Mr. Eric Perkins, Oquirrh Hills Middle School
Dec 17, 2025, 7:01 PM | Updated: Jan 8, 2026, 12:19 pm
“Mr. Perkins has been the band teacher at Oquirrh Hills Middle School for over 20 years, and he is more than deserving of this award!
I don’t know if you’ve ever been in a room where 40 kids are just learning a new instrument, and I seriously don’t know how band teachers deal with the chaos of those noises day in a day out during the learning process, but Mr. Perkins really seems to have a great sense of joy watching them progress and he praises their progess frequently during their concerts. It seems the kids can feel his belief in them and they want to rise to the occasion! It’s been incredible to watch them create recognizable tunes in such a short time!
My son Ashton joined band as a new 7th grader, never having played the clarinet before. He enjoyed it so much that he took up the trumpet as well in 8th grade and joined the Jazz band in addition to the regular band class. Mr. Perkins chooses songs the kids love to play, like, How to Train Your Dragon and Sleigh Ride. For Halloween, not only does he allow his students to dress up for their concert, but he comes dressed in the most amazing costumes himself! He has been gracious to stay after and help my son with his instrument challenges, or listen to something new he learned that he just can’t wait to show Mr. Perkins!
What a gift Mr. Perkins is to the students at our school! He is giving them a gift that can bring them great joy for the rest of their lives and, in the interim, provides the students with a class where they can move, express themselves, and have a little break from the monotony of other difficult courses in their schedules. We love Mr. Perkins!”
-Jessica Sabin
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