South Miami Senior High music teacher nominated for Grammy for second time

A South Florida music instructor is being nationally recognized by the National Academy of Recording Arts Sciences for a second year in a row Jennifer Jimenez a instructor at South Miami Senior High School has been nominated for the Grammy Music Educator Award one of the music industry s bulk prestigious awards She has been teaching at South Miami for years News got an inside look at one of her music classes and it s easy to figure out why she would be nominated It s way better soft-wise but it cannot drag Jimenez explained to her students She doesn t jazz around or miss a beat Keep it pushing forward One more time the coach announced during class instruction Inside the band room Jimenez fine-tunes her attendee musicians until the percussion is perfect the drum is on beat and every pupil is in harmony Last note the Grammy-nominated tutor disclosed during practice OK so in the end make sure you re releasing those notes Her attention to detail is exactly why this South Miami Senior High School mentor is being recognized on a national stage They want to see how you are how your students are in class how they respond to you mentioned Jimenez For the second year in a row Jimenez has been nominated for the Grammy Music Educator Award Out of more than nominees just finalists remain This is also the second time Jimenez has made the final Getting jobs keeping jobs growing those teamwork skills and those soft skills that employers look for Music does all of that and it s one of the main vehicles that students can learn those skills she later explained News What makes Jimenez s teaching award worthy is that she listens with a keen ear not just to the notes played but to the musicians behind the instruments Alisson Martinez a senior at South Miami Senior High plays the flute and the piccolo and has been in band all four years under Jimenez I would consider her my second mother she mentioned Izabella Tapanes another senior at South Miami Senior High plays the clarinet She is also the woodwind captain and one of Jimenez s assistants Every novice has a different way of speaking a different way of dressing of being just being announced Tapanes And she is so very welcoming And if the Grammys decided the winner by aspirant feedback alone they d award her the gold trophy in a beat Obviously it s super rewarding for her but it s super rewarding for us as well because she does so much Tapanes revealed So I hope she literally gets to go and be there and we ll be supporting her just like she supports us Martinez declared Despite the national recognition Jimenez declared the nomination is not about her it s about shining a spotlight on her students and public I would love nothing more than to have Miami-Dade County Inhabitants Schools the City of Miami our region and our students be elevated to a national level I think that s the focus and that s the goal Jimenez explained Jimenez hopes to hit all the right notes and take home the Grammy award in February She disclosed the winner will be notified privately in January before traveling to Los Angeles for the ceremony