Play Marimba! Founder Named as Sonoma County’s 2026 Arts Educator of the Year
LBC and Creative Sonoma selected Tobias Sparks, founder of Play Marimba! in Sebastopol, as Sonoma County’s 2026 Arts Educator of the Year. Sparks was honored at the Arts Education Alliance Mix-and-Mingle reception at Mitote Food Park in Santa Rosa last month.
The selection committee received three separate nominations for Sparks, including one from Sonoma County Superintendent Dr. Amie Carter. Besides a presentation of his award, Sparks received a $500 honorarium and a $500 gift card to a local arts store of his choice for classroom supplies.
“I’m honored by this award,” Sparks said. “I share it with the dedicated teachers, students, parents, and schools who together, have built something remarkable. We’re not just teaching music — we’re building student’s confidence, they’re making friends, and they’re learning how to stand tall in the world. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing these kids playing together, performing in our community, and knowing how happy and proud it makes them feel.”
Sparks is a master percussionist, recording artist, and the founder of Play Marimba!, which provides enriching and educational world music experiences to local students. He began his professional career at 15, developing a reputation for his innovative style and improvisational skills. He studied with master musicians in India, Egypt, and Turkey, toured internationally across Europe, Asia, and South America, and has recorded on more than 30 albums. In 2016, he founded Play Marimba!. Sparks builds hundreds of handmade instruments and personally trains teachers for the program. Sparks also leads Grita Marimba, advanced ensembles for 6th–12th graders.
Teachers who received honorable mention awards and a $100 stipend include Carolyn Niehaus-Owen, music director at Lawrence Jones Middle School and music camp director for Cazadero Music Camp, and Irene Gilchriese, Santa Rosa City Schools Elementary Music Teacher and lead teacher for Play Marimba!.
Play Marimba! offers joyful music-making for children in a technology-free, social environment to help them thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. It offers quality world music programs for local schools and summer camps, and it partners with schools to provide instruments and training. Play Marimba recently earned U.S. Congressional, California State Senate, and Los Cien awards for its “extraordinary leadership and dedication to uplifting the Latino community in Sonoma County.”
Sponsored by Daniels Chapel of the Roses, the Arts Educator of the Year Award honors professional arts educators working with the K-12 population – in particular, arts and classroom instructors who teach visual art, music, drama, dance, or multimedia arts. It recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the advancement of arts education over an extended period.
