A holiday performance of “Silent Night” helped shape a 23-year career now honored by the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame.
SMITHTOWN, NY — Smithtown resident and Glen Cove High School educator Edward P. Norris III was named 2025 Educator of Note by the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF).
Norris will accept the award at a special presentation ceremony on Friday, March 20, at LIMEHOF in Stony Brook, located at 97 Main St., at 6:30 p.m. With a career spanning 23 years, Norris is the 19th Long Island music teacher to be recognized by LIMEHOF since the Educator of Note Award was established in 2007.
“Being recognized as the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame 2025 Educator of Note is a profound honor and a deeply humbling moment,” Norris said. “Long Island’s rich musical legacy has shaped generations of artists, and to play a role in nurturing that tradition through education is incredibly meaningful to me.”
Norris learned of the Educator of Note honor in late 2025 and expressed gratitude for peer nominations while admitting he is somewhat uncomfortable with personal recognition.
“It’s not what I do — it’s who I am. I’m a husband, a father and a conductor,” he said. “I learned about the award late last year. It’s very humbling. I’m not one for recognition. I like to keep it about the kids.”
The Educator of Note Award recognizes exceptional teachers who demonstrate a commitment to music education, play an active role in the community, and have a significant impact on the lives of music students of all backgrounds and abilities.
“Gold medals, national conferences, and international tours tell part of the story, but Edward Norris’ real legacy lives in the generations of students whose lives he’s transformed through music,” said LIMEHOF Vice Chairman Tom Needham, who manages the organization’s education programs.
Norris, originally raised in Freeport, recalled the moment he decided to pursue music education in December 1994, when he was a sophomore in high school. While singing Christmas carols with his chamber choir at the Freeport Salvation Army, he watched an elderly German woman become emotional during a performance of “Silent Night” in German.
“We sang ‘Silent Night’ around her — but we did it in German — and she started crying,” he recalled. “It took her back to when she was a child.”
The experience, he said, made him realize he wanted to become a high school choral teacher and use music to move people emotionally.
“I vividly remember going home and telling my parents, ‘I want to be a high school chorus teacher,’” Norris said. “That was the day. My whole life changed. I still do ‘Silent Night’ in German every holiday season with my choir because of that story. It’s one of the few things I do for me — just to remember that moment.”
Norris serves as the director of choral music at Glen Cove High School, where he conducts the Mixed Chorus and Select Chorale. He also teaches Music Theory and AP Music Theory. Norris has directed the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra’s Nassau Chamber Chorale for the past 20 years and is an adjunct professor at Long Island University, where he teaches choral music education and conducting and leads the university choir.
He is a graduate of the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, calling it a rigorous and defining period in his life. Norris earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education while studying under Dr. Lawrence Eisman, whom he credits with instilling the discipline and work ethic that continue to guide his teaching style.
“He saw something in me I don’t think I saw in myself,” Norris said. “He made me his assistant conductor. After rehearsals, he’d tell me two or three good things, then list everything I had to improve. He was one of the only people who said, ‘It’s not enough — you still have to push yourself to achieve greatness.’”
During Norris’ tenure at Glen Cove High School, the Mixed Chorus and Select Chorale have consistently received Gold Medals and Gold Medals with Distinction at NYSSMA Major Ensemble festivals. His program maintains a non-negotiable standard of excellence built on growth mindset and continuous improvement.
“The bar will never, ever be lowered,” he said. “It’s our job to get ourselves to that accepted standard of greatness. We’re never perfect — you can always add little things to make it better.”
Norris said he avoids a rigid teacher-student wall, allowing students to see him as human and approachable. He begins each class with a positive greeting, thanks students for their effort, and maintains communication through supportive notes and constructive feedback. Students affectionately call him “Nor.”
In 2013, the Select Chorale was invited to perform at the White House for President and Mrs. Obama. In January 2016, Norris and the Select Chorale toured Italy, performing at St. Peter’s Basilica, the Church of San Lorenzo, and the Basilica of St. Francis. During that tour, the choir also performed for Pope Francis at the Feast of the Epiphany at St. Peter’s.
Though his choirs have performed internationally and at prestigious venues, Norris said one of his most formative memories involved a student named Josh who became deeply interested in Mozart after a classroom lesson. The student later joined the military, and the two corresponded for years.
“I’ll never forget Josh,” Norris said. “He was a troubled kid, but he came to music class every day. We did a unit on Mozart, and he became fascinated. He came in one day with his iPod and said, ‘Mr. Norris, listen to this.’ It was the Mozart Requiem. He said he couldn’t get enough of it. It’s not a story about performing for Obama — it’s just a regular kid in a classroom who discovered something he didn’t know existed.”
In his personal life, Norris described himself first as a husband and father of four. He recharges creatively by spending time with his family, watching and playing sports, traveling, and going to the beach. He also coached flag and tackle football for nearly 10 years with i9 Sports and the St. James–Smithtown Pee Wee Football League.
“Winning a Suffolk County championship with my son felt like we won the Super Bowl,” he said. “I always want my kids to know they were first.”
The March 20 event will feature music performances by students from the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra as well as Glen Cove High School’s former and current students. The public is invited to attend at regular admission ticket prices, which include access to exhibits.
“If you had told me 23 years ago I would have done all these things — international tours, the White House — I would have laughed,” Norris said. “It’s because of the kids. This recognition is theirs. My only hope is to keep providing opportunities that can alter the course of a child’s life. Those magical rehearsal moments — that’s what keeps me going.”