2014 Jane Ortner Education Award Luncheon

With Keynote address by First Lady Michelle Obama, Honoring Sunshine Cavaluzzi and Janelle Monáe First Lady Michelle Obama will deliver the keynote address at the GRAMMY Museum’s Jane Ortner Education Award Luncheon on July 16, 2014, at Club Nokia at L.A. LIVE. The event will honor Southern California-based educator Sunshine Cavalluzzi and six-time GRAMMY® nominee Janelle Monáe. Building on the museum’s successful education programs and initiatives, the Jane Ortner Educator Award honors educators who find innovative ways to engage students by integrating music in their classrooms and curricula, and the Jane Ortner Artist Award recognizes an artist’s dedication to education through the arts.  “Just like this year’s honorees, First Lady Michelle Obama knows firsthand the power that music has to transform the lives of young people.  Having produced seven educational programs at the White House with Mrs. Obama over the last four years, we are deeply honored to host her as the keynote speaker for our Inaugural Jane Ortner Education Award Luncheon.”  -Bob Santelli, GRAMMY Museum Executive Director The GRAMMY Museum has produced annual music education programs for students at the White House as part of the In Performance at the White House series, bringing nearly 1,000 youth to Washington, D.C. for a transformative three-day experience. These programs also reach beyond the State Dining Room where they take place, with countless students watching the live feed from their classrooms across the country. The Jane Ortner Education Award was created by the GRAMMY Museum in partnership with Charles B. Ortner — prominent entertainment attorney, museum board member and husband to Jane Ortner. Jane Ortner was a devoted and beloved public school teacher who recognized the critical importance of music in the education of students at all levels. The Jane Ortner Educator Award is unique in that it tasks educators to incorporate music into their core content standard curricula. The Jane Ortner Artist Award recognizes an artist who embodies the Museum’s educational mission and shows passion and dedication to education through the arts. Cavalluzzi was chosen to receive the Educator Award based on her innovative Economics lesson plans and Monáe was selected to receive the Artist Award based on her continued commitment to GRAMMY Museum educational programming.