When people think of the Grammy Awards, they think of their favorite musicians and singers walking the red carpet dressed in their finest. Or, maybe they think of JLo in the plunging green number by Versace in 2000. Most likely they are not thinking of their school orchestra or choral director.

And, they certainly are not thinking about the poor women who patiently pointed out for the 100th time where middle C is on the old piano in the family living room. Luckily, the folks who present the Grammy Awards see it differently.

"For every performer who makes it to the Grammy stage, there was a teacher who played a critical role in getting them there," says the Grammy for Music Educator's website.

Enter Debra Reilly, a musician, teacher and educator, who has been nominated and is a quarterfinalist for a Grammy Award as a music educator for the second year in a row.

Reilly, who resides in Penn Forest Streams with her husband Michael, was nominated by her student, Taylor Brown.

Brown is a junior at Parkland High School, where she plays the bass.

"When I was young, I thought I wanted to just be a full-time performer," Reilly said. "But I had a teacher who told me if I really loved it, then I needed to share it and I needed to teach it."

Music has always been a part of Reilly's life. Growing up in Philadelphia, she received her degree in viola performance from the College of Performing Arts in Philadelphia. She followed up with a teaching degree from Moravian College and a master's from Gratz College.

Reilly has been teaching music since 1981.

In 2005, she began working in the Parkland School District, where she is the middle school orchestra and strings director.

"When I started at Parkland, that first year I had 40 students; this coming year I will have 309 students," she said.

Reilly says music is the "universal language."

"For some children, music is their entire life," Reilly said. "It is such an important subject.

"Music teaches discipline. Not everyone who studies music will be a professional or a teacher, but they hopefully will become as passionate as I am."

Reilly practices what she preaches. In addition to teaching full time at Parkland, she has a number of private students.

Reilly, who practices on average three hours a day, also performs with the Allentown Symphony and performs freelance whenever the opportunity arises.

As for the Grammy nomination, once a teacher has been chosen as a quarterfinalist he or she must submit three videos to the selection committee.

The first video addresses the educator's "Proudest Moment."

"My proudest moment, is always the same," Reilly said. "It's standing on stage the night of the performance and seeing the joy in the faces of my students."

The second video asks how the educator is making a measurable difference in the lives of his or her students and their surrounding community.

The third video shows seven minutes of Reilly teaching one of her orchestras.

All the videos had to be submitted by June 11.

Now, Reilly has to sit back and wait along with the other 216 quarterfinalists.

In September, the semifinalists will be notified and the 10 finalists will be announced the first week in December.

The winner will be flown to Los Angeles, Calif., to attend Grammy week functions and to walk the red carpet.

Each of the 10 finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium. The winner will receive the Grammy Award along with a check for $10,000 and an additional check going toward music education in his or her school district.

Reilly is excited about the prospect of walking that red carpet and bringing home the award, but she clearly keeps things in perspective.

"I feel perfectly balanced in my life," she said. "I am teaching and performing, but I am able to share what I know, to pass it on to the kids and that is the most important part of what I do."