'It's so surreal' | Louisville-area Grammy winners share their excitement | Local News

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Grammy celebrations continue in Kentuckiana, as talents from the Louisville area are sharing their musical abilities.

Jeffersonville, Indiana resident Antonio Gardner said he got into the music world about 20 years ago and now works with youth to help them achieve their musical aspirations.

"I'm a producer, I'm also an artist -- a music producer artist -- an audio engineer," he explained.

Gardner's name is now listed among the Grammy winners. He didn't attend the 66th awards ceremony, but was at a watch party when he learned the news.

"I ran downstairs and I seen them jumping up and down and I kind of got caught up in the moment and I was like, 'Are you serious? Did we actually win?'"

Gardner's celebration is coming from his role in the song 'Your Power' by Lecrae and Tasha Cobbs Leonard which won for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song.

"The lyrics for the song, which is 'by Your power, I know You'll make a way,' I wrote that, and so that ended up being a major part of the chorus. So I ended up being credited as a producer and a songwriter on this record," he said.

Although he lives in southern Indiana, Gardner is often in Louisville as part of the team at AMPED, which has a music academy for kids. He said some students have already reached out with congratulations.

"It's really inspiring for them," Gardner said. "I'm really glad for them because a lot of these kids are aspiring artists themselves so it's very inspiring to see, you know, their teacher when a Grammy. It gives them hope that they can do it."

The Louisville Orchestra's music director, Teddy Abrams attended Sunday's ceremony in Los Angeles, and accepted the Louisville Orchestra's Grammy for Best Classical Instrumental Solo called "The American Project."

The Orchestra collaborated with world-renowned pianist Yuja Wang on the performance.

"Oh I was totally shocked," Abrams said, describing the moment as "surreal."

Teddy Abrams at Grammy Awards.jpg — Pictured: Teddy Abrams at the 66th annual Grammy Awards.

"Right now the Louisville Orchestra has this level of attention that we're receiving nationally and internationally even, which is very rare for an orchestra of any kind, but especially one from a town like Louisville where, a lot of times the big, international media outlets overlook places like us," he said.

"We have this amazing opportunity to show what we're made of as an orchestra and as a city. And so we need to take full advantage of this while the eyes of the world are on us, we need to do right by our town and show that the Louisville Orchestra is the leader -- the national leader, the international leader -- in reflecting community. And I think that's what's gotten us to this place that we have done things that the community can celebrate along with us, that our music is a reflection of Louisville's values and aspirations and if we keep living by that system of values and following that vision, I think it will lead to more and more work that really matters as opposed to more and more work that happens and is forgotten," Abrams said.

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