Julie asked for us to tell about our experience with the arts in school and where they fit in education. It’s no secret that I believe the arts should be considered as essential to students’ educational experience as reading, science and math. Here are some of the benefits our family has derived from having arts opportunities during our time with the public schools:

• College Scholarship for full tuition + extra for expenses
• First semester college grade report came today. 18 Units taken, 18 completed, GPA 3.667, 8 As, 2 Bs. Total units completed via AP and class attendance: 28
• Part-time work for a local music company as a transcriber, making twice the hourly pay of other part-time jobs.
• A performance like this:

Click To Play

I don’t intend to sound braggy, because I attribute none of his success to anything I did or didn’t do. I do, however, give major credit to the opportunities he was given all the way through his public school journey with regard to music and the arts.

Long-term readers of this blog know that the subject of those bullet items is my ADHD-officially-classified-at-risk-middle-son (aka Sticks), who is a kickass drummer (at least in my motherly opinion) now attending college on a full Jazz Studies scholarship. Short, skinny and hyper, he made his mark through high school with a pair of drumsticks and graduated with honors and local recognition because he had the opportunity to learn, play, perform, and compete in the school music programs.

Studies prove that music enhances student’s learning abilities, just as physical exercise helps them to focus on their studies. But with all of the emphasis on NCLB, arts programs are dwindling, underfunded and the red-headed stepchildren of many, many school systems. By minimizing the arts we are sending a message to those kids gifted with abilities in music, drama and the fine arts that their gifts are second-class, despite the fact that kids allowed to stretch their artistic talents apply those same skills to their academic performance.

Those same musical opportunities kept me focused, connected, and successful in high school. When I went to college and left music and performance behind, I became disconnected and ultimately dropped out. I’m grateful every day that Sticks is motivated and energetic about pursuing his musical goals…I have full faith that he will succeed at it because he has experienced those early successes.

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