North Hills Band Director Len Lavelle wins $10,000 Manilow Music Project Teacher Award
![Len Lavelle, Band Director]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1741645387/nhsdnet/w59qozm7ulvvlqndrhjt/LenLavelle16x9.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1741645387/nhsdnet/w59qozm7ulvvlqndrhjt/LenLavelle16x9.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1741645387/nhsdnet/w59qozm7ulvvlqndrhjt/LenLavelle16x9.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1741645387/nhsdnet/w59qozm7ulvvlqndrhjt/LenLavelle16x9.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1741645387/nhsdnet/w59qozm7ulvvlqndrhjt/LenLavelle16x9.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1741645387/nhsdnet/w59qozm7ulvvlqndrhjt/LenLavelle16x9.jpg","width":2200}])
Heather Pelat
North Hills High School Band Director Len Lavelle has been named the Pittsburgh-area winner of the Manilow Music Project Teacher Award! Thanks to overwhelming community support and thousands of votes, Mr. Lavelle has earned a $10,000 prize that will benefit the North Hills music department.
The Manilow Music Project, created by music legend Barry Manilow, celebrates outstanding music educators across the country. As part of the honor, Mr. Lavelle will be recognized live on stage at Manilow’s concert at PPG Paints Arena on May 23.
"Mr. Lavelle is an extraordinary educator whose passion for music and dedication to students is unmatched," said Superintendent Dr. Patrick Mannarino. "This award reflects the incredible work he does each day and the strong support of our community."
A portion of the $10,000 award will be used to purchase instruments while the rest will help offset the cost of the program's annual trip to band camp at Camp Kon-o-Kwee.
The contest ran for about a month, from March 5 through April 3, with supporters encouraged to vote daily. The teacher with the most votes at the end of the contest was named the winner—and thanks to your dedication, that teacher was Mr. Lavelle!
We are so grateful to everyone in the community who voted and helped make this exciting win possible. Check out the video below, a special thank you from our students to all who supported this effort.
Congratulations, Mr. Lavelle!