Foundation.  “I kept saying, ‘What? Can you repeat that?’ ” says Cassedy with a laugh on the phone from Los Angeles, where he was slated to pick up his award Saturday at a special reception. On Sunday, he will enjoy the 57th Grammy Awards from a seat in the audience at the Staples Center. In addition to bringing a trophy home, Cassedy will receive $10,000 for his school — which he says will go to instruments, equipment, and an upcoming trip — as well as a $10,000 honorarium. Ford has also thrown in a new car.  Cassedy, 32, who was nominated by his student Tim Raymond and Raymond’s mother, Christina, topped a list of more than 7,000 submissions from all 50 states for an award that recognizes educators “who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education.”  “I was so moved that they would even consider nominating me,” says Cassedy, who credits his parents, who stressed music education for all four of their children, and Salem High School band director Marty Claussen for fostering a love for the arts that brought him to Windham High School. There, he is director of bands, which comprises more than a half dozen groups, and also oversees fine-arts programs for students K-12 throughout a district that he proudly calls very supportive of the arts.  The New Hampshire-bred teacher, who plays piano and clarinet, knows well that arts programs are often the first cut from school budgets. He bangs the drum loudly for what music education can offer to everyone, even those not interested in pursuing it professionally.  “Our students, whether they’re going to go on to careers in the arts or humanities or even engineering and technology, they’re going to have to be creative,” says Cassedy. “And what music and the arts do is give students a conduit to learning how to collaborate, be creative and open-minded, and problem-solve. We’re really developing critical thinking skills.”  While excited to receive his own award, Cassedy was also thrilled to be going to the Grammy ceremony, where he will be rooting for favorites including Taylor Swift and Sia, and looking forward to performances by John Legend and Madonna. “They’re all winners,” he says. And no doubt, they have mentors of their own to thank for helping them get there.
A chat with Windham, NH high school teacher Jared Cassedy, the winner of this year’s second annual Music Educator Award.