Bill Podolski was alone at recess as an elementary schooler in New York when the band teacher approached him.

Podolski didn’t have many friends at the time, he said, and the educator mentioned he might be a good fit in the band. He accepted the recommendation and quickly learned an instrument.

Then, his perspective shifted. He felt a connection with other students in a “way that I wasn’t finding on the soccer field,” he recalled.

It’s the same feeling Podolski said he hopes to create for his choir students at H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program in Arlington, Virginia. He won’t accept it when someone tells him they can’t sing, and he strives to help everyone find their voice.

A parent nominated Podolski for the 2026 Grammy Music Educator Award for those efforts, and he learned last week he’s

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