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LOYSBURG -- The Northern Bedford County School District has received the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education.
In its 23rd year, the designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students.
To qualify, the Northern Bedford County School District answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program and community music-making programs. Responses were verified with school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.
"At NBC, we value music as a vital part of the arts. Student participation in these programs not only ties community bonds and provides entertainment for our families, but also builds student confidence and supports cognitive development and creativity in kids," said Michael Mele, High School Principal.
"Many people still consider the arts as extra or special in schools. At NBC, they are a part of what we do. Music is a part of the curriculum."
Since the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015 and a stated emphasis on a well-rounded education, many school districts have re-committed to music and arts education programs.
During the pandemic, music and arts programs were a vital component to keeping students engaged in school. ESSA provides designated funding for well-rounded educational opportunities through Title IV Part A Student Academic Success and Achievement grants.
NAMM Foundation research has revealed that these grants are being widely used by school districts to address instructional gaps in access to music and arts education.
"As humans are thinking and feeling beings, we so often use music to express emotions where words cannot. If you look around, you can see that music is a vital part of our life experience, and should we ignore it, we sterilize our personal identity and vibrancy. Music education is important for all individuals, especially in times of crisis and turmoil, such as these past few years. We value our commitment to music as a lifelong skill, and learning opportunity, that music is core to every aspect of life, and not just mere enhancement or entertainment," said Brett Keith, high school choir director.
Research into music education continues to demonstrate educational/cognitive and social skill benefits for children who make music: After two years of music education, researchers found that participants showed more substantial improvements in how the brain processes speech and reading scores than their less-involved peers and that students who are involved in music are not only more likely to graduate high school, but also to attend college as well.
Everyday listening skills are stronger in musically trained children than in those without music training. Significantly, listening skills are closely tied to the ability to: perceive speech in a noisy background, pay attention, and keep sounds in memory.
Later in life, individuals who took music lessons as children show stronger neural processing of sound: young adults and even older adults who have not played an instrument for up to 50 years show enhanced neural processing compared to their peers.
Not to mention, social benefits include conflict resolution, teamwork skills, and how to give and receive constructive criticism.
The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its approximately 10,300 members around the world. The foundation advances active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service programs.