Why is it so important for young people to receive a good arts education?

Question

Growing up in New York, I was very fortunate to receive an excellent arts education from the public schools I attended. My two life passions have always been singing and painting and I have been very fortunate to been able pursue them both. Now I want to create a legacy of excellent arts education. What evidence can you offer, or what experience have you had, that shows why it is important for young people to receive a good arts education?

Answer 1

Arts education helps young minds to develop critical skills in analytical thinking, interpretation, and creative interaction.

Scientific studies on brain development have demonstrated the need for children to have experience in the arts by the age of three in order to develop proper neural networks.
http://www.houstonprogressive.org/artsaction.html

Developing skills in any art form helps students to communicate more effectively with others, since communication is 90% nonverbal and requires interpretative and intuitive skills.

Arts activities, especially involving music and drama, also teach students discipline in working harmoniously with a team on a group presentation. The need for balance and cooperation, respect for different roles and resolving conflicts, requires maturity and responsibility on the part of all participants.

Since various works of art reflect diverse cultural and historical influences, students also experience different cultures through the arts, and are encouraged to explore their own styles or voices for sharing their own thoughts and perspectives.

In the process, students learn to find a unique personal balance between the science and the art of any discipline, or the technical skills and the artistic expression, whether through music, creative writing and visual arts, or theatrical production.
Discovering the creative potential in each person through the arts unlocks the same creativity and logical problem-solving needed to succeed in life.

I also benefited from attending a public school with top programs in band, choir, and drama. My experiences allowed me to develop a wide range of skills and talents that I use in teaching and helping others to build cooperative solutions to social problems in creative, productive ways. I give credit to my drama, music, and English teachers for encouraging me to develop my creative skills, which have made the greatest impact in my life. As I continue my visionary pursuits, I hope my success testifies to the valuable contributions of my teachers and parents and the importance of arts education.

Answer 2

I received my BFA in Painting & Sculpture two years ago. What I've learned is very different from what others may learn, but there are a few things that happen when creativity is fostered and applauded. The creativity that a young child expresses is the very same creativity that they will use in creating and following their dreams. An education in the hard facts- maths, histories, sciences..they all help to fill in the gaps, but it is the larger sense of self that is exercised and made stronger with art education. Blank pieces of paper become an arena where what is most important to us can become evident. Simultaneously, while we're learning how to draw, and dream we're also learning that there are steps that must be taken in order to give that dream reality. We see very clearly that the more effort and care we put into our image, the closer we come to creating just what we want. The importance of all of this to a developing mind that is still working out just what the world is, how it works, and how they can create their place within it is beyond words, though we owe it to these children and those yet to come to try. The next question becomes, how do we go about creating an educational system that makes quality art education a top priority?

Answer 3

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Answer 4

I used to think that eduction should focus on the 3 R's. Anything else was just a waste of time for the student, and money for the taxpayer. Then I moved away to a growing part of the country and have seen many beautiful houses, churches, and buildings being constructed.

It was not until I went back home and saw how many homes and buildings were made of gray cinder block and had no style or personality at all. I felt like I was in a documentary about the old Soviet Union, but was right here in the USA. It was then that I realized how important it is to create beautiful buildings, artwork, and music. Without, life is not only boring, but depressing.

Art, no matter what the form, is inspiring. Especially music. That's why there is always music playing at the gym or the football game. And art brings out a way for people to connect with each other. Who wouldn't think the Eiffel Tower is incredible or laugh at an old Bugs Bunny cartoon?

Answer 5

there are a few things that happen when creativity is fostered and applauded. The creativity that a young child expresses is the very same creativity that they will use in creating and following their dreams. An education in the hard facts- maths, histories, sciences..they all help to fill in the gaps, but it is the larger sense of self that is exercised and made stronger with art education. Blank pieces of paper become an arena where what is most important to us can become evident. Simultaneously, while we're learning how to draw, and dream we're also learning that there are steps that must be taken in order to give that dream reality. We see very clearly that the more effort and care we put into our image, the closer we come to creating just what we want. The importance of all of this to a developing mind that is still working out just what the world is, how it works, and how they can create their place within it is beyond words, though we owe it to these children and those yet to come to try. The next question becomes, how do we go about creating an educational system that makes quality art education a top priority?

Answer 6

As I was growing up Literature arts was a passion for me. I began writing my first novel when I was 7. I enjoyed drawing as well as music, but I could'nt not write. Where I went to school artistic endeavours were not supported, teachers frequently told me that I would never be able to make a living out of writing. Authors had to have money in order to ever get published. When I reached highshool I was still passionate about my writing, however I voiced this passion a little less.
During the Provincial testing I was asked to write a short story to test my grammatical skill and vocabulary. I wrote a story entitled The Fall, about a trip to Ottawa, where the character met the then Prime Minister. My English teacher roared with laughter when he read it. He showed it to everyone in the school, reading it to the class. I think he still has that short story too. He really gave me a boost of confidence.
It was because of this encouragement and support, the extra time he spent assisting me with my writing that I grew to become what I am today.
I have used my writing and my poetry not just as a form of entertainment or as a career, but as an outlet for my emotions. I write what I feel, and I feel what I write.
I still have'nt published a book, although I have had a poem published in an anthology, but I have been made a better and more enlightened person because someone took the time to teach me. I will always remember the extra time that my grade nine english teacher spent coaching me, even after highschool was over.
So with that in mind I will say that arts programs are important if for no other reason than to catch those pieces of gold that sift through the sand.

