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Sheldon High choir director wins national music educator award

Megan Purdue leads a choir at Sheldon High School, Oct. 8, 2025.
Nathan Wilk
/
KLCC
Megan Purdue leads a choir at Sheldon High School, Oct. 8, 2025.

A teacher at Sheldon High School in Eugene has been named one of the top music educators in the U.S. by the Country Music Association’s Foundation.

Standing in front of a piano, Megan Purdue led a giggly classroom in song. She showed off images of the actor Hugh Jackman on a projector, and had students share which one represented their current mood.

Perdue serves as the choral director at Sheldon High School in Eugene, and the K-12 music curriculum specialist for Eugene 4J school district.

“My goal is for my students to be lifelong music makers,” Perdue told KLCC. “When they can truly take the reins and I can step aside, and they can create music together, that's the most rewarding experience.”

With 4J, Perdue said she’s worked to increase access to adaptive instruments for students with disabilities. She said boxes of equipment are being sent to elementary schools this year.

And with her varsity choir class, Perdue said she’s focused on creating a welcoming space where students can build their up confidence.

“When I hear that students want to be in my classroom between classes, at lunch, I know they feel safe here,” said Perdue. “I have had some students who are struggling home or socially at school, so knowing they have a place to go really means the world to me.”

Nathan Wilk
/
KLCC
A varsity choir class at Sheldon High School in Eugene, Oct. 8, 2025.

Perdue is now one of 30 educators named in the CMA’s Foundation 2025 Music Teachers of Excellence.

Flora Stubbert, a senior at Sheldon, said she wasn’t really surprised by the news. She said Perdue is the best choir teacher in the U.S. and “maybe even the world.”

“The community that we have in choir is the greatest thing in any environment in school. You come in here and you find all of your friends–you’re never going to feel lonely,” said Stubbert. “And that’s here because Megan has worked so hard.”

As part of this award, Perdue is getting a $5,000 grant. She said this will help pay for the Sheldon varsity choir’s planned trip next year to New York, to perform at Carnegie Hall as part of an educational program.

“It’s gonna blow my mind as soon as I’m there,” said Marcelino Flores, a sophomore at Sheldon. “I just really can’t register in my head yet the grandness of this trip.”

Perdue said she wants the whole class to be able to attend. She said fundraising efforts are ongoing.

Her award also earned her a trip to Nashville for a ceremony and professional development opportunity. Now, Perdue has been invited back to attend the Country Music Awards next month.

“Fortunately, I feel very supported by administrators, my student teacher, and of course, my students,” said Perdue. “So I’m going to fly to Nashville, and I’m going to bring my mom, who’s a folk musician. It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”

Nathan Wilk joined the KLCC News Team in 2022. He is a graduate from the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. Born in Portland, Wilk began working in radio at a young age, serving as a DJ and public affairs host across Oregon.
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