Music Teacher Clara Glover recently received The Jean Singer Award for Choral Music Excellence. This very prestigious award is only presented when someone is deemed worthy of receiving it, but never more often than every two years.

Confucius is quoted as saying, “Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without,” so the famous quote from Tyler County should say, “Clara Glover produces the kind of leadership in music that we cannot, will not and must not, do without.”

Glover, a music teacher in the Tyler County school system for 35 years, sincerely loves her job and it shows in every students life she touches and success story attached to the choir room at Tyler Consolidated High School.

“I’m very, very blessed,” she said. “I love what I do and I love that I get to share my love for music with my students. I can’t see myself doing anything else.”

On Saturday, Glover’s love was recognized and rewarded as she received the Jean Singer Award for Choral Music Excellence presented by the West Virginia Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association.

The American Choral Directors Association is a nonprofit music-education organization whose central purpose is to promote excellence in choral music though performance, composition, publication, research, and teaching. They strive through arts advocacy to elevate choral music’s position in the American society.

“I was stunned,” she said. “I had no clue and when they announced my name, I was overwhelmed. I am so very humbled to be in such company. I mean, they are all Doctors and college professors, and I’m just little old country, redneck me. I can’t begin to describe all the emotions that came over me. I’m so blessed.”

The Jean Singer Award for Choral Music Excellence is named for Jean Singer, who taught for more than 30 years at Parkersburg High School and had a reputation for choral excellence. The ACDA presented her with this award in 1999 after her retirement, and voted to name the award after her. This very prestigious award is only presented when someone is deemed worthy of receiving it, but never more often than every two years.

Past recipients of the Jean Singer award, including Singer include: Alfred R. deJaager – West Liberty University: Choral Music, Conducting, Fine Arts/ Dr. Truman Dalton – West Virginia State College at Institute – Director of Choral activities / Dr. Larry Parsons – West Virginia Wesleyan – Choral Music/ Donna Kinsey – retired from Morgantown High School.

“I believe we have the best Fine Arts program in the state of West Virginia,” said principal at Tyler Consolidated High School, Kent Yoho. “Clara Glover is one of our Fine Arts teachers, and her program is successful every year. And when you are successful every year consistently, a major portion of that is due to the instructor. Clara Glover is simply the best.”

The 2011 recipient of the Jean Singer award for Choral Excellence has also received the West Virginia Choral Director of the Year Award; the West Virginia Music Educator of the Year Award, 1994 Tyler Consolidated High School Teacher of the Year and Tyler County Teacher of the Year. She has served 18 years as the WVACDA High School Repertoire and Standards Chair and as the Chair of the West Virginia All State Chamber Choir which has gained National recognition as one of the top three choirs to guest conduct in the country. She is a member of the WVACDA Executive Board, a member of the West Virginia Vocal Association executive board, Region six All State Chorus Chair for more than 20 years and has served as secretary and treasurer of the WV Vocal Association.