Survey Finds Best 100 Communities for Music Education

For the second year, AMC has spearheaded a nationwide survey to identify the best places in America to live for music education.

The survey, which measured a variety of factors such as class size, budget, teacher certification, performance opportunities and others, found top programs in communities large and small. It was especially encouraging to learn that a school district doesn’t have to be large or affluent to provide good music education to its kids—the “Best 100” list includes communities all over the scale, indicating that the real key to music education is the will to make it a reality.

Since they were published in May, the survey results have attracted a lot of local and national media attention for AMC. They’ve also made an impact on local educators.

Throughout the country, officials whose music programs earned this recognition report that they’re getting calls from their colleagues in other school districts “I have never been prouder to be a part of the Fulton County school system,” said Georgia music coordinator Jay Wucher.

They also affirmed that broad support from the entire community is what makes local music education tick. As Cranbury Township (NJ) School District chief administrator Robert Bartoletti told a local reporter after the list was published, “It reflects the commitment to music education from the teachers, the board and the community.”

The full survey results, and a wealth of background information, can be found online at www.amc-music.org.