Keith Johnson, director of Bands at El Cerrito High School, was recently selected to receive the prestigious Paul A. Shaghoian Jazz Educator Award from the California Music Educators Association (CMEA), according to the West Contra Costa Unified School District.
Johnson, who also serves as a lecturer of music at California State University, East Bay, has led the band program at El Cerrito High with distinction and dedication since 2009. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to jazz education across the state.
He will be formally honored at the CASMEC Awards Reception on Jan. 15, 2026, in Sacramento, and tickets will be available soon here. Supporters are encouraged to attend and celebrate this milestone.
A Bay Area native, Johnson holds a B.A. in music and an M.A. in music education (wind conducting emphasis) from San José State University. His students have performed at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, and his program has been featured at major conferences including the Midwest Clinic. His teaching honors include El Cerrito High’s Teacher of the Year (2020), CMEA Bay Section’s Outstanding Jazz Educator (2018), KRON4 Teacher of the Week (2016), CMEA Bay Section’s Outstanding Music Educator (2014), the West County Ed Fund’s Teaching Excellence Award (2014), and West Contra Costa Teacher of the Year (2014).
