Choosing a cool outfit and a chance to meet Beyoncé are two things Rachel Jayson, a 2027 Grammy Music Educator Award semifinalist and the director of Lexington High School’s renowned Chamber Orchestra, would look forward to if they get to attend the 2027 Grammy Awards.
The semifinalist recognition highlights Jayson’s nearly two-decade career in music education, with an impact that extends across LHS’s music program. But Jayson’s relationship with string instruments and music education first began when they were very young — long before the possibility of a Grammy red carpet.
“I loved how versatile string instruments were. And I was much more interested in ensemble playing, because I loved all the pieces fitting together,” Jayson said. “Wherever I could cram myself into music, I was going for it, and I loved being able to work with people. I’m the guy in my high school class that did exactly what I said I was gonna do.”
Jayson did their student teaching at LHS while earning a master’s in music education at Boston Conservatory. Right after graduating, they were hired there in a part-time job assisting with the Repertoire Orchestra.
“At the time, there were just two orchestras. Janet Haas, the former orchestra director, and I made the decision to split into three orchestras, which meant I started Symphony Orchestra and built it up as a first honors experience,” Jayson said.
During their time with Symphony Orchestra, Jayson commissioned their first work, a Bulgarian piece by Vessela Stoyanova.
“I had been playing a lot of Bulgarian music, and I really wanted to be able to bring this into the classroom. With the commissioned piece, the students get to live inside of this music in a way that is not the same as when you just order sheet music, and it shows up,” Jayson said.
When Jayson started to lead LHS’s Chamber Orchestra — the school’s most advanced — they hoped to bring the ensemble’s music to a wider audience.
“One big goal I had was to get the group to travel a little bit more. I was very interested in seeing what would happen if we got to interact with other students. Also, we were doing all this cool music, but we were premiering all these pieces in our auditorium to 12 people,” Jayson said.
Under Jayson’s leadership, Chamber Orchestra traveled for the first time in 2023, winning third place at the National Orchestra Festival, held at the American String Teachers Association National Conference.
“We just had no idea what we were up against. And the judges were really blown away. They were like, who are these guys?” Jayson said. “There were string teachers from across the country that were listening to our pieces and saying, ‘I want to program this with my kids.’ So then I knew we could amplify the really cool stuff we were doing through these competitions.”
The ensemble followed that performance with a second-place finish in 2024. They were then invited to compete in the National Orchestra Cup, and won in 2025.
“That experience of getting to see the other schools that were competing at that caliber was already incredible. Being able to work with and be in the room with some of these legacy music teachers and players, and then to hear them reinforce what we’re doing, I was really excited about it,” Jayson said.
This year, Chamber Orchestra is scheduled to perform at the NAfME Eastern Division Conference, one of only two string orchestras selected to perform. Beyond these achievements, Jayson also has their own personal goals for the ensemble.
“Every year, the goal is, how do we find our voice? You know, how do we find our tribe, how do we find our sound? How do we find our trust in each other?” Jayson said.
That focus on connection also informs how Jayson approaches their role as an educator.
“The most important qualities of being a music educator are clarity. Flexibility. Careful listening. Curiosity. None of that matters if there’s no connection to the people you’re making music with. It’s all people first. And then those qualities are the tools that you use to connect people with art,” Jayson said.
That same emphasis on human connection can be found in the repertoire Jayson chooses, and shapes the way they choose to approach conducting, especially during difficult pieces of music.
“I think a great educator and conductor is willing to bend with the mood of the ensemble, and discern when it’s the time to focus the energy and when it’s the time to let the orchestra breathe and spread,” Jayson said. “There’s a lot of art that feels uncomfortable. And that’s not bad. So there are tons of ways that my students can show agency, but I don’t think it does anybody justice to expect that students will like all of the songs.”
As for Jayson’s reaction when they first heard they were a semifinalist, there was only one word they could use to describe it.
“Elated. Being a music teacher can be lonely and isolating. And I think that the recognition that comes with being a semifinalist helps me feel more like a part of the larger music ed community and in amazing company,” Jayson said.
Applying for the award and being named as a semifinalist reinforced what Jayson had already known: that being a music educator was their calling.
“If you’re a human, you can make music. And music educators, you can change the world. One person at a time, one connection at a time,” Jayson said. “It takes years. But you will always know the value of your work. And it’s a really, really fantastic place to be.”