North Hills receives national recognition for music education excellence for 11th consecutive year

For the 11th straight year, North Hills School District has earned the prestigious Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation. This national honor recognizes the district’s exceptional dedication to providing comprehensive music education opportunities to all students.

The designation is awarded to school districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to ensure music access and education for every student. To qualify, North Hills School District (NHSD) completed an in-depth application that included questions about funding, graduation requirements, student participation in music courses, instructional time, facilities, and community support for music programs. The responses were verified by district officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.

“Throughout the year, we witness the incredible things our students achieve through music, but recognitions like this offer an important, objective perspective on our program,” said Len Lavelle, Curriculum Leader for the NHSD Music Department. “We are grateful for the support our community, administration, and teachers provide to our students. North Hills is a great place to learn music.”

Research continues to affirm the wide-ranging benefits of music education. After just two years of music instruction, students exhibit marked improvements in brain processing of speech and reading skills. Music-involved students are more likely to graduate from high school and attend college. Additionally, music education strengthens everyday listening abilities—such as understanding speech in noisy environments, maintaining attention, and memory retention. Remarkably, these benefits persist into adulthood: individuals who studied music as children demonstrate stronger neural processing of sound decades later, even without continued practice.

Moreover, music education fosters essential social skills, including teamwork, conflict resolution, and the ability to both give and receive constructive feedback—skills that support student success far beyond the classroom.

North Hills’ continued recognition affirms the district’s commitment to nurturing students’ academic, cognitive, and social development through music.

About The NAMM Foundation

The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its 15,000 member companies and individual professionals. 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.