WILMINGTON — The Wilmington City School District has been honored for the second consecutive year with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education.

Now in its 20th 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, Wilmington City Schools answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music programs, Responses were verified with school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.

“We are honored to be again recognized with this designation,” said WHS Director of Bands Matt Spradlin. “This is a testament to the many people who make music an integral part of education in the Wilmington 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, research found that participants showed more substantial improvements in how the brain processes speech and reading scores that 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.

Everyday listening skills are stronger in musically-trained children that 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, as well as social benefits including conflict resolution, teamwork skills, and how to give and receive constructive criticism.

Students attending Wilmington City Schools have access to music education at every grade level. General Music classes are offered K-5. Instrumental Music (Band) and Choir are offered to students starting in the sixth grade and continuing through high school.

From the Marching Band and Wind Ensemble to the Wilmingtontones performance choir, students are offered a variety of learning and performance opportunities.

For more information visit www.nammfoundation.org.