The 2004 FAME Awards held in Washington D.C. in March honored our very own Dr. Willie Hill for his dedication to music education by selecting him has as a Lowell Mason Fellow.

The Lowell Mason Fellowship Fund was established in 2002 to honor outstanding music educators and advocates for music. Lowell Mason, considered the father of American music education, introduced music instruction into our public schools in early 1838, in Boston, MA. The magnitude of his contribution is the inspiration for the award.

The Fund for the Advancement of Music Education (FAME) is a program that seeks to improve and expand music education for all by effecting changes in the general public’s perception of its importance. The program’s goals are to increase public awareness of the importance of music education and to promote public support for music education at the local, state and federal levels. FAME funding enables the music education community to reach out beyond the parameters of the teaching profession to the worlds in which Americans learn about and make music.

In addition to being the director of The Fine Arts Center, Willie is also the President of MENC, The National Association for Music Education. Willie shares this award with 10 other nominees committed to ensuring accessibility to a quality music education program for all. Congratulations Willie!