There is panic in our public schools. There is always panic. There is a persistent fear that the United States education system is failing our children. In many ways it is. We are ranked 27th in math, science, and 27th in literacy according to a report released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 2009, consistently ranking below other industrialized countries like the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Russian Federation. High school graduation rates are dismally low in large sections of the country. Problematically, what seems to motivate education reform is a fear of “losing” on the world stage, not a fear of failing future generations. Many articles and discussions about reform begin by portraying the educational landscape as some sort of “Cold War” in which the only useful weapons are math and the sciences. We are concerned with beating other countries, not educating our own students. In this haze, we lose focus of what could ultimately help to heal a fractured system: the arts.
For some, the arts are nothing more than a pleasant distraction. Often not considered a part of the core curriculum, the arts — music, dance, theater, to name a scant few — are usually the first programs cut when school districts begin to balance a budget. People believe that there is no direct benefit from learning to play an instrument, to paint, or to dance. This perception of the arts is limited. See any one of the numerous studies that link studying the arts to improved language skills, math comprehension, literacy, and even self-esteem. Experts in brain development agree that the arts incorporate analytical and creative thinking in incredibly beneficial ways.
I believe that arts programs do so much more than simply produce artists. Most orchestra and band teachers in the public schools are well aware that most of their students will not become professional musicians. Their objective is to teach their students lessons that transcend the physical activity of playing an instrument. To perform music well, one requires knowledge of history to apprehend the context of the music, an understanding of mathematical principles of rhythm and music theory, and the capacity to read an entire musical language. A music class is the synthesis and application of what many consider to be the core standards, the objective goals of an education.
I am a classically trained violinist, and the greatest lessons I have gained from my study have not been about how to play the violin. When I was young, I was bullied relentlessly. Coming to music, I was looking for the skill that would make me “cool.” In hindsight, I realize that the violin was not the route to take to achieve that superficial hope, but what I gained from my study of music was more important than status. I learned not to put stock in how others appraised me. Music mattered to me, and I eventually came to understand that I mattered through music.
The arts are by design introspective. Music continues to teach me lessons about myself and the ways in which I interact with others. I have learned helpful life lessons and helpful job skills. For example, you do not have to like your co-workers to accomplish a task; sometimes the objective is greater than the individual. I realized that things worth pursuing require patience and effort (a valuable lesson for all children). I was exposed to diversity that helped to shape my worldview. Perhaps most importantly, the first time that I felt validated by someone outside of my family was in a music class.
You may read my experience as only telling an individual story. I would agree that it is personal, but I am not alone in this story. The conflicts and concerns facing children and teachers in the classroom do not involve outdoing other children in other countries around the world. Education is an end unto itself, not simply a means to economic productivity, international superiority, or financial wealth. The arts in education provide a unique opportunity for the application of knowledge and self-discovery in a world often devoid of both. Panic is never a useful tool in solving problems, especially with children, and we should not allow that panic to deprive our children of a complete and worthwhile education. Fighting for a child's future is a nobler task than fighting against an imagined enemy.