Eastside Memorial High School Band Director Alan Guckian has been named a semifinalist for the Grammy Music Educator Award.

The honor was given by the Recording Academy and the Grammy Foundation.

Guckian is one of only 25 semifinalists chosen from 4,500 nominations nationwide. 

"This award means the world to me, but not as a personal recognition. It is a feather in the cap for my kids," Guckian said. "They have worked so hard to overturn the negative perception of their school, and this serves as a tribute to their efforts. I really want to give credit to my kids for this."

The Music Educator Award was created by the Recording Academy and Grammy Foundation to recognize "current educators who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education."

From Grammy in the Schools:

1. Students in high-quality school music programs score higher on standardized tests compared to students in schools with deficient music education programs, regardless of the socioeconomic level of the school or school district.
2. Schools that have music programs have significantly higher attendance rates than do those without programs (93.3 percent as compared to 84.9 percent).
3. Schools that have music programs have significantly higher graduation rates than do those without music programs (90.2 percent as compared to 72.9 percent). In addition, those that rate their programs as "excellent or very good" have an even higher graduation rate (90.9 percent).
4. The combined results of 30 studies indicate that music instruction is linked to significantly improved reading skills.