Avalon Music Academy takes second place in international award competition

HOLLAND — Avalon Music Academy finished runner-up for the International Music School of the Year Award.

The announcement comes weeks after the music school learned it was one of seven in the world to be considered.

The school was selected from a group of more than 500 schools within the Music Academy Success System, an international trade association.

As part of the award process, Rich Burkholder, who owns Avalon with his wife Marie, made a 15-minute presentation at the association’s annual conference in Las Vegas last week.

More: Avalon Music Academy in running for international award

“The presentation was a challenge from the standpoint that it was tough to encapsulate how amazing all the people involved in our school are — our students, families, teachers and staff — and get that into 15 minutes,” Burkholder said. “I explored the soul of our school and all the events that brought us to where we are today.”

It’s been a busy few years for Avalon, which recently purchased a new facility at 144 Coolidge Ave. The school moved to the new space in September.

Avalon is now approaching 1,000 students. In addition to dance classes, the school offers private lessons in piano, guitar, ukulele, drums, bass, violin, cello and voice.

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Burkholder said the awards process served as a learning experience that's since developed into a new podcast, "Avalon State of the Arts," which he hosts with Marie.

“We share interesting topics about our school in a fun, easy-to-listen-to format,” Burkholder said. “The first episode is available now on our website, Facebook page and on all streaming platforms.”

To learn more, visit avalonmusicacademyofholland.com.

— Contact reporter Austin Metz at ametz@hollandsentinel.com.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Avalon Music Academy takes second place in international award competition