There is an unspoken issue that has spread across this country through time. I have held my tongue for years on this issue, but I’m fed up. This is due to an article I read this passed weekend in my local newspaper. It was an article about how much my high school needs new bleachers for the football field, a new scoreboard, and a shed for the away team to stay in during football games.
The Stark County Board and Stark County Athletic Boosters have been discussing the issues and safety risks of the items that need improvement. The entire project is estimated to cost $200,000 which they hope to gain from donations. Let me tell you something. I’m sure they will. Now, if there had been an article written about the terrible conditions of the band practice rooms at Stark County High School, or the condition of the pianos, the stage, the instruments students are offered by the school, the art room and proper supplies, or just flat out more storage for the fine arts programs, I can almost guarantee that The Stark County Fine Arts program would never be allowed to ask for $200,000 from the community, let alone expect people to donate.
There is a giant elephant in the room when it comes to equal funding of programs in schools. I understand that sports bring in revenue, but musicals and concerts can as well. I admit, they will probably never raise as much money in Stark County as a football season can, but there’s still profit.
I was extremely dedicated to the fine arts at my high school and am now majoring in Music Education at WIU. I hate to step on some toes, but I must say this. I have never seen so much disrespect as I did when I was involved with music at my high school.
The football team constantly disrespected the marching band. Every year it was backlash at how much we sucked, the way we dressed, and the way we performed. It’s funny because it was my job as a member of the marching band to come to every game, home or away, in all weather, and play. We had to support the team, but the team did not have to support us. I admit, we weren’t marching band of the year, but we worked just as hard as the football team did. I would spend hours practicing my music because I wanted to make my school proud. It didn’t matter what I did, because no one respected the band. We were discredited before we even stepped on that field, every single Friday night.
I’m sure some of you are appalled at this article, but that probably means you’re the most important people to be reading it. Football is not the only thing a community needs. It needs culture, diversity, and creativity, which are all things you can get through the fine arts.
My senior year at Stark County, and especially after I left, I started to really notice the inequality of programs in my school. The choir director was basically forced to teach junior high choir, high school choir, and junior high band. There also was a study hall on top of that and let’s not mention her preparation for concerts, her evening rehearsals with honors choir, her music theory class, and preparation for the Spring musical. That is a lot for one person to handle. Also, our music storage or music library was shoved into our music room. It had been in a storage room, but it had been decided that the room would be better use to the athletic programs. So what do you get? A bunch of filing cabinets squeezed in with chorus risers, band chairs, stands, a piano, and multiple instruments.
My junior and senior year a few people and myself made it to ILMEA All-State choir. We got our names in the newspaper, but nothing really happened. There was no big pep rally for us, hardly any support from the community, and not nearly as much credit as the athletes who made All State. You get into the All-State choir based on your fall audition at district. It’s extremely competitive and challenges each participant greatly. It requires preparation, critical thinking, professionalism, and courage. I worked for months on the music, the scales, and sight reading. I didn’t go practice out in the hot sun for hours after school or hit the weight room. I was in a practice room every day, challenging myself further and further intellectually and physically.
What am I getting at? Athletics are not the only thing that requires hard work. Athletics are not the only thing that have great benefits. It’s time someone said something, I just hoped it wouldn’t be me. Pay attention to your fine arts programs. Go to the plays, the musicals, the art shows, and the recitals. Donate so you can broaden the minds and creativity of the young people of America.
The arts go much farther than a hundred football practices ever will when it comes to life.
