We constantly run into different types of people throughout our lives: the jocks (the sporty guys and girls who make you self-conscious about your sports ability), the nerds (the kids who were, and will, always be smarter than you), and most importantly, the arts kids. Whether they were involved in band, painting, theatre, or something else extraordinary, the arts kids were always able to wow you with their spectacular talents. Including that you have played violin for six years in college application is an exciting addition that can spice things up, and musical prowess has recently become something that post-college employers have begun to seek. Could it be that perhaps that kid who can transform a plain canvas into a work of art, also has the ability to generate profit for his or her company?
Where I go to school, the curriculum always pushed for student involvement in some sort of art course. Personally, at the age of nine, I remember when my school instructed me to join the orchestra. As someone who was always involved in theater and music, I kept my distance from the orchestra; however, I witnessed how numerous students with zero music ability forced themselves into joining the orchestra in order to gain some sort of experience with an instrument. Back then, my mind saw it as useless to engage in the practice of music; however, I realized that the kids who continued to play instruments were able to grow powerful creative mindsets, which dwarfed that of children who only participated in sports or purely focused on homework.
Published in 1999, Edward B. Fiske’s picture ‘The Impact of the Arts on Learning’ (see below) states that, “Twenty-one percent of students of low socioeconomic status who had Studies music scored higher in math versus just eleven percent of those who had not. By the senior year, these figures grew up to 33 percent and 16 percent, respectively, suggesting a cumulative value to music education.”
This excerpt proves that practicing with musical instruments can increase one’s learning ability. But that statistic is only for those who were involved in some sort of musical activity–if all students were involved in some sort of arts related activity, musical or otherwise, that statistic could possibly triple. Student involvement in fine arts can allow for higher test scores precisely because the arts enable the brain to open vital creative channels. Instead of having to complete an assignment by the books, the fine art student has the advantage of being able to approach a task with his or her personal creative mindset. Moreover, fine arts students can implement innovative solutions to problems and assignments. This is because fine art students spend most of their time in an environment that cherishes creativity.
By being involved in a fine art, whatever that may be, students are allowed to expand their levels of creativity, which is incredibly useful in the real world. In this current day and age, we need creative people. We need people who can picture new and innovative products and make them come alive, people who can take an alternate route to create something mind-blowing–something that by-the-books people simply cannot accomplish. I am not saying that we only need fine arts kids – we need a mix. But instead of ignoring the students involved in the arts, we should give them more credit, because they are the people who will be making our world spectacular in a few years.
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