GREENFIELD — For her work supporting the youth of Franklin County through academics and music, Greenfield resident Gloria Matlock was recently honored with the Black Excellence on the Hill award from the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus.

Matlock, founder and director of the Twice As Smart children’s choir and founding teaching artist of Musica Franklin, was nominated by state Sen. Jo Comerford and state Rep. Natalie Blais for the award, and she was recognized alongside other recipients from across the state in Boston on Feb. 28.

“It’s amazing,” Matlock said about her recognition at the State House. “It’s a wonderful tribute to the work that I do.”

Initially, Matlock said she was shocked to receive the nomination. She expressed that she’s not someone who does things and expects help, never mind awards, for work she feels is necessary. In this case, that involves giving back to her community through education and music.

“It’s a true blessing that people value what I do,” Matlock said. “Whatever I’m gifted, I have to share it,”

Matlock founded the after-school program Twice As Smart in 2018 for at-risk children in kindergarten through 12th grade, according to the Twice As Smart website. Only a few years earlier in 2015, she was one of the founding instructors for Musica Franklin, a music and social justice after-school program.

Matlock recalled the beginnings of Twice As Smart, when she used to gather the students in her home on Saturdays until program participation increased. The program then began meeting at the Greenfield Public Library, and her friend, Deborah Shriver, reached out to her offering to volunteer with the program.

With the program expanding from just a handful of students to 32 students, the program now meets at Greenfield’s Second Congregational Church. The kids receive education and participate in activities that connect literature and math education with music and the arts.

Both programs have grown to offer services to students across Franklin County. Musica Franklin was able to serve 43 children from eight schools in 2024, when 14 community performances were held, more than 180 hours of private lessons were taught and eight instruments were distributed to students.

These programs are something both Comerford and Blais appreciate, and when it came time to nominate someone from the Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester District to receive the Black Excellence on the Hill award, Blais said in an interview that she was happy to recognize the work of a western Massachusetts leader at the state level.

“Gloria’s mentorship in our community is exemplary,” Blais said in a statement. “I recently had the opportunity to attend a Música Franklin concert in celebration of Black History Month. Gloria and the Música Franklin students are an inspiration to us all.”

“Through her work, Gloria creates spaces that foster community, celebrate culture, and educate young students through innovative music and dance,” Comerford said in a statement. “Gloria has an unparalleled and inspired commitment to building these students into active participants in the growth and development of their communities.”

Matlock recalled how this state support has benefited the children she works with. She noted that a visit from Comerford allowed the kids to ask questions, and get to know her and her plans to advocate for the Twice As Smart program in the state Senate.

When asked about how they’d support programs like Twice As Smart and Musica Franklin going forward, both Comerford and Blais said that attending the programs’ concerts and making themselves available to help secure grants and other state funding are their roles in uplifting Matlock and the kids she works with.

“We were really happy to honor her for the work she does day-to-day,” Blais said in an interview.

Matlock also formerly served on Stone Soup Café’s board of directors, coordinated racial justice events locally, and has led workshops across the United States, including at the United Nations. She is also a documentary filmmaker. Her film, “Just Another Mile,” highlights the experiences of historically Black neighborhoods in Ravenna, Ohio. Additionally, Matlock was honored with Greenfield’s Human Rights Award in 2023 for her contributions to the wider community.

Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.