Every day from February to mid-March, Gorham High School band teacher Isaac Hawkins reminded his colleagues, neighbors, family and friends to vote for him for the Manilow Music Teacher Award.

Hawkins had been nominated by a team member at the Manilow Music Project, founded by singer-songwriter Barry Manilow, for the $10,000 prize. A Pennsylvania native, Hawkins knew he had a strong support system — his mother-in-law had messaged a group chat of 40 people twice a day to cast their votes, and local Facebook groups put out regular blast encouragements — but he had no tally on how the voting was really going.

At the end of March, he found out he had won. He received the award at Barry Manilow’s farewell tour performance at Cross Insurance Arena in Portland last Friday.

“I think it’s a reflection on the community around me that I have supporting me in the work that I do,” Hawkins said. “They’re the reason that I’ve been able to achieve this.”

The prize is split in two: $5,000 for Gorham classroom instrument purchases and $5,000 for Hawkins personally. Manilow announced the award mid-concert, and Hawkins and some of his family members met the famous musician before the performance.

The “Manilow Bucks” are set up in an an account through the music company, Yamaha, according to Hawkins. The Gorham schools music department will create a wish list through Yamaha and receive a reduced price on instruments.

Gorham schools provide instruments for interested students whose families can’t afford one. Some students begin secondary instruments later in their school music careers, which the school lends them to support the transition.

This past school year, fifth-grade band practice for all three Gorham elementary schools was moved from before school to during the school day, making the program more accessible and increasing instruction time and quality. The band program doubled to 150 students as a result, according to Hawkins.

“We’re going to use the money to make sure that we have the supplies that we need for such exponential growth that we’re seeing,” Hawkins said.

The music department wants to invest in high-quality instruments that will improve the students’ learning experience when they’re picking one up for the first time, Hawkins said. This $5,000 will also give educators the opportunity to buy instruments that otherwise get put on the backburner when they place orders.

“Maybe some new cymbals for the high school percussion section, or things like that that might be sometimes a little bit more cost prohibitive,” Hawkins said.

Hawkins said he’s weighing how to spend the remaining $5,000, but will likely invest it.

Hawkins, 30, started teaching at Gorham High School four years ago after leaving a previous music teaching job in Dover, Pennsylvania. Chiefly a clarinetist, he was raised by musical parents and played in a band with his brothers and cousins. Together, they listened regularly to the band Chicago and jazz music. Hawkins’s husband, Eddie Holmes, teaches music at Waynflete School in Portland.

“I chose to become a music teacher mainly based off of the community that I experienced in music when I was growing up,” Hawkins said. “I wanted to give that same sense of community to my students.”

He has witnessed firsthand the skills that music teaches. Learning a new instrument is a challenge, and he named perseverance, responsibility, emotional regulation and well-roundedness as the advantages students gain in the process.

While not a Manilow fan before the concert, he delved into the singer’s discography before the concert to be able to enjoy the full experience.

“I really have a newfound appreciation for the music, even more so than prior to the concert,” Hawkins said. “Seeing the artistry and getting to see the energy of the crowd, I feel like that always helps to connect me to the music.”

Hawkins said more music teachers across the United States should look into grants from the Manilow Music Project and other organizations to help them gain similar support for their programs. The California-based Manilow Music Project donates instruments and equipment and provides grants and scholarships nationwide.