Bloomfield Hills Schools Among the Best Communities for Music Education

It was a big week for music in the Bloomfield Hills Schools.

World-renowned violinist Midori gave members of the Andover High School orchestra one-on-one instruction during a 'Master Class' session. And Lahser High School alumnus Chad Smith praised the district's music programs on Capitol Hill for preparing him to rock with the Red Hot Chili Peppers all the way to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The testimony before members of the U.S. Congress was on behalf of the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) to try and persuade federal lawmakers that funding for public school music programs should not be subject to broad cuts. On Monday, the NAMM Foundation named the Bloomfield Hills Schools among the best in the country for its outstanding commitment to music education. The Best Communities for Music Education designation went to more than 300 districts across the country this year, according to a news release.

The honor is appreciated and well deserved for a community that values a comprehensive education, School Board President Ingrid Day said.

"We are really lucky here in the Bloomfield Hills Schools to be able to support programs that extend way beyond reading, writing and arithmetic," she said earlier this month while designating March as 'Celebrate Music in our Schools Month.'

"When you add in arts, you do noting but enhance what happens in a child's development."

To qualify, the district answered a detailed survey that evaluated funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program and community music-making programs, a news release stated. The Best Communities for Music Education (BCME) verified responses with school officials and the Institute for Educational Research and Public Service of Lawrence, Kansas, an affiliate of the University of Kansas, reviewed the information.