Congratulations to Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) Dillard Center for the Arts for being honored with the SupportMusic Merit Award from The National Association of Music Merchants Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education.
The Support Music Merit Award recognizes individual schools that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. This award recognizes Dillard Center for the Arts for leading the way with learning opportunities as outlined in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which recommends music and the arts as important elements of a well-rounded education for all children.
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“I believe that music education is vital,” said Dillard High School Principal Casandra D. Robinson. “Research shows the positive academic advantages of having a high-quality music program. In addition, having a music faculty who are instrumental in molding our students into great musicians and great citizens has been extremely impactful. They literally change the trajectory of the lives of the students they serve.”
“We believe music education is important because it helps students to learn and develop important life skills,” said Christopher Dorsey, director of jazz studies at Dillard Center for the Arts.
Under Dorsey’s leadership, the nationally renowned Dillard Center for the Arts Jazz Ensemble is a three-time winner at the prestigious Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival, and the defending champion this year. This year’s return as a 2019 finalist for this competition marks the ninth time in the past 10 years the band has been invited to the finals, held at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York, May 9-11.
 Dillard Center for the Arts honored with the SupportMusic Merit Award for its commitment to music education.){kind=link}