2019 Educator of Note Winner Announced

Dr. Joy Galliford with one of her students

Since 1994, the Young Patronesses of the Opera (YPO) has honored music teachers in Miami-Dade County with their Educator of Note Award. This award recognizes outstanding Miami-Dade County elementary and middle school teachers in public, private or parochial schools who creatively motivate and inspire young children in the field of music education. To date, YPO has recognized 27 excellent music teachers in our community. 

This year’s recipient was Dr. Joy Galliford, an outstanding elementary school music teacher in our community who holds certifications in the Early Childhood Music and Movement Association, Musikgarten Curriculum, National Guild of Piano Teachers as well as a Florida Child Care and Education Program Director Credential and Florida Professional Educator’s Certificate for Music K-12. 

She is known to her students as “Dr. Joy” and teaches music at Frederick Douglass Elementary School and at Key Biscayne K-8 Center. Dr. Joy is a teacher trainer, arts advocate and researcher.  She says, “Everyone has a story, in fact, beginning at week twenty-four in utero, one begins to hear their very first story. This fully functioning auditory system allows the baby to hear the sounds and feel the emotions presented to its mother because she is in a concert hall.”

Galliford also serves as the Executive Director for Friends of South Florida Music, a non-profit organization that provides music education to underserved communities in South Florida, giving her the opportunity “to expose young children to all types of music in an effort to unlock their potential.” Yolanda Ellis, Principal at Frederick Douglass Elementary, shared her thoughts about Joy: “For more than three years Dr. Joy has dedicated her time working with her partners of Friends of South Florida Music and fundraising to be able to provide instruments and weekly music and movement lessons to our students and teachers. Each week the teachers and students are always excited to attend her class…Talk about improving the lives of children, the joy on the faces of parents as their child performs with Dr. Joy and a live band is absolutely priceless.”

In addition, Joy is a songwriter and the co-author of Experience the Music, a literacy-based curriculum using music activities that engage children in singing, focused listening, movement and the playing of rhythm instruments.         

Dr. Galliford was honored at YPO’s annual May Award’s luncheon and was presented with a Waterford Apple, and a $2000 check. The funding is from an annuity provided by the Ethel and W. George Kennedy Family Foundation.