April 12: West Irondequoit named one of best districts for music in America for 15th straight year
For the 15th straight year and 21st time in the past 23 years, West Irondequoit has earned the distinction as one of the Best Communities for Music Education in America. The designation comes from the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation.
Now in its 23rd year, the BCME honor is bestowed on districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. To qualify for the award, West Irondequoit 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.
Since the passage by Congress in 2015 of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and a stated emphasis on a well-rounded education, many districts have re-committed to music and arts education programs and found that in this time of a national pandemic, provides a valuable way to keep students engaged in school.
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.