When Lower Dauphin Middle School band director Greg Hutchison was informed that he was the recipient of the 2022 Educator of Note Award by the Central Pennsylvania Music Hall of Fame, he didn't quite believe it. "When I got the email, I almost didn't check it. I thought it was a phishing email at first," he admitted. "I wasn't sure they had the right person."

After he realized that the award was legitimate, his skepticism soon turned to appreciation. "I know who won last year, so I am grateful to be included in a list of great educators," he said.

Hutchison will be honored live on stage at the fourth annual Central Pennsylvania Music Awards (CPMA) and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Thursday, March 30, at the Hershey Theatre, 15 Caracas Ave. Tickets to the event are available at http://www.ticketmaster.com by searching for "4th Annual CPMAs & HOF Induction Ceremony."

"CPMA is an organization that is really dedicated to promoting music," Hutchison said. "They run an awards show. I have been told from past participants that they roll out a red carpet and it is a very fun and formal event - like an awards show you may see on TV."

Hutchison, who resides in Mechanicsburg, has been the band director at Lower Dauphin Middle School in Hummelstown since the beginning of the 2002-03 school year. He teaches sixth-grade concert band, a combined seventh- and eighth-grade concert band, the jazz band and a music class. He also serves as the assistant director for the Lower Dauphin High School marching band.

When asked his favorite aspect of teaching music, Hutchison said it is watching students grow and learn as they progress from middle school to high school. "To see (the students) go from grades six to 12 and getting to know their families is the highlight of my job. I know these kids and their families for seven years by the time they graduate," he said. "I also have a really great colleague at the high school, Keith Richardson, head of the marching band."

In addition to teaching, Hutchison has served as the president of the Dauphin County Music Educators Association, as well as vice president, president and immediate past president of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association's (PMEA) District 7. In 2013, he was the recipient of the PMEA's Citation of Excellence, which is awarded to an outstanding middle school music teacher.

Hutchison is a graduate of Penn State University, where he studied trombone and received his Bachelor of Science in music education. He also holds a Master of Education from Cabrini University.

Hutchison said he does not know who nominated him for the Educator of Note Award, but he suspects that it may be a Lower Dauphin parent or student.

"It's a great place to be," Hutchison said, explaining his longevity in the Lower Dauphin School District. "Twenty-one years ago I did not have plans to stay in central Pennsylvania. What kept me is the community. We have great parents and I teach great kids and I've always had administrative support as well. I don't think the grass is greener anywhere else."