HARRISONBURG, Va. (ROCKTOWN NOW) – Harrisonburg City Public Schools’ music education programs received two accolades for its music education: the ‘VMEA Blue Ribbon’ Award and the ‘NAMM Best Community for Music Education’ award.   

The Harrisonburg High School Music Department will be recognized with the VMEA (Virginia Music Educators Association) Blue Ribbon Award for the 14th consecutive year.  VMEA’s Blue Ribbon Award is the highest award given to high school and middle school music programs in the Commonwealth of Virginia and recognizes achieved excellence in Band, Orchestra, and Choral Performance. 

Music instructors at HHS – Choir Director Bethany Houff, Band Directors Daniel Upton and Claire Leeper, and Orchestra Director Brian Incheck – were recognized for their work in a release by HCPS on Wednesday. All music disciplines in a school must receive a rating of Superior at assessment to qualify for this award.

The school division was also honored with the ‘Best Communities for Music Education’ designation from The NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education.

In 2024, 975 school districts nationwide, and 25 of the 133 school divisions in Virginia, were awarded this honor. This is the 9th year HCPS has been honored with this distinction.

The Best Communities for Music Education designation is in its 25th year and is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. To qualify for the designation, the division provided details about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program and community music-making programs.

Responses were verified with school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.