SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio band director was awarded the Manilow Music Teacher Award, which comes with $10,000 in grants. 

What You Need To Know

  • Sam Houston High School band director Bruce Adams was chosen by a community vote as the winner for the San Antonio area

  • The award comes from Barry Manilow’s philanthropic organization—the Manilow Music Project—which announced it was giving one high school music teacher in each of the cities Manilow visited on his summer tour the award

  • The honor comes with $5,000 for new band instruments for Sam Houston and another $5,000 to be spent as Adams chooses

  • On Aug. 15, Adams will accept his award during Manilow’s concert

Sam Houston High School band director Bruce Adams was chosen by a community vote as the winner for the San Antonio area. 

“As the process moved along, it was a humbling experience to walk into the grocery store and community members would recognize me and say, ‘Hello Mr. Adams. I am voting for you daily,’” Adams said in an article from the San Antonio Independent School District. 

The award comes from Barry Manilow’s philanthropic organization—the Manilow Music Project—which announced it was giving one high school music teacher in each of the cities Manilow visited on his summer tour the award. 

The honor comes with $5,000 for new band instruments for Sam Houston and another $5,000 to be spent as Adams chooses. 

Adams said he grew up watching Manilow on television, and now he will get to see him in person. On Aug. 15, Adams will accept his award during Manilow’s concert. 

Adams attended SAISD all throughout his childhood. He even graduated from the school he now teaches at, Sam Houston. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Florida A&M University, and then he returned home to Texas to teach at SAISD for the past 27 years—17 of those years at Sam Houston. 

Sam Houston principal Dr. Nakeshia Bibbs said that Adams “embodies the qualities of an outstanding teacher” and the impact he has had on the community is “immeasurable.”

“Mr. Adams has consistently demonstrated an unparalleled dedication to his students, a passion for music education, and an unwavering commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment,” Bibbs said in the SAISD article.

Adams said he was pleased that the community showed their support for him and that the money will help further the education of his students. 

“I am grateful that my community and friends saw fit to keep up the voting fight until the end,” Adams said in the article. “The monetary prize means that we can further the education of the students by purchasing items that the students may need.”