At age 10, I wanted to play the saxophone. It was the first day of band and our director was encouraging us to try out different instruments, finding out which one suited us best. Like the majority of the class, I was enthralled by the alto saxophone and wanted nothing more than to suddenly become Lisa Simpson overnight.

However, that night I had something new entirely in store for me. Within the first five minutes, all the saxophone spots were snatched up, and I was forced to abandon my Lisa Simpson dreams. As I wandered around the room looking at instruments, I found myself coming back to the trombone. This Renaissance "sackbut," an instrument that towered over my ten-year-old frame, would soon become my greatest strength and a source of power I never knew I had.

As I've been told, my parents never expected much out of me musically, as I seemed to have the hand-eye coordination of Barbie and the rhythm of Urkel. Somehow, though, I found myself tearing my way through music book after music book, and found an immense of joy in everything from O Canada to Love Shack. There was something about this loud, bold instrument that gave me confidence and allowed me to explore different facets of myself.

I expressed moments of extreme grief, fury, love, and joy, finding I was able to best express my feelings through this instrument than through words. For every swollen bloody lip or feeling of frustration, there was a satisfaction I achieved when I knew I'd finally gotten a part right and could play my heart out along with the rest of the band. In band, I met my best friends and made some of the fondest memories, sharing ridiculous moments of laughter and inside jokes I'm not sure I'll ever forget. There was truly nothing like being in band, a place I finally felt accepted, and there never will be again, but I hope for the sake of the world, that millions of other boys and girls get to feel the way I did, too.

The fact of the matter is, the arts aren't just a hobby or a past time. For some, it is a love, a passion, and a future career, something they know they are good at and somewhere they fit in. Perhaps there are those out there that play instruments or paint to relax, but there are others that spend thousands of dollars pursuing a lifetime of satisfaction from the arts, and that should never be discouraged. Science, technology, math, and engineering are fantastic areas of study and fields that are surely to be of use in the coming years, but not every student finds passion or even aptitude in these fields.

There is a theory called Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences that highlights the different kinds of intelligence a person can possess. Contrary to public school teaching, intelligence does not have one face, and it is certainly not resigned to be defined as "good at tests." Instead, there is spatial, linguistic, logical, kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, existential, musical, and pedagogical intelligence. These different forms of intelligence can give insight into learning styles and aptitudes, as well as highlight how we best interact with the world on a daily basis, ways that can help us live more fully and with a greater sense of understanding.

I believe Gardner's theory should be taught in every bachelor's and master's of education classroom just to open the eyes of all the future educators of America about how different children learn. I found a love and understanding of music, something I've only ever felt with a handful of other subjects. I was more successful here than in a math or science class, where I failed tests so miserably I honestly thought I was stupid. To know that I may be bad at STEM courses or never understand exactly what an imaginary number doesn't scare me as much when I remind myself I am intelligent, just in a different way.

I've discovered new learning styles, but more importantly, I've discovered I'm smart. There are millions of kids in school right now who feel like they are stupid because they cannot grasp a subject in school we've told them is necessary. Perhaps they are an incredible writer, but struggle with spatial thinking or they are great with numbers, but can't seem to spell anything right. Students are not their grades or one subject. Each student possesses a miraculous skill, a competence another may not, and we can best encourage this by simply not discouraging anything at all.

The arts are not a waste to invest our time in. Taking time to pursue English classes, film, theater, music, sculpture, and other subjects may be what some students need to succeed and begin to understand what they are passionate about. Learning math and science skills to succeed in the real world are undoubtedly important, but neither is more important than the other, they may just be useful in a different way. Whether you are an educator, a student, a parent, or someone whose tax money is going to the education system, consider Gardner's theory and your own life. Before we penalize the arts, consider first what makes someone a genius, and if there may be one just waiting to be discovered in the arts.