Baldwin named a Best Community for Music Ed

Baldwin has been named a Best Community for Music Education by the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation.

NAMM is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing participation in music. The group reviewed 237 communities around the country before recognizing 166 schools districts and 10 individual schools for their commitment to music education as part of their core curricula. The group stated that its 2012 awardees represent an especially dedicated group of music educators because of the funding crunches affecting schools across the country.

“We know that communities are struggling to maintain funding for many education programs, and we applaud these communities that remain committed to a complete and quality education that must include music and the arts,” said NAMM Foundation Executive Director Mary Luehrsen.

To earn its prestigious designation, the Baldwin district presented information detailing its music funding, class participation, instruction time, facilities and support for music programs. On this page are a few recent highlights of music education and participation in Baldwin.

Recent highlights of Baldwin’s music programs

The Baldwin High School Concert Choir studied technique with director Dr. Mark Shapiro recently. Shapiro, the choral director and an assistant professor of music at LIU C.W. Post as well as the director of the renowned New York City-based Cantori and St. Cecilia Chorus, conducted a workshop with the Concert Choir and the Women’s Choir on April 25. In addition to sharing several exercises for building singing technique, Shapiro led the students in several of the challenging pieces from their spring repertoire. These included a movement of Gabriel Faure’s “Requiem” and Daniel Gawthrop’s “Sing Me to Heaven.” BHS Choral Director Marc Greene sang under Shapiro’s direction in several recent performances at Carnegie Hall.