Anand Sukumaran, ’06, has been striking the right note with students and the educational profession since graduating from the MSU College of Music and going on to teach in North Park, Illinois.

Sukumaran, the band director at Peterson Elementary since 2006, was recently recognized with high honors as a 2014 recipient of the Golden Apple Award. Sukumaran was among 10 Chicago-area recipients to receive the award for his “contributions to building a stronger, better-educated citizenry” through teaching. The Golden Apple award was founded in 1986 and comes with a $3,000 cash prize and a tuition-free spring quarter sabbatical at Northwestern University.

“As a student Anand became very interested in trying out new teaching strategies to enhance students’ creativity,” says John Kratus, professor of music education. “It is wonderful to see that his experimentation and teaching excellence have been recognized through this award.”

Sukumaran came to the United States from Malaysia in 2001 to pursue his education and career in musical performance at MSU. He found himself increasingly drawn to teaching, and graduated with a bachelor of music in music education.

“My music education studies at MSU gave me the tools, techniques, and resources to do my job at a high level,” writes Sukumaran in a recent email. “The educational leadership and amazing faculty at MSU set me up for success.”

More on this story: NBC Chicago Channel 5, DNA info Chicago.