MONTAGUE — In recognition of her work to grow the music program at Turners Falls High School and Great Falls Middle School, music instructor Alyssa Comeau received a 2025 Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Award.

“To my understanding, this award is one of the top things you can receive as a Massachusetts teacher,” Comeau said about the honor, also known as the Grinspoon Award. “It means a lot to be recognized not only by my staff and my administration, but by my district.”

As a music teacher, Comeau said this award is also a recognition of the expressive art forms students are eager to pursue outside of their traditional academics. She said it meant so much to be recognized as a teacher, but also to have the arts recognized.

“It means a lot, not only to me, but to our students and to our community,” Comeau said. “Our community has seen the development of our program over the last couple of years, and how it has impacted school culture and our student happiness overall.”

Since 2003, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, in partnership with the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation, has been recognizing teachers across Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden counties with the Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Awards. Comeau was nominated for the award by her colleague Brian Lamore, and the nomination referenced Comeau’s leadership in growing the music program.

At the time Comeau joined the school district in the fall of 2020, only 12 students participated in music programming at the middle and high school. Now, there are 166 students participating in middle school and high school bands and choirs, and in the pep band and small band ensembles. Next school year, she’ll be offering two elective classes in guitar, plus an analysis course focusing on music in film.

Comeau has also expanded opportunities for elementary school engagement in the Gill-Montague Regional School District by hosting an after-school music program at Sheffield Elementary School, and she brings her middle and high school students to perform for classes at Gill and Sheffield elementary schools — an activity she said students particularly enjoy.

Before she started teaching music at Gill-Montague, Comeau graduated with her bachelor’s degree in music education from Keene State University in 2013. She spent a few years teaching before pursuing her master’s degree at Ithaca College in New York.

Although the pandemic posed initial challenges, like remote band and choir practices, Comeau persevered as an educator, and has seen the growth in her students. Students are able to make strides in their music education, like learning to sight-read music and performing with their peers, which leads to the students looking to engage with music outside the classroom.

“They are passionate and love what they do, so I’ve seen them develop skills in both music reading, sight-reading, looking for opportunities to play,” Comeau said of her students. “Because of that, it’s allowed me to offer those extracurricular clubs like jazz band and rock band, and for the kids who really love that style of music, it gives them their outlet.”

While the students are making large strides in their music education, Comeau said she is learning lessons of her own as an educator.

She said something she’s learned is to rein in the expectation of perfection that comes with musical performance. Rather, she wants students to perform at their very best, and feel good about what they have learned and showcased while not shying away from the valuable lessons that can be learned through failure.

“Everything is a learning opportunity, so failing is great. Having a concert where they didn’t practice enough, and they had to perform and didn’t feel good about it, is so much more growth mindset of, ‘OK, let’s look back [and] let’s watch what went great and what didn’t,’” Comeau said.

Additionally, she wants her students to gain perspective on their own growth. For example, if a student learned to play the flute two months ago, and they can get at least a couple notes out in a performance, “now you know what that feels like,” she said, describing that growth as a huge success.

Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.