As the 2005 Grammys pass into the history books, Butler County can claim some of the glory, as it has direct ties to this year's awards.

Stephen Hawk, an associate professor of music at Slippery Rock University and freelance musician; and former Saxonburg resident Jim Robeson, a recording engineer based in the Washington, D.C., area, have both been featured on Grammy-winning albums, with Robeson receiving his second award.

Hawk played trumpet on jazz singer Nancy Wilson's "R.S.V.P." (Rare Songs, Very Personal) recording. The album received a Grammy last month in the category of Best Jazz Vocal Album.

An acclaimed vocalist, Wilson has a catalog of more than 60 albums of material. She has been recording music since the 1960s.

"This is the first time I've ever been involved with anything that received a Grammy," he said. "It's something I thought would never happen."

The album was recorded in December 2003, during a weeklong session at the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, a multi-discipline center for the arts in Pittsburgh.

Originally from the Chicago, Ill., area, Hawk has been teaching at the university for 16 years. He teaches jazz ensemble I, conducts the symphonic wind ensemble and instructs the trumpet studio.

His beginnings as a jazz musician stem from a drum and bugle corps, which then progressed to a traditional band.

Hawk has played with a variety of celebrity musicians including the late Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, the Temptations, the Four Tops, the Spinners and notable jazz legends such as Wilson and the late Dizzy Gillespie, one of his childhood idols.

In his experiences with celebrities and musicians, he has found that most are pleasant to work with.

"All the great players," Hawk said, "the bigger they are, the nicer they are."

When performing in the company of such figures, Hawk said there is always a sense of nervousness. This is something he has learned to use to his advantage.

"You feel a lot of pressure," he said, "but you learn over the years to turn nerves into energy."

Although he doesn't know if he will receive an actual award for his work, Hawk said he is satisfied with having been involved with the album.

Robeson, a recording engineer at Bias Studios in Virginia, won a Grammy award in the category of Best Musical Album for Children. The album, "cELLAbration!," was recorded by artists Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer as a tribute to Ella Jenkins, a renowned performer and writer of children's music.Robeson has been a musician for most of his life. A bass player, singer, songwriter, arranger and producer, he has a true passion for the art form."I've got to be in music," Robeson said, "no matter what I do."Robeson received his first Grammy in 2004 for the album "Bon Appetit!", also by Fink and Marxer. He was also nominated in 2001 in the category of Best Engineered Album for Mary Chapin Carpenter's album "Time Sex Love.""It feels really nice," he said. "I worked with some great people."Robeson has been with Bias Studios, a recording studio located in Springfield, Va., since 1980. He's worked with a variety of notable musicians and artists over the years such as folk legends Pete Seeger and Doc Watson. He also has worked on theme songs for television such as the "Cosby Show" and "A Different World."He said his early inspirations to record came from listening to songs and trying to capture the way instruments sounded."I liked how a snare (drum) sounded different," he said. "I've always liked recording."His parents, Frank and Brony Robeson, reside in Saxonburg. Robeson said they were excited when they learned of the award."My mom and dad are happy," he said. "My mom's very excited. She's happy to see her son's success."Robeson said he learned of the award through an e-mail. He said he's not sure when he will receive the Grammy, as paperwork and legal matters pertaining to the award must be completed in advance."It's a nice item to have," Robeson said.In the categories for albums on which Hawk and Robeson worked, awards go the artist as well as to producers and engineers, or mixers, who work on more than 51 percent of the recording, said a spokesperson from the Philadelphia chapter of the Recording Academy, a national membership organization for music professionals that puts on the Grammys.