The Need for Fine and Performing Arts in Schools

The fine and performing arts have always played an integral part in the growth and development of the human intellect: across cultures, across continents, and across time itself. Art and music have been part of mankind from the very beginning. Since nomadic peoples first sang and danced in early rituals, since hunters first painted their quarry on the walls of caves, since parents first acted out the stories of heroes for their children, the arts have described, defined, and deepened human experience.

Across the bridge of time, all people of the world have demonstrated an abiding need for meaning in order to connect time, space, body and spirit, intellect and emotion. People have created art to make connections and construct personal meaning from life experiences, to explain the seemingly unexplainable phenomena in life, to express joy, wonder, gratitude, or sorrow. The arts are one of humanity's deepest rivers of coninuity, serving as a link that connects each new generation with those that have gone before (National Standards for Arts Education, 1994).

The arts are everywhere in our present day lives, adding depth and dimension to our environment. Music and art are a powerful economic force in the global economy of the 21st century, from the visual creativity of fashion, to the designs that comprise every manufactured product, to the richness of traditional and contemporary architecture, to the performance and entertainment art form that has grown into multi-billion dollar industries.

At another level, the arts are society's gift to itself, linking hope to memory, inspiring courage, enriching our celebrations, and making our tragedies bearable. The arts have touched every generation that ever lived upon this planet because they bring us face to face with ourselves, and with what we sense lies beyond ourselves.

Music and art are deeply embedded in our daily lives and are an inseparable part of the human journey. If civilization is to continue to be both dynamic and nuturing, its success will ultimately depend on how well we develop the intellectual capacities of our children and our children's children. All of our students deserve access to the rich education and understanding that only the arts can provide, regardless of their background, talents, or limitations.

In an increasingly technological environment, the abililty to perceive, interpret, understand, reflect, and evaluate artistic and aesthetic forms of expression is critical. Perhaps most important, the arts have deep intrinsic value. They are worth learning for their own sake, providing benefits not available through any other means. Because the arts transcend the multi-dimensional aspects of reality, there can be no substitue for an education in the arts, which provides bridges to things we can scarcely describe but respond to on the deepest levels. In elemental terms, no educational experience is complete without them.

Please join me in every effort to support the fine and performing arts in America's public schools. Let's celbrate and acknowledge the talents and gifts that every child brings to our schools and give them a means to grow and develop intellectually. They will be better for it, and our society will be as well.