Albion makes it 9 straight years as Best Community for Music Education

File photos by Tom Rivers – The Albion Marching Band performs at last June’s Albion Strawberry Festival.

ALBION – The Albion music program has again made a national list of schools with music programs cited for excellence by the North American Music Merchants.

NAMM has named Albion and 475 other school districts in the country as a “Best Communities for Music Education.” Albion has made the list the past nine years.

The NAMM organization gives out the award to recognize districts that make music a priority, especially in an era of tight school budgets and packed student schedules.

Nathaniel Trembley played Ugly, a misfit rejected by his siblings for his unusual appearance in Albion High School’s production of “Honk!” during last year’s high school spring musical. Albion will perform Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat April 8-9.

Albion runs an active music program in the elementary, middle and high schools. The high school puts on a full-scale musical and students also perform in several different instrumental and choral groups. In all, high school musicians perform numerous times during the school year.

Just last week, 468 kids in grades 3 through 12 sang in a district chorus concert.

The middle school puts on a full-scale musical, and its students perform with the marching and jazz bands. Elementary music teachers lead students in performances throughout the year.

The NAMM Foundation wants to single out districts for outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students and community leaders who have made music education part of the core curriculum.

The schools recognized by name represent 3.5 percent of the nation’s 13,515 school districts.

To see the list of school districts recognized by NAMM, click here.