CURWENSVILLE – The Curwensville Area School District has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education.
Now in its 22nd year, the Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students.
To qualify for the Best Communities designation, Curwensville Area 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.
“It is an honor for Curwensville Area School District to receive this award. The students, staff, school administrators and community have long held a belief that music participation enhances the education of our children. As a school community, we are committed to that ideal,” said Ron Matchock, district superintendent.
“It is our hope that this award provides an opportunity to celebrate our entire music education program and to allow students to continue to see the value in their participation within our programs.”
Since the passage by Congress in 2015 of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and a stated emphasis on a well-rounded education, many school 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.
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.
“Music education is important for all students to have, regardless of the career they may pursue after high school,” said Bo Pennington, high school band director.
“Music is an integral part of all areas of our lives, and it’s important that we understand it and take time to learn to enjoy and appreciate it. We’re fortunate that our school district affords the opportunity for all students to have access to a quality music education.”
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.
Curwensville Area School District currently offers general music to all students in grades K-7, band for grades 4-12, choir for grades 5-12, ukulele for grade 6, electives of music theory, guitar, modern band, and theater for grades 9-12 and extra-curricular opportunities in marching band, select choir, women’s choir, barbershop and drama.
Many students also participate in county festivals, as well as fests and festivals through the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) at the District, Regional, and All-State levels.
About the NAMM Foundation
The NAMM Foundation is a non-profit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its approximately 10,400 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.
For more information about The NAMM Foundation, please visit www.nammfoundation.org.
