Chatham Central 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 23rd 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.
“We are grateful to once again receive this recognition here in Chatham,” said Chatham’s superintendent of schools, Dr. Sal DeAngelo.”This award provides an excellent indicator of the value our community places on the arts and the great work our staff and students put forth as a result.”
2022 is the seventh year that The NAMM Foundation has recognized Chatham CSD as a Best Community for Music Education. To qualify, the school 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.
Chatham has long held a strong commitment to music and the arts as part of its education program. The District offers band, orchestra, chorus, and musical theater programs from elementary school through high school. The music program enjoys a high level of student participation as well as support from parent and community groups such as the Chatham Fine Arts Booster Club, Chatham Alumni Association, and Chatham Education Foundation, among others. Outside of school, the greater community offers many opportunities to learn and perform music as well.
"I'm tremendously proud of our District’s commitment to music education,” said Chatham orchestra teacher and music department teacher leader Christopher Goodwin. “Thanks to the hardwork and dedication of our teachers, students, parents, administration and community, our school’s hallways are filled with music daily. We're ecstatic to return to hosting our annual music performances again and see our students blossom on stage to celebrate their continued hard work."
Research into music education continues to demonstrate the educational/cognitive and social skill benefits for children who make music. Researchers have found that participants show substantial improvements in how the brain processes speech and reading, and that students who are involved in music are not only more likely to graduate high school, but also to attend college. Everyday listening skills are also strong in musically trained children, skills which 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 continue to show strong 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. Social benefits include conflict resolution, teamwork skills, and how to give and receive constructive criticism.
About The NAMM Foundation
The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its approximately 10,300 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.