Winter Garden has Grammy winner
West Orange High choral director named educator of the year
The 2019 Grammys will give special recognition to three people at Sunday’s awards: Diana Ross, Dolly Parton and Jeffery Redding.
You know the first two. The third, Redding, is choral director at West Orange High School in Winter Garden and is this year’s winner of the Grammy Music Educator Award.
“CBS This Morning” announced his victory Wednesday morning from 2,800 nominees across the country.
“When a student walks into your room, they’re people,” he told CBS. “You treat them as equals.”
Redding, 48, was born in Orlando and graduated from Jones High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Florida A&M, in addition to a master’s degree and doctorate — both in music — from Florida State. West Orange High School hired him in 1997.
He said his inspiration was his selfless mother, a school cafeteria worker, who raised four sons on her own.
“She taught us that regardless of what goes on on the outside, you can be the very best version
of yourself,” he told reporter Jamie Wax.
The school’s advanced women’s chorus performed in the report and demonstrated Redding’s ability to pull together beautiful voices in mesmerizing ways.
“He’s given me my identity,” student Cameryn Lease told CBS.
The Grammys, featuring tributes to Parton and Ross, will air at 8
“Don’t sing to impress. Sing to inspire.” Jeffery Redding, West Orange High School choral director
p.m. Sunday on CBS. Alicia Keys is the host at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Redding will be there, too. He will walk the carpet, but he won’t be on the broadcast, CBS said. Still, he has a message that performers should hear. “Don’t sing to impress. Sing to inspire,” he says.