Music, Drama and Art in the Hallways
(An Argument Concerning the Validity of Arts in Schools) School is supposed to be a place of learning and enrichment, but it doesn’t take long for the students to become uninterested with the same boring lessons that are pulled out of dusty textbooks. From calculus quizzes to English exams, the material learned isn’t always the most interesting, to say the least. There is a way to make learning a bit more bearable and school a pinch more pleasant. For many students, the answer comes in the form of fine arts classes. Music, art, and drama can all be classes that students use to unwind and do something they really love. These classes are fun and also act as a way for students to express themselves. …show more content…
One major downfalls in the music department is the cost of the class. Numerous things need to be covered financially when taking a class like this. Most school budgets don’t have the money to pay for all the things that need to be covered, therefore, the cost is expected to be paid by the students. Carol Frierson-Campbell, Ph. D., an associate professor of music and coordinator of music education at William Paterson University, discusses the cost of music for students at an upper level, “Cost per student spending in middle school averaged $189 and $143 in high school, as music instruction is an elective” (Frierson-Campbell). This information shows what the students at different levels would have to pay if they were interested in participating in the music program. Mark Wood expresses his thoughts on music cuts and facts on how music programs are declining, “The impacts of these cuts are deep and the percentage of kids with access to music has declined 50% in the past five years…nearly half of all districts in California have cut or reduced music programs” (Wood). From Wood’s statement, from the number of schools that are dropping the music program, it is evident that this program puts too much of a financial strain on the school board and the individuals involved in the class. Although music programs are beneficial to students, the cost to sustain music programs in schools is …show more content…
Different classes in school prepare students for different obstacles they will face later in life. People rarely consider drama an influential aspect of education. Drama helps students in the future with social skills, which will be carried with them into the future. Fifth grade teacher, Brenda Rosler, observed how drama helped her students with their social skills, “Collaboration improved not only our dramas, but also our classroom environment” (Rosler). Rosler also stated that students were willing to help each other learn their parts. Collaboration and working together are all things that identify with drama. Students not only gain social skills, but they also develop a better work ethic, shown in a case study of at risk students. The group that partook in drama had positive results, “The study reported that, when forty students classified as at risk for dropping out of high school were asked whether an arts course (like drama) had affected their decision to remain in school, they said yes” (Winner, Ellen, Hetland and Lois). Drama positively affects that scholars that take the class. Not only do they learn social skills, but they also develop a work ethic. As the results from the study shown, drama was something that kept the kids in school. Like social skills and work ethic, drama gives the individuals who
(An Argument Concerning the Validity of Arts in Schools) School is supposed to be a place of learning and enrichment, but it doesn’t take long for the students to become uninterested with the same boring lessons that are pulled out of dusty textbooks. From calculus quizzes to English exams, the material learned isn’t always the most interesting, to say the least. There is a way to make learning a bit more bearable and school a pinch more pleasant. For many students, the answer comes in the form of fine arts classes. Music, art, and drama can all be classes that students use to unwind and do something they really love. These classes are fun and also act as a way for students to express themselves. …show more content…
One major downfalls in the music department is the cost of the class. Numerous things need to be covered financially when taking a class like this. Most school budgets don’t have the money to pay for all the things that need to be covered, therefore, the cost is expected to be paid by the students. Carol Frierson-Campbell, Ph. D., an associate professor of music and coordinator of music education at William Paterson University, discusses the cost of music for students at an upper level, “Cost per student spending in middle school averaged $189 and $143 in high school, as music instruction is an elective” (Frierson-Campbell). This information shows what the students at different levels would have to pay if they were interested in participating in the music program. Mark Wood expresses his thoughts on music cuts and facts on how music programs are declining, “The impacts of these cuts are deep and the percentage of kids with access to music has declined 50% in the past five years…nearly half of all districts in California have cut or reduced music programs” (Wood). From Wood’s statement, from the number of schools that are dropping the music program, it is evident that this program puts too much of a financial strain on the school board and the individuals involved in the class. Although music programs are beneficial to students, the cost to sustain music programs in schools is …show more content…
Different classes in school prepare students for different obstacles they will face later in life. People rarely consider drama an influential aspect of education. Drama helps students in the future with social skills, which will be carried with them into the future. Fifth grade teacher, Brenda Rosler, observed how drama helped her students with their social skills, “Collaboration improved not only our dramas, but also our classroom environment” (Rosler). Rosler also stated that students were willing to help each other learn their parts. Collaboration and working together are all things that identify with drama. Students not only gain social skills, but they also develop a better work ethic, shown in a case study of at risk students. The group that partook in drama had positive results, “The study reported that, when forty students classified as at risk for dropping out of high school were asked whether an arts course (like drama) had affected their decision to remain in school, they said yes” (Winner, Ellen, Hetland and Lois). Drama positively affects that scholars that take the class. Not only do they learn social skills, but they also develop a work ethic. As the results from the study shown, drama was something that kept the kids in school. Like social skills and work ethic, drama gives the individuals who