St. Paul music teacher to be honored at Barry Manilow concert

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A Twin Cities teacher will be honored at Barry Manilow's concert at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul next month.

The Manilow Music Project announced on Monday that Daniel Perelstein, a music teacher at Washington Technology Magnet High School, won its teacher award and will receive a $10,000 grant at Manilow's Aug. 2 concert .

Ten high schools in each tour city submitted the names of their favorite music teachers to the project and voted to select the winner.

Of the $10,000 grant, $5,000 will be for new instruments for the school band and the other $5,000 will go to Perelstein.

Manilow started the Manilow Music Project after learning that most public schools had undergone significant budget cuts in their school music programs, according to the project's website.

The Manilow Music Project says it has gifted more than $10 million in instruments and scholarships to high school and college music students throughout the country since it started.

The award contest is part of Manilow's Last, Last Tour, which wraps up Aug. 3 in Milwaukee.

Manilow has sold more than 85 million albums in a career spanning more than half a century, with hits including "Copacabana (At the Copa)," "Mandy" and "Can't Smile Without You."