Barnegat Schools Named Best Community For Music Education

BARNEGAT, NJ — For the second year in a row, the Barnegat Township School District has been recognized as one of the Best Communities for Music Education by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation.

In its 22nd 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.

“We are honored and so proud to receive this designation again,” said Superintendent Dr. Brian Latwis. “Education is much more than just academics, and we really work to give students the opportunity to explore and enjoy the arts. We have such a robust music program here and I’m so thankful for our incredible teachers, students, and administrators for keeping the program thriving despite some of the obstacles we’ve faced during this school year.”

To qualify for the Best Communities designation, the district answered questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program and community music-making programs.

Responses were verified with school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.

According to NAMM, many school districts have re-committed to music and arts education programs during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Music is what connects us, and that connection was vital in keeping us all going during the pandemic,” said Barnegat High School music teacher Anthony Orecchio. He directs the concert band, symphonic band and jazz band, and instructs courses in guitar workshop, music theory, and music composition.

“We’ve worked so hard as a district to be able to maintain that for our students and we know that all the work we did to make it happen was absolutely worth it. We’re so glad that Barnegat is recognized for emphasizing our commitment to music and the arts," he added.

Research into music education shows educational, cognitive and social skill benefits for children who make music, according to NAMM.

After two years of music education, participants showed more substantial improvements in how the brain processes speech and reading scores than their less-involved peers, and that students who are involved in music are more likely to graduate high school and attend college.

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