Fishers Island School Recognized Nationally for Music Education Efforts

Fishers Island ranks among nation’s top communities for support of music education

FISHERS ISLAND, NY. (March 31, 2014) – The NAMM Foundation recognizes Fishers Island Union Free School District for its outstanding commitment to music education with a Best Communities for Music Education (BCME) designation. Fishers Island joins 376 districts across the country to receive the prestigious distinction in 2014. This is the 3rd year that Fishers Island School has received this designation.

In its 15th year, Best Communities for Music Education affirms school districts that have demonstrated exceptional efforts toward maintaining music education as part of the schools’ core curriculum.

The BCME survey requires districts to answer 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 Institute for Educational Research and Public Service of Lawrence, Kansas, an affiliate of the University of Kansas.

“As a School-wide Enrichment Model school, the arts are important vehicles for promoting student creativity and expression”, states Principal Karen Goodwin.  “Our students love our music program and have benefitted immensely from opportunities to write and perform original music, build and utilize a recording studio, and participate in public performances attended by our entire island community.”

As Fishers Island finalizes its 2014–2015 budgets, the announcement of this year’s Best Communities for Music Education designation brings attention to the importance of keeping music education as part of the school’s core education, and highlights music’s vital role in student success in school.

The Best Communities for Music Education program plays an important part of the NAMM Foundation’s efforts to make music education part of the core curriculum assuring that the benefits of music making are available to every child. Numerous studies have demonstrated that learning to play music can boost academic and social skills, lower disciplinary action and keep kids in schools.

Fishers Island School is a small PreK-12 school in New York, accessible by ferry from New London, Connecticut. Approximately half of our 70 students come from CT each day as private school students. Our school’s arts program receives strong support from the entire island community.

About NAMM Foundation:

The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit organization supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its nearly 9,000 members around the world with the mission of advancing active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service programs from the international music products industry. For more information about the NAMM Foundation, please visit www.nammfoundation.org.