Oak Lawn Community High School music teacher Bob Haberstat has spent years blurring the line between a traditional band room and a modern recording studio. That work is now earning national recognition.
Haberstat has been named the 2026 Teacher of the Year by TI:ME, the professional organization for Technology in Music Education. The annual award honors educators who demonstrate excellence in blending music instruction with emerging technology, a field that has grown rapidly as digital tools become central to how music is created, recorded and shared.
At Oak Lawn Community High School, Haberstat has built courses that reflect that shift. His self-designed curricula, “Shed the Music” and “Electronic Music Elements,” encourage students to move beyond printed sheet music and explore composition, production and performance through digital platforms. Students learn how music functions in real-world settings, from live performance to studio work, using technology common in today’s music industry.
Colleagues say the result is a classroom that is both rigorous and unusually flexible.
Music Department Chair Semaj Coleman described Haberstat as an educator who treats music as something active rather than static. In his classroom, students might rehearse a classical choral work one day and plug in electric guitars or experiment with digital production tools the next. Coleman said that range has reshaped how students experience music at the high school level and has helped them see multiple pathways into musical study.
Haberstat’s influence extends well beyond Oak Lawn. He is a frequent presenter at music education conferences around the country, where he shares lesson models and strategies for incorporating technology into music programs of varying sizes and resources. Through partnerships with industry leaders, including Ableton, a widely used music production software company, he has also helped design instructional pathways that mirror professional standards.
That work is expected to lead to another milestone for Oak Lawn Community High School: becoming the first school in the world to offer official Ableton certification to students. Supporters say the program would give graduates a credential that carries weight in collegiate music programs and creative industries.
Principal Dr. Lauren May said the TI:ME award reflects both Haberstat’s classroom innovation and his willingness to collaborate with educators nationwide.
“Oak Lawn Community High School has a proud tradition of elevating music education,” May said. “Mr. Haberstat’s work exemplifies that tradition, and we’re proud to see him recognized on a national stage.”
The TI:ME Teacher of the Year award is considered one of the highest honors in the field of music technology education. Recipients are selected for their teaching, leadership and contributions to the profession.
Haberstat will receive the award at the TI:ME national conference on Feb. 11, 2026, in San Antonio. While the recognition is national, those closest to him say its impact is most clearly felt in the day-to-day experiences of his students, who are learning to navigate music not just as performers, but as creators in a digital world.