Milton Students Win Shuler Hensley Award

From the Fulton County School System

Fulton County Schools is once again on top when it comes to the arts due to the recent announcements of the Best Communities for Music Education award and the Shuler Hensley theater awards.

“Fulton County Schools is a standout when it comes to visual and performing arts education, said Superintendent Robert Avossa. "Our schools frequently are invited to be part of the most prestigious music clinics and theater exhibitions. We are proud to have high quality programs that showcase our student’s and staff’s immense talent and that are heavily supported by the community.”

Best Communities for Music Education Award

Fulton County has been recognized for the 15th consecutive year as one of the best places to live for music education. Only two school systems in the nation – one of which is Fulton County Schools – have been recognized each of the 15 years the national survey has been given. 

The Best Communities for Music Education list represents an annual snapshot of music education at its best and is based on a nationwide survey conducted earlier this year by the NAMM Foundation, a not-for-profit, international association that represents the musical instruments and products industry. 

The Best Communities designation recognizes collaborative, from-the-ground-up efforts of teachers, administrators, students and parents who continually work to keep comprehensive music education as an integral part of the core curriculum. The program requires schools and districts to detail funding, staffing, commitment to standards, and access to music instruction. This year, nearly 2,000 schools and school districts participated in the survey, resulting in 376 school districts across the country being designated as one of the Best Communities for Music Education. 

2014 Shuler Hensley Awards

Four Fulton County high schools swept the Georgia High School Musical Theater Awards during its 2014 awards ceremony. Also known as the Shuler Hensley Awards, the distinctions honor musical theater excellence at the high school level. Shuler is a Georgia native and a multi-award winning Broadway, off-Broadway, film and TV star.

The overall winners were announced during a Tony Awards-style ceremony last month at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Fifty-nine high schools from 23 counties, representing both school districts as well as private schools from throughout the state, were nominated.

This year’s Fulton County winners include: 

For Tri-Cities High School’s production of “Dreamgirls:”

• Dawn Axam, Best Choreographer
• Veta Roots, Best Costume
• Kennedy Bright, Best Featured Performer for role of Lorell Robinson
• Rubin Barksdale, Best Leading Actor for Curtis Taylor, Jr.
• Jai’len Josey, Best Leading Actress for Effie White
• Warren Lankford, Best Music Director
• Tarik Rowland, Best Orchestra
• Korey Washington, Best Scenic Design
• Elyakeen Avraham, Best Supporting Actor for James “Thunder” Early
• Katherine Taylor, Best Supporting Actress for Deena Jones
• Robert Connor, Best Direction
• All Cast and Crew, Best Musical
• All Cast and Crew, Best Ensemble

For Milton High School’s production of “Legally Blonde:”

• Carl Appen and Sim Jones, Best Technical Execution
• Sim Jones, Best Lighting Design 

In addition, two Shuler scholarships were granted to Fulton County participants.

• Tracey Buot, Cambridge High School; Jubilee Cultural Arts Alliance Scenic Design Grant
• Briyanna Brinson, Langston Hughes High School; Broadway Dreams Technical Scholarship

The Shuler Hensley Awards program is an initiative of the ArtsBridge education program of the foundation, the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre’s fundraising arm. A team of more than 45 Atlanta-based arts professionals evaluated the participating high school productions.