Thank you Jazz Education Network & Berklee College of Music
The Jazz Education Network and Berklee College of Music collaborate to present the John LaPorta Jazz Educator of the Year award. The award is named after the legendary jazz educator, John LaPorta, and will recognize an outstanding elementary, middle, or high school educator with a focus on jazz education, who represents the highest standards of teaching and whose results in the classroom have brought distinction to their institution and their students.
"Being an educator is not a career, it is a lifestyle"
Dr. Roosevelt Griffin III
Dr. Roosevelt Griffin III is a nationally recognized music educator and transformative leader whose life’s work centers on building community through music education. A proud alumnus of Northern Illinois University, he now serves as Director of Jazz Studies at NIU, where he is redefining jazz education through innovation, access, community, and culture.
Beyond the university, Dr. Griffin’s leadership extends throughout the region and nation. He is the Founder of the Griffin Institute of Performing Arts (NFP) and Owner of GI Music LLC. He serves as Co-Artistic Director of VanderCook College of Music’s One City Youth Jazz Program, Director of Youth Ensembles for the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, and Education & Community Engagement Director for the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra.
Award-Winning Educator
2022-2023 Dr. William P. Foster Project "Community Development Award"
Music Music Education Alliance
2022 "Think Big" Educator Award
Chicago Jazz Philharmonic
2022 John LaPorta Jazz Educator of the Year
Jazz Education Network & Berklee College of Music
2021 Most Distinguished Alumni, Graduate
Concordia University Chicago, Alumni Association
2020 Outstanding Chicagoland Educator
Quinlan and Fabish Music Company
2019 Dream Maker Award
Bronzeville Children's Musuem: Women's Board
2019 Men of Excellence Award
Chicago Defender/ Real Times Media
2018 Award for Human and Civil Rights
Illinois Education Association
2017 Jazz Educator of the Year
The Jazz Institute of Chicago
2017 Grammy Award for Best Music Educator:Semi Finalist
Grammy Foundation and Recording Academy
2015 Most Outstanding Alumni College of Visual and Performing Arts Northern Illinois University
2015 Jefferson Award for Public Service: Educator
Jefferson Foundation, Thornton Township District 205 Ambassadors
2014 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching
Excellence in Teaching Golden Apple Foundation
2014 “Roosevelt Griffin Ave.” A street in Harvey, IL was renamed “Roosevelt Griffin III Ave.” honoring exemplary work in music education.
2012 Excellence in Education Award
Harvey Education Foundation
A respected voice in the field, Dr. Griffin currently serves as President of the Illinois Music Education Association’s Jazz Division and contributes nationally as a Board Member of the Jazz Education Network and North Central Representative for NAfME’s Council for Jazz Education. His service also includes leadership roles with the Jazz Institute of Chicago and the Governors State University Center for Performing Arts Board of Advisors.
His impact has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching, the John LaPorta Jazz Educator of the Year Award (Jazz Education Network & Berklee College of Music), the Jefferson Award for Public Service, and Distinguished Alumni recognitions from both Concordia University and Northern Illinois University. In 2015, his hometown of Harvey, Illinois, honored his service by renaming a street “Roosevelt Griffin III Avenue.”
Dr. Griffin’s philosophy of education, which is centered on relationships, access, and student voice, has been featured in Teaching Music Magazine, DownBeat, JazzEd, and The Instrumentalist. He is a co-author of Teaching Music through Performance: Beginning Jazz Ensembles, Rehearsing the Jazz Band, and Harmonizing Ethics in Education.
Dr. Griffin continues to champion music as a vehicle for unity and empowering the next generation.
What does GI Music offer?
Program Development
Mentoring/Coaching/Training
Assessment and Evaluation
Professional Development
Curriculum Development
Donate to the Griffin Institute of Performing Arts (NFP)
Consider supporting our community work through the Griffin Institute of Performing Arts NFP. Your support and contributions will enable us to meet our goals and provide access to the arts for children throughout Chicagoland. Your generous donation will fund our mission.
