Dr. Darren Pettit, Assistant Professor of Music Theory at UNO, has been selected as a quarterfinalist for the 2017 Music Educator Award from The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation. The final recipient will be honored during GRAMMY Week in 2017. In total, more than 3,300 initial nominations were submitted from all 50 states.

The Music Educator Award was established to recognize current educators (kindergarten through college, public and private schools) who have made significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools.

Dr. Pettit received his bachelor’s degree in saxophone performance from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and his masters degree from the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. In May, he received his DMA in jazz studies/composition from UNL. He performs regularly with the Omaha Symphony, the Omaha Community Playhouse and the Las Vegas Lab Band.