Inside her Texas classroom, highschool choir director Pamela Dawson is known as “Mama Dawson.” However she’s getting a brand new title so as to add to her assortment: Grammy Award winner. Dawson has been named the recipient of the 2023 Grammy Music Educator Award.
Dawson has been the choir instructor at DeSoto Excessive College since 2007, after leaving her workplace job to enter educating.
“Acquired in entrance of these youngsters that first day and stated, ‘Oh my God, I missed my calling. That is it,'” Dawson stated.
Dawson comes from a musical household in Detroit, Michigan. She was certainly one of eight youngsters and the one woman, which she stated made her dad and mom overprotective. Her mom did not let her “do a lot,” she stated, “So, the one factor I did was follow.” She turned good at taking part in a number of musical devices, together with the harp.
Regardless of her expertise, Dawson by no means pursued music professionally. However her educating has impressed some college students, like actor, singer and 2012 graduate Davian Jackson, to pursue careers in music. Her college students stated they worth what she has taught them past the musical scale.
“It is a dog-eat-dog world, particularly within the artwork area,” Jackson stated. “And if you’re not in your Ps and Qs, you might be eaten by the world. However she instilled self-discipline into us, to the place we’re there on time, earlier than time. For those who’re on time, you are late.”
Scholar Arieana Williams credit Dawson for bringing her out of a “darkish place” and serving to construct her confidence.
“She’s all the time been there,” Williams stated. “I can not think about me with out her.”
Dawson was chosen out of 1,205 preliminary nominations submissions from 47 states. It is the third time that Dawson has been named a high 10 finalist for the award.
“If it wasn’t for them [students] I do not assume I might be the place I’m. It is all the time concerning the college students,” Dawson stated.
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