Sarah McKee Throughout this year, there has been talk of cutting the arts out of schools without

realizing the importance of the arts education. Five major areas included in the arts are dance, drama, visual arts, music, and multi-arts. These programs should be in schools because they allow a world of opportunities out of school and provide alternatives to students who are nonathletic or not interested in sports. A big reason behind the arts being cut is cost. Using music as a main point, schools are finding music classes too expensive to run. I believe that this is for many reasons. Schools may be finding this expensive because of over-funding when they are a smaller schools trying to be at par with bigger schools. A study was done in the 2009-2010 school year by Mark L. Fermanich on how much music programs in reality cost. The district had a budget of $853 million with $13.9 million set aside for music education. This study concluded that for children in first through fifth grad, music education cost about $195 per child. Fermanich then factored in the mandatory 45-minute class for a 3-day a week class and the cost for middle school decreased to $189 per child. This decrease continue into high school, where music is an elective. The cost came to about $143 for each high schooler (Parker, pars. 6, 9). I agree that there are some expensive upfront costs, for example a piano, but these things eventually pay for themselves because they last for a long time. When you think of music and art in schools, you usually think of competitions and talent programs, and because of low interest, some schools are thinking of cutting these classes. Competitions and talent programs arent necessary though if you have music and art programs with a small number of students in each of those classes. You can have a successful music or art

program with ten to fifteen students just as easily as you can have a successful music or art program with forty to fifty students. Music and art programs not only add to a well rounded education, but they allow self expression that cant be found with sports. This self expression can help relieve anger and stress in a non violent way. Music and art can also put complex feelings and emotions in a simple format for everyone to see and hear or just for yourself. In other words, you can express complexity in simplicity. These programs can also allow you to escape the stress of reality and help you sort through everything that could be going on. One problem is, however, our generation today has become adept at hiding our emotions and feelings from everyone, thus some adults dont see the importance of escaping reality at times. Some people think that this escape in turn creates false fantasies and expectations of the world, which is true, but the majority of students know the difference between reality and fantasy. Music and art provide many opportunities in the business world, even outside of jobs that directly relate to music and art. If you focus mainly on sports or business in school, the skills you learn in those classes will most likely only be applicable in that field. But skills you learn in music and art classes, for example, creation of your own ideas, can be used basically in whatever way you want to use them and can find use in almost any job. Music and art classes teach you to take good risks at the right time when your ready, develop self confidence, and teach you to put yourself out there. All of these qualities are ones that employers are looking for and are beneficial in every day life. In conclusion, music and art programs are valuable and provide many more opportunities than one would think. They help develop your character and attitude toward life and provide

many job opportunities once out of school. Overall, they are very beneficial to life in and outside of school.