Churchville-Chili Central School District has received the NAMM Foundation’s award honoring the Best Communities for Music Education for the second year in a row. Only 527 school districts in the United States and 147 from New York State received this designation for 2017.
The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) award program recognizes districts and schools around the country that demonstrate an exceptionally high commitment and access to music education for all students.
The music programs at Churchville-Chili exemplify this commitment to maintaining high-level music education and performance opportunities for all students across all grade levels. The district builds its music education with a solid presence at the elementary and middle school by providing students with a broad array of opportunities to participate in curricular and extracurricular ensembles.
Students also have the opportunity to enhance their musical experience and education by participating in solo-festivals and auditioning to be selected to participate in various honors ensembles throughout the county and region.
At the high school, music is vital as “it enhances the culture and atmosphere of the school, and brings purpose to the lives of our students,” said Director of Fine Arts Jeff Smith. Students can participate in numerous auditioned and non-auditioned curricular and extracurricular ensembles, in addition to taking classroom music electives on piano, voice, guitar, digital music and upper level IB music courses.
The district’s commitment to innovation and new opportunities has paid off for students. Churchville-Chili High School musicians are regularly chosen to participate in NYSSMA All-State Honors Ensembles; they have performed with the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra; and students have been selected to participate in the NafME All-National Honors Ensemble for the past three years in a row – the highest honor a high school musician can receive.
This past year, the high school Wind Ensemble was given the prestigious honor to perform at the NYSSMA state conference, and the high school choirs have received Level VI Gold with Distinction ratings at Majors Festivals for two years in a row.
Students frequently have workshops with guest artists from area colleges and universities and participate in Side-by-Side performances with some of the finest community ensembles in our region.
“Receiving a designation of ‘Best Community for Music Education’ is recognition of our district’s commitment to music education and of the outstanding work our dedicated and talented teachers are doing each and every day,” said Smith.
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