Robert W. Krueger, Creator of Newsday Marching Band Festival,
Selected Music Educator of Note

(Port Jefferson, NY, January 18, 2012) -- The Long Island Music Hall of Fame (LIMHoF) is proud to announce Robert W. Krueger, formerly of Northport, will be
the recipient of the 2011 Music Educator of Note. The presentation will be made at the Fourth Induction Award Ceremony and Fundraising Gala, in the fall of 2012.

From 1957-1982 Robert W. Krueger served as the Director of Music Education for the Northport – East Northport Union Free School District. Under his direction, the music program there became one of the premiere programs in the country. He served as president of the Nassau Music Educator's Association (NMEA), the Suffolk County Music Educator's Association, (SCMEA) and the New York State Council of
Administrators of Music Education.Krueger created the Northport Community Band in 1959, which performs to this day in a bandshell that now bears his name, and was the creator of the Newsday Marching Band Festival, which celebrated it's 49th year in 2011.

Broadway legend -- and sousaphone player -- Patti LuPone said of Krueger, in her book Patti LuPone: A Memoir, "Our bandleader, Robert Krueger, was a graduate of Northwestern University and was able to get the most current Northwestern musical arrangements and marching routines. People came to the football games as much to see the band as to see the football team."

"Being selected as the recipient of the 2011 LIMHoF Educator of Note was not only a personal thrill but an opportunity for me to reflect upon what is truly important in this profession we call music education," said Krueger. "Having been retired for over 30 years has given me the chance to stand back and ask myself what or who gave me the insight that brought about whatever success has been attributed to my career. More time must be found so that more teachers can become master teachers for the good of the students and the profession itself."

"The Long Island Music Hall of Fame is thrilled to honor a true giant in music education," said LIMHoF Vice-Chair and Chair of the Education Committee Tom Needham. "His unique contributions to students, arts organizations, the Northport community and the Newsday Marching Band Festival changed the musical landscape of Long Island for decades."

The Music Educator of Note Award is open to any music educator (public or private) who demonstrates an exceptional and long-term commitment to music education in geographic Long Island (Queens, Brooklyn, Nassau or Suffolk counties). Any colleague, current or former student may nominate an educator for consideration.

The Music Educator of Note Award was created in 2007. The first recipient was Herbert A. Deutsch, Professor Emeritus of Hofstra University and a leading electronic music pioneer, teacher, composer and mentor for more than 40 years. The 2008 Music Educator of Note recipient was John McNeur, the Founder and Executive Director of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of New York and Director of Music for the GRAMMY Signature Gold School Award-winning Herricks Public Schools. Joseph Sugar was presented the 2009 award posthumously. He had most
recently served as adjunct professor at Long Island University/C.W. Post Campus before his passing. The 2010 Award was given to Laurence Ballereau, the Director of Bands at Syosset High School.

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Long Island Music Hall of Fame (LIMHoF) is a 501(c)(3) museum organization dedicated to the idea that Long Island's musical heritage is an important resource to be celebrated and preserved for future generations. The organization defines Long Island geographically as Kings, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties. The Hall
of Fame is creating a museum home in Port Jefferson where the story of the Island's musical heritage will be told and where resources for musicians of the future will be available. They also sponsor traveling educational exhibits and a scholarship program. For more information about the Long Island Music Hall of Fame, please call 631-828-3914, or visit http://limusichalloffame.org/