East Ramapo music and arts programs show increased participation after renewed support

Michael Smith, a performing-arts staff member at East Ramapo, told the board the district has restored resources for visual art, theater and music and that participation numbers in the New York State Music Association (NYSMMA) have risen sharply.

Smith said schools used arts-and-education funding to resume field trips to the Rockland Center for the Arts and to replenish supplies. He said theater upgrades began at the high schools and will extend to other schools, and that instrument purchases covered strings, winds and percussion for fourth through 12th grades.

Smith cited district NYSMMA participation data displayed at the meeting: roughly 31 students districtwide participated in 2014–15 versus about 441 students participating in 2024–25 in solos and 476 in ensembles. He pointed to a growth in the marching-band program from about 61 students in a prior year to “185 students” this year and said the band placed first in a St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Two student musicians addressed the meeting. Jordan Medina said he will study music at SUNY Albany this summer and accepted a one-week scholarship program offer from William Paterson University. Mia Hernandez, a Ramapo High School student, told the board she was selected for All-State vocal jazz — the first East Ramapo student to do so in roughly 10 years — and said she will attend Purchase College in the fall to study jazz performance and composition.

Why this matters: Restored arts funding and equipment correlate with higher student participation in district music programs and regional recognition for students, a factor parents and staff cited when supporting the district budget.