NEW BRITAIN -- The bands in New Britain Public Schools have reason to play a victory song.
Their superintendent just won the VH1 Save The Music Foundation's 13th Annual Administrator Award for distinguished support of music education.
Nancy Sarra, who has been superintendent of the Consolidated School District of New Britain for the past two years, was the sole winner and was presented the award in Nashville last month.
Since 2015, the VH1 Save The Music Foundation has donated $325,000 worth of new musical equipment for New Britain Public Schools.
"It just reinvigorated the arts and music in New Britain," Sarra said, "and it put us back to where we need to be."
Directing his seventh and eight grade band, Chuck Serravalle, the band director for the past 25 years at Pulaski Middle School in New Britain said, "we're ecstatic to get these good quality instruments."
Serravalle added, "a lot of kids that wouldn't have been able to afford the instruments, now got the instruments."
Daniel Muse, a Pulaski Middle School eighth grader who plays the snare drum in the band said, "I just like the music we play, it brings energy to our school."