The Best Communities for Music Education

According to the results of the eighth annual “Best 100 Communities for Music Education” survey, repeat recipients of this prestigious distinction cite increased enrollment in and funding for school music programs. While music education has been linked to higher SAT scores, math grades and future success in life, the survey also found that many students hailing from a "Best 100" community have continued their musical pursuits professionally as educators, or playing for renowned symphonies, opera houses, orchestras and on Broadway. Several former students have even become acclaimed recording artists, including Outkast, Bob Seeger, Iggy Pop, Tanya Tucker and Isaac Hayes.

The "Best 100" survey was sponsored by the NAMM Foundation, its American Music Conference (AMC) division and a partnership of leading national associations working to promote the benefits of active participation in music and music education. The roster of "Best 100" schools is listed below.

Thousands of teachers, school and district administrators, school board members and parents and community leaders, representing communities in all 50 states, participated in the Web-based survey. The 2007 roster includes school districts from 31 states that are committed to quality music education programs and providing access to music education. The districts were measured across a variety of program support, curricular and programmatic criteria. Because the criteria in the survey are measured proportionally, large communities and small ones are able to participate on an equal footing.

“Arts are designated as core subjects within the federal No Child Left Behind Act, and the districts that participated in the ‘Best 100’ survey, and those who are being recognized here today, know that music education is connected to success in school and in life,” said Mary Luehrsen, director of Public Affairs and Government Relations, NAMM. “The results of this year’s survey found that music programs receive support from many parts of a community—teachers, administrators, boards of education and community members, including local business owners. Parents, however, are the strongest force in assuring that young people have access to music as part of a complete education.” Luehrsen encourages parents who are committed to music and arts education for their children to become active locally by supporting efforts to be sure that all children have equal access. Support for community-based advocacy is available at www.SupportMusic.com.

Participants in the survey answered detailed questions about funding, enrollment, student-teacher ratios, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program, private music lesson participation and other factors in their communities’ music education program. The responses were verified with district officials, and the sponsoring organizations reviewed the data.

According to Kara Ireland D’Ambrosio, a music teacher at four-time designee Woodside School District in California, the distinction led to increased funding for the music program and built greater recognition of the program within the community. Woodside’s music students are often asked to perform at community events and celebrations.

Other districts have reported that becoming a "Best 100 Community" has helped to foster additional partnerships with local businesses and colleges; energize teachers to make further enhancements to the programs; and raise community and school pride.

In leading the annual survey, AMC is joined by a partnership of leading organizations in the fields of music and education:

The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation ( www.mhopus.org)
The Metropolitan Opera Guild ( www.operaed.org)
Music for All ( www.music-for-all.org)
Music Teachers National Association ( www.mtna.org)
NAMM, the International Music Products Association (www.namm.org)
National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts (www.nationalguild.org)
National School Boards Association ( www.nsba.org)
Yamaha Corporation of America ( www.yamaha.com)
VH1 Save The Music Foundation ( www.vh1savethemusic.com)

The survey was conducted by Perseus Development Corp. of Braintree, Mass.

For more information about the nationwide music education survey and the organizations that sponsored it, Jodi Burack, 914.798.7132/ jburack@giles.com.

The complete “Best 100 Communities for Music Education” roster is listed by state.