All across the United States art and music courses are being eliminated from schools due to budget cuts and a lack of government funding. These courses include theater, music, fine arts, and dance classes. Despite the fact that we are surrounded by art and music everywhere we go, we live in a society that does not value art and music education. Many schools believe that art and music classes aren’t as important as science or math courses – this is rooted in the belief that the most successful careers are those in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) field. However, there are many benefits to these art and music courses being offered in elementary, middle, and high schools across America.
It is important to recognize the social, cognitive, and developmental benefits of art and music programs. For example, musical training, particularly instrumental training, produces long-lasting changes in motor abilities and brain structure. An interest in performing arts leads to higher levels of motivation and attention. Observational learning that comes with learning how to dance may transfer to other cognitive skills, including the improvement of the neural substrates that support the organization of complex actions. Acting classes may be able to improve memory. Learning to make music strengthens spatial-reasoning skills, which can lead to an improvement in mathematical and science abilities. Visual arts classes are highly recommended for developing motor skills in young children.
Low-income students and students from impoverished neighborhoods are more likely to have a higher number of absences and/or drop out of school. However, art programs can be especially beneficial to these at-risk students: art programs can provide incentives for these children to stay in school, as well as being able to improve their academic performances, including such successes in Math and English classes.
Although art and music programs are often compared to Math, English, and Science courses, all these courses share something in common: they are all interrelated. For example, math is taught when a child is playing an instrument, English is taught when a child is reading or writing a script, and critical thinking is taught when a child is analyzing art.
It’s extremely important for art and music programs to be funded and stay within elementary, middle, and high school curriculums.
There are so many benefits to offering art and music courses, such as higher graduation rates and improved brain development. It provides students of all ages an outlet to express themselves creatively.
Students who take art and music classes in school are being prepared for successful futures and careers, which means that keeping these courses is a top priority for our children.
