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WCASD Receives National Recognition for Music Education for the Eighth Year

BCME LogoEarlier this month, West Chester Area School District (WCASD) was honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. Now in its 25th year, the Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement for providing music access and education to all students.

To qualify for the Best Communities designation, WCASD 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 by school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.

“We are thrilled to announce that WCASD has once again been recognized as one of the Best Communities for Music Education,” said Kristen Barnello, Assistant to the Director of Secondary Education. “This prestigious award reaffirms our unwavering commitment to providing exceptional music education opportunities for our students. From vibrant ensembles to dedicated educators, our community continuously fosters a culture where the arts thrive. This achievement is a testament to the passion and dedication of our educators, administrators, and community members. We are proud to celebrate this honor and remain dedicated to nurturing a lifelong love of music in every student.”

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. In addition, 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.