Kevin Brawley ’13, an alumnus of the Department of Music, has been named a 2019 Music Teacher of Excellence by the Country Music Association Foundation. Brawley was one of 30 music teachers nationally to receive recognition “for their commitment to shaping the next generation through music.” He will be presented the award formally at a ceremony on April 30 in Nashville, Tennessee. The honor also comes with a $5,000 prize ($2,500 for classroom needs and $2,500 unrestricted).
Brawley teaches at Torrence Creek Elementary School in Huntersville. In 2013, he founded the Quarter Notes, an afterschool choir for fourth and fifth graders. Open to all students without audition, the Quarter Notes was named one of the top 13 ensembles across all grade levels of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) in two of the past three years.
In his free time, Brawley performs and tours with fellow UNC Charlotte music alumni John Woodall and Edward Bender as the band Water From Fire. The CMS superintendent selected Brawley to deliver the opening address to all 15,000 CMS teachers before the start of the 2018-19 school year.