PHIL AGUGLIA - BMHOF CLASS OF 2024

Phil Aguglia is a passionate and accomplished music educator who discovered his love  for music as a student in the City of Buffalo Public School System. His passion for music  led him to pursue a Bachelor of Music Education degree at Ithaca College, where he  honed his skills and developed his teaching philosophy. 

Later, he completed his Masters  in Music at SUNY Fredonia.  As a music educator, Phil has made a significant impact on the lives of his students, and  his teaching methodology is unique. He created the instrumental music curriculum  "Thinking out of the Box," which enables students to progress from beginners to  college-level material in four years of instruction. 

This curriculum has been highly  successful and has earned Phil recognition as a leading music educator.  Throughout his career, Phil has taught music in various schools, including Medford, MA,  West Valley, NY, Cleveland Hill USFD in Cheektowaga, NY, and since 2002, Kenmore  East High School in Tonawanda, New York. His dedication to music education has been  recognized with numerous awards and nominations, including the Grammy Foundation  (2015 semifinalist/2023 Finalist), People Magazine, Walt Disney Corporation, Erie  County Music Educator Association, The Conn/Selmer Corporation, SUNY Buffalo  State, and the Buffalo Bills.  

Phil is not only an exceptional educator but also a sought-after conductor, clinician, and  speaker. He has proudly served on the board of trustees for the Music is Art  organization since 2008. Phil is also the owner of PaGu Batons, which are used by  prestigious conductors worldwide and have been featured in the 2020 Oscars and  Leonard Bernstein's batons in the movie "Maestro."  

Phil and his wife Cindy have been married for over 25 years and have two children. He  has truly dedicated his life to music education and has made a profound impact on the  lives of his students.