North High School junior Zachary Lee and North High’s instrumental music teacher Joseph Rutkowski have attained outstanding musical achievements.
Lee’s original musical composition, “The Song of Spring and Winter”—original male singer version, was selected for performance at the Long Island Composers Alliance 43rd annual Music By and For Students concert at Hofstra University. Lee’s musical talents go beyond his composing. He is in All-National Honors Choir, an All-State bass singer and flutist, and an outstanding pianist. In the theater, he is a talented actor, director and writer, and even does set building and lighting/sound.
Rutkowski was selected as a Quarterfinalist for the 2017 Music Educator Award presented by the Recording Academy and the Grammy Foundation. He is one of 290 music teachers selected nationwide from some 3,300 nominations. This makes the third time that Rutkowski has received this prestigious honor. Semifinalists will be announced in September. The Music Educator Award recognizes current K-college public and non-public school educators who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and to maintaining music education in their schools.
