South Colonie’s Music Education Program Receives National Recognition

Posted Date: 04/10/2024

For the eleventh time, the South Colonie 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 25th 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, South Colonie 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.

“I am so proud of our music program,” said Peter Cannistraci, Music Department Chairperson. “South Colonie has a fantastic music program, and it’s evident that the community supports and values music in the schools.”

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.

“Music education is a huge part of the South Colonie curriculum,” explained Cannistraci. “In South Colonie, all students in kindergarten through grade seven take music classes. We have nearly 1500 students enrolled in band, chorus, or orchestra. Even with the growing economic challenges that South Colonie families are facing, that number continues to grow each year.”

To view the national press release, which includes a complete list of school districts receiving the BCME distinction, click here: https://www.nammfoundation.org/articles/bcme-2024-districts?utm_source=NAMM+Foundation&utm_campaign=05eb435e2a-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_BCME&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bde48148d9-05eb435e2a-134007657

About The NAMM FoundationThe NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants
and its 15,000 member companies and individual professionals. 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, click here.