The Washington Music Educators Association (WMEA) named Ward Brannman, music teacher at Kamiakin Junior High, as the WMEA Middle School/Junior High Music Educator of the year.

Brannman has been the director of bands at Kamiakin Junior High School in the Lake Washington School District since 1986.

A Bothell resident, he is a graduate of the Shoreline School District and a 1985 graduate of the University of Washington with a B.A. in Music Education and a Bachelor of Music degree.

While at the U.W., he studied trumpet and jazz studies with Roy Cummings and conducting under Vilem Sokol. He also holds a Master’s of Education degree with a focus on Integrated Arts Education.

Brannman has taught concert groups, jazz studies, conducting, and brass pedagogy and has served as a clinician and adjudicator for state-wide concert band and solo/ensemble festivals.

Brannman is listed in several editions of “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers” and in 1998, was awarded Washington state’s “Christa McCauliffe Excellence In Education Award” in Olympia.

In 2004, he was awarded the Northlake Region’s “Outstanding Music Educator of the Year” in Yakima and received the Washington PTA’s Golden Acorn Award in 2007.

Brannman also is serving as Washington’s Jr. All-State Band Manager and was recently selected as this year’s KING5 “Best of Western Washington” Favorite Teacher.

Brannman currently directs five concert bands and the school’s Jazz Ensemble.

Outside of work, he loves to dabble in photography. His wife plays viola and they have two daughters; an 11th grader and a college junior at CWU majoring in Music Education who plays the clarinet.

He will be recognized at the WMEA Conference banquet in Yakima, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 18.