Albion music program again wins national laurels

Photos by Tom Rivers – The Purple Eagle Marching Band and drum major Brooke Chandler perform in the rain on Main Street last June during the Strawberry Festival.

ALBION – Near the end of a district-wide concert tonight, Albion music teachers announced the district for the seventh straight year has won a national award for its program.

The North American Music Merchants named Albion a “Best Communities for Music Education.” 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.

The music program is strong in all Albion school buildings. 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.

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.

NAMM said its Best Communities designation “recognizes collaborative, from-the-ground-up efforts of teachers, administrators, students and parents who continually work to keep comprehensive music education as an integral part of the core curriculum.”

Josh Raymond plays the scarecrow in the high school’s musical production of “The Wiz,” which will be performed Friday and Saturday in the middle school auditorium.