Albion Central School District has been honored with the 2026 Best Communities for Music Education (BCME) Award from The NAMM Foundation for its outstanding support and commitment to music education. This is the 19th consecutive year that Albion has received this recognition.
The BCME program, now in its 27th year, continues to spotlight and celebrate school districts and individual schools across the United States for their exemplary dedication to music education and their ongoing efforts to ensure equitable access to music learning as part of a well-rounded education. The award reaches K-12 communities nationwide, offering both recognition and momentum to strengthen and expand music education programs. In 2026, more than 1,000 school districts and schools—including public, private, charter and parochial institutions—have been recognized for outstanding achievement in providing access to high-quality music education.
“This recognition is a testament to the unwavering dedication of our music department here at Albion,” said Rebecca Manfreda, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction. “It reinforces to our community, staff and students that we as a District recognize the many benefits of music education in schools, and are committed to supporting an environment where music education is always accessible, celebrated, and continuously developing."
Research into education continues to demonstrate educational/cognitive and social benefits for children who learn 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. In addition, everyday listening skills are stronger in musically trained children than those without music training. Significantly, listening skills are closely tied to perceiving speech in a noisy background, paying attention, and keeping 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. Social benefits include conflict resolution, teamwork skills, and giving and receiving constructive criticism.
“The music program here at Albion has had a huge impact on our lives, not only because of the countless opportunities we are provided with, but because of the dedication of our teachers,” said Phoebe Allen, 11th grade student, ex-officio student member of the Albion Board of Education, High School Student Council President and All-State musician who has been involved in Albion’s music program since elementary school. “Through the program, we are able to fuel our passion for music and not only learn to perform, but learn to become the best musicians we can be. Our district, and especially our community, is proud of the hard work that is done to keep the music program thriving.”
Recipients of the 2026 BCME Awards were selected through a comprehensive application and review process that evaluates key indicators, including funding, instructional time, participation rates, facilities and community support. To uphold the program’s rigor and credibility, all applications were independently reviewed and verified by WolfBrown, a leading research and evaluation firm specializing in education and the arts.
About The NAMM Foundation
The NAMM Foundation is the charitable arm of the National Association of Music Merchants, the global trade association for the music products industry. The foundation works to remove systemic barriers that limit access to music-making and career pathways in the music industry. By investing in bold ideas and innovative solutions, we strive to build inclusive and thriving musical communities. For more information about The NAMM Foundation, please visit www.nammfoundation.org.
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