Schools

Longtime SBHS Band Director Nominated for Grammy Award

Mark Kraft named quarterfinalist for the inaugural Music Educator Award by the Recording Academy and the Grammy Foundation.

High school is, by its very nature, a fleeting experience as students matriculate in and out each year.

But at South Brunswick High School for the last 33 years, music teacher and Band Director Mark Kraft has been a constant. An educator who has left a lasting impact on an incalculable number of students, Kraft's legacy in the township is now being recognized by the pinnacle of success in the music industry, the Grammy Awards.

Kraft was recently chosen out of 30,000 nominees from 195 cities in 45 states, as one of 217 quarterfinalists for the inaugural Music Educator Award by the Recording Academy and the Grammy Foundation.

Find out what's happening in South Brunswickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"It's a really great honor. I've been in this business a long time and to have my students think enough of me to nominate me for this award is amazing," Kraft said. "To come from 30,000 nominees to the quarterfinals is very exciting and I'm thrilled. I love music and I love teaching kids music, but the most important thing to me is teaching kids life skills and how to become successful people."

The Grammy Music Educator Award was launched this year as a means to recognize current educators who have made a significant contribution to music education, and for those committed to maintaining music education in schools, according to the foundation. 

Find out what's happening in South Brunswickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Kraft, along with wife Ginny, has led the SBHS Marching Band to be ranked among the Top 25 in the nation at the high school Bands of America Grand National Championships, among countless other competition victories and awards. The SBHS Marching Band has been ranked number one in the state, and also ranked number one in the entire northeast, from Virginia to Maine, by the US Scholastic Band Association.

Students from the program have gone on to play at colleges like Yale, Princeton, University of Michigan and Penn State, while a former student also captained the University of Oregon color guard as they performed at the NCAA College Football National Championship game in 2011.

Kraft noted with a great sense of pride that some his former students have gone on the top levels of the music industry.

"We have one former student who works as a sound engineer for Kanye West and Jay Z, and even worked on mixing for the Grammys, so we've had kids reach the highest level of the industry," he said. "What's great for me is when I'm in a store around town and I see former students who've gone on to be police officers, doctors, or whatever, and they talk to me about how important those experiences in music and band were. They tell me how it affected them and helped them in making good choices in life that helped them become successful people. That's what is really rewarding for me."

With his former students, Kraft shares a bond for the love of music and the bridges it builds among like minded people. For Kraft, who grew up in a musical family with a father who was a semi-professional singer, his introduction to the scholastic musical experience in middle school and high school was a formative event in his life.

"Playing music leads to deeper bonds with people, where you learn how to be excellent as part of a team and expect others to be excellent," he said. "It's where you meet your best friends in life. I just fell in love with the whole aspect of being part of a band. I was able to have wonderful opportunities traveling the world playing and conducting, and those opportunities led me to become a music educator. Playing music teaches kids life skills and develops the soul."

Kraft was quick to credit his wife Ginny, as together they have become an institution for thousands of SBHS students over the years, even spawning their own Facebook memories page. As a testament to the lasting impact the duo has had on the high school experience in South Brunswick, they now see the faces of their former students as parents to their current crop of musicians.

"Ginny and I have been here as a team for so long, so we've seen what these students experience through the program and how much it meant to them," Kraft said. "These folks understand the importance of music and the arts in education. But it sure is something to go into a parents meeting for the band and to see all these former students. It's very rewarding to see that it meant so much to them that they want their children to have the same experiences."

Kraft now moves on to the next selection process for the prestigious first-ever music educator Grammy. From 217 educators, the total will be whittled down to 10 finalists with the winner to be flown to Los Angeles to accept the award, attend the Grammy Awards ceremony, and receive a $10,000 honorarium.

The nine other finalists for the award will receive a $1,000 honorarium, with the schools of all 10 finalists also receiving matching grants. 

For Kraft, just to see his name among so many people he admires is a singular honor, one that recognizes his dedication and commitment to South Brunswick for over three decades.

"To me, this is like in sports if I was a college basketball coach and my name was up there with (Duke University Head Coach) Mike Krzyzewski, (Syracuse University Head Coach) Jim Boeheim or (University of Louisville Head Coach) Rick Pitino. The names of the music educators on this list are legendary," he said. "These are people known far and wide for being tremendous educators. To be on that list with folks of that quality is just a great honor and I'm so thrilled."


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here