Amityville Among the Best Communities for Music Education

Kudos to the Amityville School District’s Fine Arts and Music Department, as the Amityville School District has been designated as one of only 179 districts nationwide to receive the honor of “Best Communities for Music Education” by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM). A not-for-profit foundation, NAMM unifies, leads and strengthens the global music products industry and serves as a hub for the newest innovations in musical products and recording technology.

The “Best Communities for Music Education” survey acknowledges schools and districts across the U.S. for their commitment to and support of music education in schools. The survey measured a variety of factors, including budgetary commitment to music, opportunities to learn music, the presence of highly qualified, certified music teachers, adherence to state and national standards, types of musical experiences offered and opportunities for performance and competition, among others. To be one of the “Best Communities for Music Education,” a community must demonstrate a commitment to high standards for music education in all of these areas.

“On behalf of our music department, I would like to thank the Board of Education, Dr. Williams, Dr. Gulbin, and the Central Office Administration team for their continuous support of our music programs here in Amityville,” said Amityville District Director of Fine Arts Frances Fernandez. “Congratulations as well to all of our fine music teachers who facilitate these valuable programs on a daily basis, and of course, our wonderfully gifted student musicians for their participation and for making us all very proud.”

Amityville Musicians Take Top Honors at Festivals
Congratulations to the Amityville Memorial High School (AMHS) Symphonic Band, under the direction of Brian Wishin, and the AMHS Orchestra, under the direction of Jessica Recher. Both groups captured first place in their respective divisions at the “Music in the Parks” adjudication festival held at Dorney Park in Allentown, PA.

Within the evaluation portion of this performance assessment, the band received a “Superior” rating and the Orchestra received a “Good” rating. In addition, Amityville ensembles received the “Esprit de Corps” trophy –the highest honor of the festival presented to the school district ranked with the highest overall rating. The overall rating not only takes into account student performance and presence, but also behavior and presentation.

Additionally, the AMHS Orchestra was among two district instrumental ensembles that received “Silver” ratings for their performances at the NYSSMA Major Organization Assessment festival. The other was the AMHS Jazz Ensemble, directed by Chris La Marca.