We are proud to announce that GCS has been named a 2023 Best Community for Music Education! This award program recognizes outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students and community members who have made music education part of a well-rounded education!
On April 19, 2023, Geneseo Central School was honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. Now in its 24th 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, GCS music department faculty and other district personnel 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.
"Music education is not just about learning to play an instrument or sing a song, it's about fostering creativity, discipline, and teamwork. We believe that music is an integral part of a well-rounded education, and we are committed to providing our students with a high-quality music education program. Receiving this designation is a testament to our dedication to music education and will only strengthen our program, enabling us to provide even more opportunities for our students to grow and excel in this important field," said Superintendent of Schools Cindy Flowers.
Since the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015 and a stated emphasis on a well-rounded education, many school districts have re-committed to music and arts education programs. During the pandemic, music and arts programs were a vital component to keeping students engaged in school. ESSA provides designated funding for well-rounded educational opportunities through Title IV Part A Student Academic Success and Achievement grants. NAMM Foundation research has revealed that these grants are being widely used by school districts to address instructional gaps in access to music and arts education.
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.
Geneseo Central School is proud to offer an enriching music program that spans from third grade to 12th grade, including an outstanding orchestra program. We believe that music education is essential to the development of our students and provides them with valuable skills that will benefit them for a lifetime. Our dedicated and talented music faculty work tirelessly to ensure that our students receive the highest quality education possible, and we are committed to providing them with the resources and support they need to succeed. We are thrilled to see the impact that our music program has on our students and are proud to offer such a rich and rewarding educational experience.