For the sixth consecutive year, the Wauwatosa School District has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education award 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.
"Receiving the Best Communities for Music Education award for the sixth year in a row highlights our enduring commitment to fostering excellence in the arts," said Dr. Demond Means, Superintendent of the Wauwatosa School District. "Our outstanding music teachers and staff work diligently to ensure every student has the chance to learn and grow through music. We truly believe that music education makes a big difference in our students' lives and in our community as a whole.”
"I am thrilled to be part of a district that prioritizes providing exceptional music education opportunities for all students," said Lauren Roznowski Hayden, Orchestra Director at Longfellow Middle School. "Music education goes beyond notes and rhythms; it helps kids grow their creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking skills for lifelong success.”
The Wauwatosa School District encourages early engagement in music among its students. Beginning in the fourth grade, students can participate in choir and orchestra, with band instruction beginning in the fifth grade. The sixth grade introduces world music as an elective, followed by seventh grade's contemporary music and culture, and eighth grade's music and media. High school-level offerings include concert band, choir and orchestra, digital music production, jazz ensemble, vocal jazz ensemble, chanteurs, chamber choir, symphonic band, and symphony orchestra.
To qualify for the Best Communities designation, WSD staff 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.
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 www.nammfoundation.org.