HONORING AN INFLUENTIAL JAZZ EDUCATOR
The John LaPorta Jazz Educator of the Year Award honors the life and legacy of John LaPorta, a pioneering musician and teacher who helped shape modern jazz education. LaPorta performed with artists including Woody Herman, Charles Mingus, and Lennie Tristano before joining the Berklee College of Music faculty, where he taught for more than three decades and became one of the institution’s most respected and influential educators.
The Award’s Berklee Origins
The award originated at Berklee College of Music and was created by Steve Lipman to recognize outstanding high school jazz educators. Developed in partnership with the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE), it honored experienced classroom teachers whose commitment to excellence brought distinction to their students, their schools, and the field of jazz education.
2007: The Inaugural Award
The first John LaPorta Jazz Educator of the Year Award was presented at the 2007 IAJE Conference in New York. Berklee President Roger H. Brown presented the award to Bob Sinicrope, a Berklee alumnus, former student of John LaPorta, and longtime jazz director at Milton Academy. The original award included a $5,000 honorarium, equipment and music for the recipient’s school, and an invitation to address the Berklee student body.
Read Berklee’s article about the inaugural presentation.
2008: Continuing the Tradition
Donald Cantwell received the second Berklee/IAJE John LaPorta Jazz Educator of the Year Award at the 2008 IAJE Conference in Toronto. During his 33-year career at Whitesboro Central School in New York, Cantwell built an award-winning music program and influenced generations of students, many of whom went on to distinguished careers as performers and educators. The award also provided travel to the IAJE Conference, where the recipient was formally recognized.
Read Berklee’s article about Donald Cantwell.
