The Baldwin County School District has been selected as a Best Community for Music Education for a fourth straight year in a row by the National Association of Music Merchants. The Baldwin County School District is one of only six districts in the state of Georgia to earn the distinction with Clarke, Cobb, Fulton, Gwinnett and Putnam Counties rounding out the list.

“We are providing our students a comprehensive education with the importance we place on exposing all of our students in the district to the fine arts and embracing all of the truly incredible ways it can impact a student’s academic and personal development, “ said Superintendent Dr. Noris Price.

“This award is something that our teachers and our students both take great pride in,” said district Fine Arts Director Anna Brock. “It’s all encompassing, from our incredible band programs that we offer at the elementary, middle and high school levels, our state-of-the-art Baldwin Fine Arts Center and our musical theater productions, to our choral performances and everything in between. We are showing there has been an incredible value in providing this for our students and it’s very exciting to continue being recognized for all of the hard work that has gone into it.”

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. Research demonstrates the educational/cognitive and social skill benefits for children who participate in music education. In a series of landmark studies by scientists and researchers at Northwestern University, a link was found between students in community music programs and life-long academic success, including higher high school graduation rates and college attendance. In another study, it was discovered that the benefits of early exposure to music education improve how the brain processes and assimilates sounds, a trait that lasts well into adulthood.

About The NAMM Foundation

The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its approximately 10,300 members around the world. 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, please visit www.nammfoundation.org.