By Fallan Patterson
Staff Writer

Eric Troop, middle school music teacher and band director at Bellalago Academy, has been selected as one of five outstanding music teachers from across the nation to be honored at Carnegie Hall in New York on March 11 by the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports music education in public schools across the country.

The prestigious award recognizes music teachers who best emulate the personal characteristics and dedication of Mr. Holland, portrayed by Richard Dreyfuss in the hit 1995 movie “Mr. Holland’s Opus.”

Bellalago Academy Principal Wendy Honeycutt recruited Troop four years ago from a small school in Lancaster, Pa., where he was a substitute music teacher. His Mickey Mouse tie caught her eye.

“You know how you just see something in somebody,” Honeycutt said. “He just has a heart for these kids.”

Troop, 34, said he was offered the job after a half an hour interview. He and his wife decided that night to move to Florida.

“I’ve always wanted to be a teacher,” he said.

As for the award, Troop said he wished it were more about his students.

“It’s focused on one person but if it wasn’t for the students, I mean, it’s more their award than mine,” he said. “It’s nicer for the (school) district to have good news, rather than budget cuts.”

Music teachers who receive this honor have met a high level of criteria including: instilling a love of music in their students through instrumental music instruction in kindergarten through 12th grade; having the passion, dedication and leadership skills to persevere under difficult circumstances; giving generously of their time, energy and talent, exceeding what is expected of music educators; and demonstrating creativity regardless of availability of instruments, materials, classroom space and budget limitations.

The criteria also includes inspiring students and challenging them to attain the highest level of musicianship and encouraging musical growth through ongoing individual and group performance, auditions and evaluations.

Wynton Marsalis, an internationally acclaimed musician and educator and artistic director of jazz at the Lincoln Center, will hand out the awards for the foundation during a concert featuring the songs of Judy Garland performed by the New York Pops and conducted by Steven Reineke.

The award is funded by Guitar Center, which has been the sole sponsor since the inception of the award in 2003.

“Teachers like those we honor this year provide inspiration to our children,” Marty Albertson, chairman and former CEO of Guitar Center, stated in a press release. “Their unselfish dedication needs to be recognized and rewarded, and we need to encourage others to follow in their footsteps to help shape the future of our society.”

Troop has been at Bellalago Academy since August of 2007. He has taught general music, keyboard, beginning band and advanced band.

Troop also teaches drum line and plans to begin a jazz group, both after school. He also composed most of the pieces his keyboard students played in an after-school recital this week.

“For some students, this is their whole day, wanting to play music,” Troop said. “All of them want to perform, all of them want to be heard.”

Troop and Honeycutt also accepted the Florida Music Educator Association’s 2010/11 Secondary Music Enrollment Award for exceeding 35 percent of students being enrolled in band or chorus. Forty percent of Bellalago students are in at least one music class.

Troop said when he began at Bellalago in 2007, 30 students were enrolled in band; now, 150 students vie to play an instrument.

He saw a need for instruments for the students and pursued a grant from Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation last year, according to Dana Schafer, spokeswoman for the Osceola County School District. After an extensive application process and site visit from the foundation, Troop was awarded $36,000 for instruments before receiving this award.

The school was given four tubas, four trumpets, three saxophones and two flutes through the grant to complete the band.

“The dedication and passion that you find from Mr. Troop is unparalleled,” Honeycutt said. “He clearly has a heart for his students and a love for music. When notified of this most recent honor, he was very humble and surprised. What he does on a daily basis for his students comes straight from his heart and is not for any type of recognition.”

Troop was in chorus and played percussion in band and orchestra throughout high school.

“A lot of percussionists do not become bandleaders,” he said.

Before college, Troop “tried to be a rock star” as the lead singer of an alternative rock band called The 3rd Skill, which toured and produced two albums, he said.

This year’s awards will mark the 15th anniversary of the foundation, created by composer Michael Kamen who died in 2003.

“Michael would be very proud to see his legacy continued through our work,” Felice Mancini, executive director of foundation and daughter of legendary composer Henry Mancini, said. “During the past 15 years, hundreds of thousands of children have been able to continue their music education as a result of our efforts, but we’ve still only scratched the surface.”

The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation donates new and refurbished musical instruments to underserved schools, community music programs and individual students nationwide in an effort to give youngsters the many benefits of music education, to help them to be better students and to inspire creativity and expression through playing music.

Since 1996, instruments have been donated to 1,124 school and community music programs across the country benefiting thousands of students.

More information can be found at www.mhopus.org.