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Avon, Ind. – Avon Community School Corporation (ACSC) 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 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, ACSC 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.
“There’s a reason for the incredible attention our music programs have earned,” said Superintendent Dr. Scott Wyndham. “We have been intentional about building and sustaining a system and culture in our schools in which students can cultivate a love of music and performance. That enhances our community and contributes to our students’ academic success.”
Avon Intermediate School East Music Teacher Karen Eglen said, “The NAMM Best Communities in Music Education Award shows how grounded Avon is in providing music experiences for our students. Regardless of the awards and accolades, our students leave high school with a passion and appreciation for music; that’s what Avon Music is all about.”
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.
About Avon Schools
Avon offers students high-quality educational instruction with a keen focus on improving student achievement. We serve approximately 11,000 students from preschool to graduation in 12 schools (one early learning center, six elementary schools, two intermediate schools, two middle schools, and one high school). Our 1,650 employees dedicate themselves to the success of our diverse student population. Learn more at avon-schools.org.
About The NAMM Foundation
The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its 15,000 global member companies and individual professionals worldwide. 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 nammfoundation.org.
