Biloxi Named Best Communities for Music Ed For 7th Year in a Row!
Biloxi Public School District’s Music Education Program Receives National Recognition For The 7th Year In A Row!
For the 7th year in a row, the Biloxi Public 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 21st 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, Biloxi answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities and support for the music programs. Responses were verified with school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.
“We are so excited that the Biloxi Public School District has once again been named a Best Community for Music Education by the NAMM Foundation. This is the seventh year we have received this distinction and it showcases the commitment that the administration, faculty, students, and community of Biloxi have to the importance of music education. I am especially proud of the teachers of the Biloxi School District, including our performing arts teachers, that have taken this high standard of instruction online as we continue to engage our students during our absence from the physical school building.” says Director of Fine Arts, Travis Coakley
Research into music education continues to demonstrate educational/cognitive and social skill benefits for children who make music. After two years of music education, research 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. 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.
In Biloxi Public Schools, students are offered show choir, band, and strings beginning in the 6th grade and continuing throughout high school. Piano lab is available to students in grades 7-12 and all students K-6 in the district are taught music weekly.
Congratulations to everyone that contributes to the Indian Nation’s outstanding music program!
For more information about the NAMM Foundation, please visit www.nammfoundation.org.