The George N. Parks Award honors an exemplary music educator who embodies the characteristics and leadership that Mr. Parks showed his students every day. The recipient must have a collaborative spirit, dedication to knowing the students as people, perseverance and enthusiasm, and an ability to instill qualities in students beyond musical achievement.
"NAfME joins in celebrating the contributions to music education by Gary P. Gilroy, the 2025 recipient of the George N. Parks Award for Leadership in Music Education," stated NAfME President Cecil Adderley. "Gilroy's influence and legacy live beyond his more than four decades of teaching, with students who have gone on to become educators and step into leadership roles as well. But the impact on his students and colleagues as humans caring for others in their communities cannot be understated. We are pleased to honor Gary with this award alongside Music for All."
Gary P. Gilroy, D.M.A. recently retired after more than 45 years as a band director. He is Professor of Music Emeritus and Director of Bands Emeritus from California State University, Fresno. Prior to this appointment he served for a decade as Director of Bands at Fred C. Beyer High School in Modesto, California where his band was awarded the 1987 Bands of America Summer Nationals Class AAA Championships and the International Sudler Shield Award from the John Philip Sousa Foundation. He served on the board of California Band Directors Association (CBDA) for fourteen years and he is a Past President of that organization.
In March of 2014 Dr. Gilroy was voted into the membership of the prestigious American Bandmasters Association. Dr. Gilroy was given the CBDA Distinguished Service Award in 2014 and in 2015 the CBDA Don Schmeer Friend of Music award. In 2016 he was honored with the CMEA John Swain/College/University Educator award from the California Music Educators Association. And in 2024 the California Band Directors Association presented him with the Dave Goedecke Lifetime Achievement Award. As an adjudicator and guest conductor he has served in 40 states, Canada, China and England. His Wind Symphony of Clovis, a group of semi-professional musicians performed at the 72nd Annual Midwest Clinic in Chicago, Illinois.
An ASCAP Award-winning composer with more than 200 publications to his credit, Gilroy's music is published for concert band, marching band, and various ensembles through 14 publishers. He served as the arranger/composer for the 2008 Olympic Orchestra in Beijing, China. Dr. Gilroy and his wife Dena live in Clovis, California. His daughter, Alexandra, has music degrees from UCLA and UNLV and is currently a music teacher in the Clovis (CA) Unified School District and his son, Nicholas, is a graduate of CSU, Long Beach and a music teacher for the Fresno Unified School District.
Asked how he defined success in his music programs, Gilroy responded, "Not all forms of success are as easily observed as there are many other less tangible ways of identifying success that can be only seen through a different lens. For me, it was always an awesome experience to see students get that 'light bulb moment,' when they are truly excited that they just learned a new skill. There was nothing like the feeling I got when I realized I had broken through to a student. It would often give me goosebumps seeing how happy and excited they were to have learned something new. Seeing students fall in love with the music was always a real joy."
"I have served in many capacities in my professional career and have been around many outstanding people. Dr. Gilroy is at the top of those professionals," shared Lowell E. Graham, Professor Emeritus at the University of Texas at El Paso, John Philip Sousa Foundation President and CEO. "His focus on community engagement has led to a significant impact in his community. His leadership in this area with the annual three-day Dr. Lawrence R. Sutherland Wind Festival for the past 32 years at Fresno State is a testament to that fact. In 1996, Dr. Gilroy founded and runs what many consider the premier marching band competition on the west coast, the Fresno State Sierra Cup Classic.
"The legacy is seen in his students," Graham continued. "Many have assumed leadership roles as board members and Presidents of the California Band Directors Association and the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association. After all, it is about impact and people."
"The leadership in the state of California that Gary has provided has influenced, shaped, and fostered greatness in many band directors," added Dr. Frank Tracz, Director of Bands and Professor of Music at Kansas State University. "His teaching legacy is incredible, and the foundation he has set and expected from his students and band directors in the state is legendary and as strong as it gets. … The time and effort above and beyond the call of the position is something that Gary has lived by for years.
"Gary is also extremely active in the prestigious American Bandmasters Association where he chairs the 'IDEA' committee to promote underrepresented composers at all levels producing tremendous new compositions for all grade levels of bands," added Tracz. "Gary's visions and dreams have turned into reality and success for all of us."
Developed by NAfME and Music for All, the award is named for George N. Parks (1953–2010), director of the University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band at the University of Massachusetts Amherst from 1977 until his death. Considered a national authority on drum majoring, he led the George N. Parks Drum Major Academy®, a summer workshop program for high school drum majors. View past recipients here.
The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) is a collaborative community that supports music educators and advocates for equitable access to music education. The only association that addresses all aspects of music education, NAfME, together with its affiliated state music education associations, advocates at the national, state, and local levels and provides resources and opportunities for teachers, students, parents, and administrators. Founded in 1907 and representing more than 57,000 members teaching millions of students, NAfME advances the music education profession and promotes lifelong experiences in music.
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SOURCE National Association for Music Education
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