The NAMM foundation released results of their 10th Annual "Best Communities for Music Education" survey. This nationwide survey recognizes schools and districts for their commitment to music education and opportunity. The NAMM Foundation’s mission is to ensure that all children have access to quality music education programs that encourage lifelong participation in music making. In the face of ever more tightly strained budgets, music and arts education has long been an easy target for the budget balancers blue pencil. In spite of these national trends some schools and districts have recognized the complementary nature of music in a well rounded program of educational opportunity and have resisted these trends.