Longy’s Online Music Teacher Education Earn National Recognition!
Three members of Longy’s Online Music Teacher Education faculty have been recognized this fall by some of the most respected names in music education. Dr. Erin Zaffini was named Keene State College’s Outstanding Music Alumnus. Michael Coelho is a Grammy Music Educator Award semifinalist for the third time in five years. Alice Tsui was honored as a 2026 Country Music Association (CMA) Foundation Music Teacher of Excellence.
Their achievements reflect what sets the program apart: Online Music Teacher Education students learn from working music educators and leaders who bring their classrooms, ensembles, and research into every course.
Dr. Erin Zaffini: Keene State College Outstanding Music Alumnus
The Keene State College Music Department has named Dr. Erin Dineen Zaffini, Class of 2003, its 2026-2027 Outstanding Alumnus. Established in 2007, the award is presented each year to a graduate who has distinguished themselves as a musician, music educator, or representative of Keene State alumni.
Dr. Zaffini serves as Assistant Dean of Teacher Education at Longy. She holds a B.M. in Music Education from Keene State, an M.M. in Music Education from Temple University, and a D.M.A. in Music Education from Boston University, where her dissertation was titled “Communities of Practice in Music Education: A Self-Study.” Her scholarship focuses on music teacher education, general music, novice teacher induction, and mentor support and retention.
Her career began in elementary and middle school music classrooms in the Merrimack Valley, Bedford, and Philadelphia. She later taught as an adjunct at Keene State College and Kent State University and led seminars for the University of New Hampshire’s Department of Professional Development and Training.
Today, Dr. Zaffini is the Mentor Program Developer and Coordinator for the Massachusetts Music Educators Association and supports early career teacher induction nationally through leadership roles with the National Association for Music Education and the Society for Music Teacher Induction. She is also an active keynote speaker, conference clinician, and consultant to school districts and music organizations across the country.
Michael Coelho: Grammy Music Educator Award Semifinalist
Michael Coelho, Director of Fine Arts for Ipswich Public Schools, and faculty for Longy’s Music Education department, has been named one of 25 semifinalists for the 2027 Music Educator Award, presented by the Recording Academy and the Grammy Museum. Semifinalists were selected from more than 2,000 initial nominations. This is Coelho’s third nomination in five years. He was also nominated in 2022 and 2024 and reached the top 10 finalists both times.
The Music Educator Award honors teachers who have made a significant and lasting contribution to music education and who are committed to keeping music in schools. The Recording Academy will announce 10 finalists in November. The recipient will be flown to Los Angeles to attend the Grammy Awards and will receive a $10,000 honorarium.
Coelho taught music education at Longy before joining Ipswich Public Schools in 2015 as director of the middle and high school orchestras. He became the district’s director of fine arts in 2022. He is the founder of Concert for Hope, a nonprofit that presents annual concerts to fund and promote charities, and has served as a conducting fellow with the Cape Ann Symphony and conductor of the Intermezzo Orchestra at Northeast Massachusetts Youth Orchestras.
Coelho holds a master’s degree in music teacher education from Boston Conservatory at Berklee and a bachelor’s degree in music studies and music teacher education from UMass Lowell.
Alice Tsui: 2026 CMA Foundation Music Teacher of Excellence
Alice Tsui of New Bridges Elementary School in Brooklyn, NY, is one of 30 educators from 12 states named to the 2026 class of CMA Foundation Music Teachers of Excellence. The class was celebrated on October 7 at a red-carpet gala at The Pinnacle in Nashville, marking the program’s 10th anniversary.
Presented by the Country Music Association’s philanthropic arm, Music Teachers of Excellence selects honorees through a rigorous application process that considers instructional excellence, classroom innovation, and a demonstrated commitment to leadership, collaboration, and student success. Each honoree receives a $5,000 award, split evenly between personal use and their classroom or program, along with a year of professional development and access to CMA’s industry network. Over its first decade, the program has recognized more than 200 educators.
At Longy, Tsui teaches Social and Emotional Learning in the Trauma Informed Classroom, a course that counts toward the MMME Online degree.
Learn From the Educators Shaping the Field
Online Music Teacher Education students study with faculty who mentor early career teachers across Massachusetts, build nationally recognized school orchestra programs, and bring trauma-informed practice into elementary classrooms. The program is fully online and designed for working music teachers who want an advanced degree while staying in their classrooms.