Drum majors James Velasco, Emma Hildebrand, Margaret Johnson and Jenna Burton, of Henry Ford II High School; Maia Suggs, Emma Phillips, Lila Sapiano and Chloe Fashho, of Utica High School; Braden Cook and Chloe Zaharof, of Stevenson High School; and Ethan Delbeke, Cayla Colby, Rosaria Serraiocco, Ian Garden, Divya Bartley and Kenzie Mazzola, of Eisenhower High School pose for a photo last September before the district’s annual Band-A-Rama in October.
By: Kara Szymanski | Shelby-Utica News | Published May 8, 2023
SHELBY TOWNSHIP — Utica Community Schools has been recognized for the ninth time as one of the Best Communities for Music Education by the California-based National Association of Music Merchants.
The Best Communities for Music Education, according to NAMM, demonstrate outstanding achievement in their efforts to provide music access and education to all students.
Utica Community Schools Superintendent Robert Monroe said that music is a very important subject in the district.
“Music education is an integral part of the Utica Community Schools experience and our success. Every day, our students are inspired by exemplary educators to reach their full potential in an environment that creates a lifelong love for music and performance,” he said in an email.
He said that earning the Best Communities for Music Education designation each year is important for Utica Community Schools.
“The passion our music educators share with students on a daily basis and their commitment to success are exemplified by this recognition. Music continues to matter in our community,” he said in a press release.
The NAMM Foundation honored 830 school districts nationwide this year. It asks questions about a range of music-related topics to determine who deserves to be called one of the Best Communities for Music Education.
Utica Community Schools answered questions about funding, graduation requirements, music participation, instructional time, facilities, support and community music programs. School officials verified the answers, which the Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas reviewed for NAMM.
Dillon Warner is a Stevenson High School senior who performs with multiple bands at the school and who plans to continue his music education in college.
“There is a completely unique emotion that happens when you perform. I can’t describe it, but it is something I need in my life, in a way,” he said.