Hillsborough’s Music Education Program Receives National Recognition

Hillsborough Township Public Schools has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. Now 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. 

To qualify for the Best Communities designation, the Hillsborough Township Public Schools answered detailed 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. 

“During the challenge of instructing students during the pandemic, our music education program connected students, lifted student and community spirits, and helped students gain an appreciation for and a deeper understanding of the positive power of music in our lives.” said Dr. Kim Feltre, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction. “Being honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation spotlights the innovation and creativity of our music teachers and directors and highlights how our music education program makes a difference.” 

Since the passage by Congress in 2015 of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and a stated emphasis on a well-rounded education, many school districts have re-committed to music and arts education programs and found that in this time of a national pandemic, provides a valuable way to keep students engaged in school. ESSA provides designated funding for well-rounded educational opportunities through Title IV Part A Student Academic Success and Achievement grants. NAMM Foundation research has revealed that these grants are being widely used by school districts to address instructional gaps in access to music and arts education. 

Ellery Lambert-Smith, an 8th-grade band student at Hillsborough Middle School, shared the following thoughts on why music education is so important in our schools. "Music education in schools is critical because it provides students the opportunity to become part of a huge community that will always be there to support and encourage each other. The camaraderie made in music is like none other - it helps students to love and feel confident in school and develop important life skills such as discipline, goal setting, teamwork, and leadership. Music education also provides students with a unique, positive outlet for channeling creativity and personal expression. It incorporates all things that will set students up for a successful future in anything!" 

Research into music education continues to demonstrate educational/cognitive and social skill benefits for children who make music: After two years of music education, researchers found that 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 not only more likely to graduate high school, but also to attend college as well. Everyday listening skills are stronger in musically trained children than in those without music training. Significantly, listening skills are closely tied to the ability to: perceive speech in a noisy background, pay attention, and keep sounds in memory. Later in life, individuals who took music lessons as children show stronger neural processing of sound: young adults and even older adults who have not played an instrument for up to 50 years show enhanced neural processing compared to their peers. Not to mention, social benefits include conflict resolution, teamwork skills, and how to give and receive constructive criticism. 

Hillsborough Township is the largest municipality in Somerset County, covering an area of 54 square miles with approximately 37 thousand residents. Centrally located in New Jersey, Hillsborough is only 60 minutes west of New York or east of Philadelphia. This residential community encompasses Belle Mead, Blackwells Mills, Flagtown, Neshanic, and South Branch, with homes tucked into wooded lands or surrounded by rolling fields. The Hillsborough Township Public School District, with an enrollment of approximately 7,300 students, is a K-12 district with six elementary schools (K-4), one intermediate school (5-6), one middle school (7-8), and one high school (9-12). 

About The NAMM Foundation 

The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its approximately 10,400 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.

Chris Ireland
Supervisor of Visual & Performing Arts and Related Areas

Image courtesy Hillsborough Township Public Schools Visual & Performing Arts Department