Phil Kent of Lafayette High School has received the 2015 Outstanding Director award from the Kentucky chapter of the American String Teachers Association (ASTA). He accepted the honor, which recognizes excellence in teaching and leadership, during the ASTA annual meeting and awards luncheon Feb. 6 in Louisville. “Having the opportunity to work with such great administrators and faculty at Lafayette High School is a dream come true,” said Kent, who cited community, friendships and outreach as key to the program’s vision. “Our orchestra provides a variety of essential elements in our students’ lives,” he said. “Participation in such a large group involves not just musical talent, but discipline, maturity, social skills and personal responsibility. If everyone does their part, the experience will definitely be rewarding!”
One admirer who nominated Kent for the statewide award called him a great teacher and mentor, saying, “Within his four short years at Lafayette, he has established an encouraging climate where students are inspired to make music together.”
A native of Scottsville, Kent attended the University of Kentucky and Western Kentucky University and earned a bachelor’s degree in Instrumental Music Education, K-12. He also has a master’s degree in Music Education with a string emphasis from VanderCook College of Music in Chicago. Kent has been an orchestra director for 11 years, including four at Lafayette. Under his leadership, the orchestra students have received distinguished ratings at the KMEA large ensemble assessments and consistent gold-level recognition with the KMEA Program of Excellence. Kent also helped establish Giving Bach, a community outreach program dedicated to students with special needs.