Pinole Valley High School, 2018 Winner
Erik Radkiewicz is an accomplished musician who instills his love for the profession in his music students at Pinole Valley High School. He believes it is a life lesson for students to be a member of his marching band. They learn that they can accomplish only as much as they put in. There are no shortcuts. Practice brings success. The students also learn that everyone in the band has a job to do. A third clarinet is just as important as a first trombone. Erik was his school district’s nominee this fall for Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year. Last December, he was also named by School Band and Orchestra Magazine as one of the 50 high school band directors in the country who “make a difference.”