Edna Y. Grace, a native of Charleston, South Carolina, received a B.S. in Music Education from South Carolina State College, an M.A. in Music from Ohio State University, and an M.Ed. in Administration and Supervision from the Citadel.
Edna was employed by Charleston County as a choral/general music teacher and then band director from 1981 to 1991. The 1991 school year marked the start of her tenure in Berkeley County at College Park Middle School, where she was employed until 2007. While at College Park, the bands under her instruction received the highest ratings at the state Concert Festival and Solo and Ensemble Festival, while individual students were selected for membership in honor bands (Berkeley All-County, Region Five Honor Band, and South Carolina All-State Bands). The band program consistently received the SCBDA Outstanding Performance Award and earned the honor of performance at the 2003 SCMEA conference. During the 1997-98 school year, Ms. Grace was selected as College Park’s Teacher of the Year and was named a top three finalist for the district. While at College Park, she also served as an assistant director at Stratford High School during marching season. In the fall semester of 2007, Edna became the director of bands at Stratford, where with assistant director LeeAnn Moore, students continued a tradition of excellence through participation in the concert bands, jazz band, marching band, small ensembles, symphony orchestra, winter guard/dance line, class piano, and class guitar. Here the bands received the highest ratings at the state Concert Festival and Solo and Ensemble Festival, while individual students were selected for membership in honor bands (Berkeley All-County, Region Five Honor Band, and South Carolina All-State Bands).
At the start of her thirty-fifth teaching year, Ms. Grace took the sole position at Stratford High School as director of the choral music program, having had the dual role of head band director and choral director the previous four years. Her primary goal has been to increase student membership in the program while continuing the program’s past excellence.
Edna has served as an honor band clinician and concert band adjudicator in South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Georgia. Professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education (formerly National Education Association), Music Educators National Conference, National Band Association (NBA), Phi Beta Mu Honorary Band Fraternity, Women Band Directors International, the South Carolina Band Directors Association which she has served as secretary and as a member of several committees (Solo and Ensemble, All-State, Concert Festival, Winter Ensemble), the American Choral Directors Association, and the South Carolina American Choral Directors Association. She has been an adjunct faculty member of Charleston Southern University, teaching studio oboe and Music Appreciation. Edna has been active in community music ensembles, including the Summerville Community Orchestra, the Charleston Wind Ensemble (one year as conductor), and the Goose Creek Community Band, for which she currently serves as conductor. Among the honors that have been presented to Ms. Grace are the NBA Citation of Excellence and the WBDI Scroll of Excellence. She also serves her church as substitute organist/pianist, class leader, and director of the Women’s Choir.