Yamaha Proudly Announces its Sixth Annual 40 Under 40 Music Educators List
BUENA PARK, Calif. February 9, 2026 — For the sixth consecutive year in a row, Yamaha has recognized 40 outstanding music educators under 40 who show passion, courage, creativity and a commitment to growth, while surpassing expectations in their music programs.
Students, parents, teachers, local instrument dealers, and mentors submitted hundreds of nominations for educators who positively impact their communities and students. We are pleased to announce the 2026 honorees:
Ryan Adair – Salem Hills High School (Salem, UT)
Zachary Arenz – Flower City School No. 54 (Rochester, NY)
Heather Barclay Drusedum – Tarkanian Middle School (Las Vegas, NV)
Ben Byrom – Raleigh Oak Charter School (Raleigh, NC)
Dr. Francis Cathlina – University of Memphis (Memphis, TN)
Mary Claxton – Music Will (Greeley, CO)
Ashley Cobb – Catawba Trail Elementary School (Elgin, SC)
Brittany Dacy – Westwood High School (Austin, TX)
Dr. David Dockan – Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, LA)
Joshua Emanuel – A. MacArthur Barr Middle School (Nanuet, NY)
Elaina Gallas – Mill Creek Elementary (Nolensville, TN)
Matthew Gramata – West Milford Township High School (West Milford, NJ)
Heather Hurley – Princeton Community Middle School (Cincinnati, OH)
Dr. Kyle Hutchins – Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA)
Kasey Julian – Orchard Hills Elementary School (Novi, MI)
Aron Kontorovich – James Madison High School (Brooklyn, NY)
Jake Matheson – Forest Lake Area Middle School (Forest Lake, MN)
Tiphanie L. McClenton – Bryant Elementary School (Mableton, GA)
Chris R. Millett – University of Louisville (Louisville, KY)
Meghan Mulligan – The Deron School (Montclair, NJ)
Amrutha Murthy – Park Vista Community High School (Lake Worth, FL)
Kyle Norris – Vandegrift High School (Austin, TX)
DeVon Pickett – Scotland County Schools (Laurinburg, NC)
Catherine Plichta – The Theater Arts Production Company School (Bronx, NY)
Rolando Rivera – Diamond Hill -Jarvis High School (Fort Worth, TX)
Al Rodriguez – Mount Vernon High School (Alexandria, VA)
Sean Rosenberry – Horace Mann School Lower Division (Bronx, NY)
Trevor Rundell – Bartlett High School (Bartlett, TN)
Dr. Sonya Schumann – San Diego State University (San Diego, CA)
Matt Siffert – Musical Mentors Collaborative (Boulder, CO)
Dr. Andrew J. Smouse – Valley High School (Las Vegas, NV)
Eric Stashek – Lincoln Jr./Sr. High School (Lake City, MN)
Shannon Stem – University Academy (Panama City, FL)
Erik Stone – Gordon Parks Academy (Wichita, KS)
Luis "Tito" Talamantes – Cesar Chávez High School (Stockton, CA)
Enrique Tellez – Butler Middle School (Cottonwood Heights, UT)
Daniel Upton, Jr. – Harrisonburg High School (Harrisonburg, VA)
Alex Whitehead – Jefferson Middle School (Fort Wayne, IN)
Sarah Williams – West Junior High School (Pocono Summit, PA)
Keith Ziolkowski – Creekside Middle School (Carmel, IN)
Zachary Arenz – Flower City School No. 54 (Rochester, NY)
Heather Barclay Drusedum – Tarkanian Middle School (Las Vegas, NV)
Ben Byrom – Raleigh Oak Charter School (Raleigh, NC)
Dr. Francis Cathlina – University of Memphis (Memphis, TN)
Mary Claxton – Music Will (Greeley, CO)
Ashley Cobb – Catawba Trail Elementary School (Elgin, SC)
Brittany Dacy – Westwood High School (Austin, TX)
Dr. David Dockan – Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, LA)
Joshua Emanuel – A. MacArthur Barr Middle School (Nanuet, NY)
Elaina Gallas – Mill Creek Elementary (Nolensville, TN)
Matthew Gramata – West Milford Township High School (West Milford, NJ)
Heather Hurley – Princeton Community Middle School (Cincinnati, OH)
Dr. Kyle Hutchins – Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA)
Kasey Julian – Orchard Hills Elementary School (Novi, MI)
Aron Kontorovich – James Madison High School (Brooklyn, NY)
Jake Matheson – Forest Lake Area Middle School (Forest Lake, MN)
Tiphanie L. McClenton – Bryant Elementary School (Mableton, GA)
Chris R. Millett – University of Louisville (Louisville, KY)
Meghan Mulligan – The Deron School (Montclair, NJ)
Amrutha Murthy – Park Vista Community High School (Lake Worth, FL)
Kyle Norris – Vandegrift High School (Austin, TX)
DeVon Pickett – Scotland County Schools (Laurinburg, NC)
Catherine Plichta – The Theater Arts Production Company School (Bronx, NY)
Rolando Rivera – Diamond Hill -Jarvis High School (Fort Worth, TX)
Al Rodriguez – Mount Vernon High School (Alexandria, VA)
Sean Rosenberry – Horace Mann School Lower Division (Bronx, NY)
Trevor Rundell – Bartlett High School (Bartlett, TN)
Dr. Sonya Schumann – San Diego State University (San Diego, CA)
Matt Siffert – Musical Mentors Collaborative (Boulder, CO)
Dr. Andrew J. Smouse – Valley High School (Las Vegas, NV)
Eric Stashek – Lincoln Jr./Sr. High School (Lake City, MN)
Shannon Stem – University Academy (Panama City, FL)
Erik Stone – Gordon Parks Academy (Wichita, KS)
Luis "Tito" Talamantes – Cesar Chávez High School (Stockton, CA)
Enrique Tellez – Butler Middle School (Cottonwood Heights, UT)
Daniel Upton, Jr. – Harrisonburg High School (Harrisonburg, VA)
Alex Whitehead – Jefferson Middle School (Fort Wayne, IN)
Sarah Williams – West Junior High School (Pocono Summit, PA)
Keith Ziolkowski – Creekside Middle School (Carmel, IN)
The 40 chosen music educators inspire their communities by regularly showing their passion and charisma for music. They were selected based on the following criteria:
- Proposing and implementing new or bold ideas
- Offering innovation and imagination in achieving plans and objectives
- Establishing and growing or improving music education in their schools and communities
"At a moment when music education faces increasing pressure, these educators are not just sustaining programs; they’re reimagining what’s possible,” said Heather Mansell, marketing manager of education at Yamaha. “Yamaha is committed to expanding access to high-quality music education for all students, and we’re proud to champion these 40 educators and the thousands nationwide who are leading with creativity, resilience, and vision."
To learn more about these educators, please visit: http://yamaha.io/40Under40