Morton High School is one of 125 schools nationwide and one of 11 in Illinois selected as a GRAMMY Signature Schools semifinalist for 2012.

The GRAMMY Signature Schools program, created in 1998, recognizes top U.S. public high schools that are making an outstanding commitment to music education.

The other Illinois high schools named semifinalists are Elk Grove, Evanston, Freeport, Glenbard West, Metea Valley, O'Fallon, Neuqua Valley, Prospect, Stevenson, Waubonsie Valley and York.

Over 20,000 schools were contacted by the GRAMMY Foundation in August and submitted GRAMMY applications online in October. They were asked to submit additional documentation, such as recordings of school concerts, sample concert programs and repertoire. An independent blue-ribbon committee of top music educators and professionals determined the semifinalists.

Finalists will be announced in mid-March and the selected schools will receive a GRAMMY award and a monetary grant ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 to benefit their music program. The top schools are designated Gold recipients, and the best of the Gold recipients is named the National GRAMMY Signature School. The remaining schools are designated GRAMMY Signature Schools.

Music by Craig Fitzpatrick based on Celestial Night by Richard Danielpour and Fix You by Coldplay- Battery percussion by Bob Hornsby