Answer 7

First you can learn that what you like is different from what someone else likes and that is not a crime. You may think the Mona Lisa is great art but your friend may think a comic book artist is the greatest artist on the planet. The beautiful part is nobody’s wrong or right and hopefully you can learn to appreciate what both artists have given the world. Music is another subject, which you can study for life. The more you learn the more pleasure you will get each time you hear a note. You can learn to enjoy Mozart, Glenn Miller, The Beatles or whatever is playing on the radio right now. You can love the sound of a Yo-Yo Ma’s cello, John Coltrane’s sax or Jim Hendrix’s guitar equally. There are so many artists to enjoy that your educational expedition will never finish. There is always another road to explore and enjoy. Learn to love the arts and you will learn to love life more then you could ever imagine.

Answer 8

It allows for freedom of expression, creativity and imagination. I also can start a deep appreciation for the arts.
You don't have to be a performer to benefit from an arts education - music is related to math, theatre prepares you for being onstage weither as a actor or an excutive in a board room. Art allows people to express them selves and can be a theraoutic outlet - and what teen ager doesn’t need an outlet of some sort.

I was fortunate to have the oppurtunity to attend an Arts school - which statistcally had less acts of violence. As a Drama major and vissual art & music minor - I learned a lot about expression & appreciation

I never became an actor but that was not the intention of my education. I graduated with 3 OAC's (university prep level courses) in Math. I now have a Univerity degree and a successful career and a love of theatre & the arts

Don't shelter students open their minds to all possiblities!

Answer 9

Look around you Tony. This world is becoming overspecialized and linear in it's views. The school systems do traige and then nudge students into one path or another. This is because to be successful today you need to master one given field, at the expense of all others. While I am not against mastering a field of interest, it seems this is done at a younger and younger age and rather than getting a bright creative workforce, we are creating technicians that look neither left nor right.

I think a good arts education is important but should not replace a the standard curriculum. The last thing we need is overspecialization in these fields. We have that already. If you are looking for advice, I would suggest an attempt to return to classical education, with emphasis on basic skills, reading, writing, math, philosophy, literature, arts.

Being a somewhat introverted child growing up in a lower middle class family, we did not have the resources to get me into an elite school or afterschool programs. however, I understood at an early age that only by supplementing my school curriculum will I ever hope to achive a more global and educated world view. And next year, when my first child is born, I hope to instill these values on him/her.

So yes, we need the arts, desperately.

Thanks for your time.

Answer 10

Because just about every creative talent starts when we are very young, if it is to develop into greatness. Kids need a chance to find that while they are still young enough to develop it as far as they choose.

And because just about every creative hobby, no matter how skilled or unskilled, is captured when we are young. So whether you have a talent which can be developed to greatness, or just an amateur passion that can be developed into a happy pastime, the earlier that creative expression is given some practical techniques and training the better off a person will be. The basics of how to use the materials, a bit of exposure to what the masters of the art or craft have done, a little bit of just plain playing around with the possibilities -- all are important to the spirit of a child.

My grandmother got me started on embroidery when I was about four. I will always be grateful for a skill I have used to my advantage all my life. I would encourage you to consider the "crafts" as well as the fine arts, as there is high art at the upper end of every craft: can you deny that a beautiful original quilt is a work of art? An elegant and perfectly crafted piece of furniture? The fine embroidery work on an alter cloth?

Answer 11

Creativity, it has been argued, is what really sets humanity apart from other animal species. Indeed, when one looks at the world's religions, it is easy to conclude that the "creator god" is nothing more than a euphemism for our own desire (or need) to create.

Children who are exposed to music and the arts at an early age tend to be happier and imbued with a sense of curiosity that other children, who have not been similarly exposed, lack. Whether or not a child is a talented musician or artist is immaterial. Simply having a good working understanding of music and art gives children a window into other cultures and times in history.

The arts/music community is at an important crossroads today - while the majority of corporate media outlets are concentrated in fewer and fewer hands, resulting in increasingly bland music (across all genres), digital technology is making artistic endeavors more democratic.

Now, aspiring musicians can record and distribute their own music at a tiny fraction of the cost that other artists incurred, even ten years ago; independent filmmakers and video producers can distribute or promote their work through YouTube and Googlevideo; writers and photographers can exhibit their work through websites and desktop publishing.

Unfortunately, in a consumeristic society such as ours, the emphasis on education amounts to "do this and this and this ... and you'll get a good job." That's why arts and music are among the first programs placed on the chopping block when budget cuts are necessary - they are deemed by government to be un-essential components of a quality education.

If there were ever a time to emphasize arts and music education, it's now. While all these new tools have incredible potential to unleash creative potential, they are also have the potential to perpetuate the mindless consumerism which already envelopes all of us.