Irving Independent School District (ISD) has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education award from the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation for the second year in a row. This recognition, now in its 25th year, is awarded to school districts that demonstrate exceptional achievement in providing music education to all students.
To qualify for the Best Communities designation, Irving ISD provided detailed information on various aspects of its music programs, including funding, graduation requirements, class participation, instruction time, facilities, and community support. These responses were verified by school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.
Research consistently shows that music education offers significant educational, cognitive, and social benefits for children. Studies indicate that students engaged in music education show improved brain processing of speech, better reading scores, higher high school graduation rates, and greater likelihood of attending college. Additionally, musically-trained children exhibit stronger listening skills, which are crucial for perceiving speech in noisy environments, paying attention, and retaining sounds in memory.
This year marks the sixth time Irving ISD has received the Best Communities for Music Education award. Additionally, Irving ISD students excelled in UIL middle school and high school competitions in April, earning a total of 36 sweepstakes awards, up from 24 the previous year.
Here is the breakdown of the sweepstakes awards:
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Irving High School Cluster (17 Awards)
- Band: 6
- Choir: 5
- Orchestra: 6
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MacArthur High School Cluster (9 Awards)
- Band: 2
- Choir: 4
- Orchestra: 3
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Nimitz High School Cluster (10 Awards)
- Band: 4
- Choir: 2
- Orchestra: 4
Congratulations to all Irving ISD students and teachers for these outstanding achievements!
About The NAMM Foundation
The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its 15,000 global member companies and individual professionals worldwide. 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.
