For the 19th year in a row, Cuyahoga Heights Schools have received the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation. It was one of only 45 districts in Ohio to receive this award this year, which recognizes districts for their outstanding commitment to music education.
To qualify for this designation, the district 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.
According to the NAMM Foundation, research continues to demonstrate benefits in educational/cognitive and social skills for students who participate in music education. Students who are involved in music are more likely to graduate high school, and to attend college as well. 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.
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 across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving, and public service programs. For more information about The NAMM Foundation, visit www.nammfoundation.org.