Music educators from around the country to attend CMA Awards in Nashville

NASHVILLE, TN -- 30 music educators from around the country will travel to Nashville for the 55th Annual CMA Awards. The teachers will be recognized as part of the Country Music Association Foundation's "Music Teachers of Excellence" program.

"I think anytime that music education is put on the spotlight it's a great thing," said Keith Hancock, the choir director at Tesoro High School in Las Flores, CA. "I'm honored to be kind of the face of that for the CMAs and to help spread the word about the value and the importance of music."

"I think what the CMA foundation is doing for kids is just so important," said singer-songwriter Lauren Alaina, who will serve as the CMA foundation ambassador. "I'm very excited about all of the fun stuff that we're gonna get to do to raise awareness."

"I give them real world experiences," said high school music educator Neshawn Calloway in Chattanooga, Tennessee. "They get that experience of what it's like to actually gig."

Jose Antonio Diaz, the Jazz band director at MacArthur High School in Houston, Texas, will also be among the honorees.

"From the first time I walked into a classroom, I knew it's where I belonged," said Kayla Werlin, a music teacher at Longmeadow HS in Western Massachusetts. "I'm just honored to be chosen by them."

The CMA Awards air Wednesday, Nov 10th on ABC.