Greensboro, N.C. – At Tuesday night’s Board of Education meeting, Guilford County Schools (GCS) administrators recognized Jefferson Elementary School piano teacher Davis Cahill.

Cahill has been named the recipient of the inaugural Keys of Inspiration Teacher of the Year Award from the Lang Lang International Music Foundation. The award celebrates the achievements, creativity and excellence of Keys of Inspiration teachers across the world. Mr. Cahill beat out dozens of applicants from Keys of Inspiration teachers across the country.

Davis has been teaching in the Keys of Inspiration Program for five years. During that time, he developed and led a summer program through the Guilford County Summer Arts Institute, provided private piano and guitar lessons, and created engaging classroom lessons by integrating music that students hear on the radio or stream on the platform of their choice.

“Although piano is the main skill that I teach, my heart’s goal as a teacher is to instill love, grace, and patience into these kids and pray that they carry those virtues throughout the rest of their life,” Cahill said.

As part of the 2022 Keys of Inspiration Teacher of the Year Award, Cahill will receive a $5,000 prize, and lead a workshop for young scholars in New York City that explores how young musicians can contribute to the next generation. In addition to the workshop, Cahill will also be recognized at the Lang Lang and Friends Gala Concert Dinner on September 21.

About the Lang Lang International Music Foundation Keys of Inspiration Program.

The Grammy-nominated, internationally-renowned pianist Lang Lang, has been supporting children through music for over a decade. Keys of Inspiration® is an innovative program that encourages piano performance at all levels as a means of social development for youth by providing students with a safe, creative outlet in school. The Foundation partners with school districts across the country to implement the program in Title 1 elementary schools.  Designed to redefine what music education looks like in American public schools and inspire change from within, KOI weaves rigorous, keyboard-centric musical instruction into selected Title 1 public schools’ mandatory curriculum––integrating group piano classes for grades 2-5 twice a week.  

About Guilford County Schools 

Guilford County Schools, the third-largest school district in North Carolina and the 50th largest of more than 14,000 in the United States, serves nearly 70,000 PK-12 students at 126 schools. With approximately 9,800 employees, GCS works in partnership with parents, businesses, colleges, and the community to deliver an education that connects student interests and skills with the careers and economy of our future here and around the world. We provide educational choices to meet individual student needs in a culturally diverse citizenship and new opportunities to help our students Soar to Greatness. For more information, visit the district’s website at www.gcsnc.com.

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