Local schools have opened their doors to kids all over your community. If you have children like I do, I share your collective sigh of relief. No more video game marathons or bouts of summer boredom. The first weeks of school scream of promise and possibility with fresh starts and a return to the routine. One thing to consider while scrunched in that tiny desk at back to school night learning about the newest in academic standards and all that reading, writing and arithmetic chatter is this: where do the arts fit into the school’s curriculum? Since state budgets have been cut then restored again and again, the arts have been hit hard. Elementary school music programs, drama clubs, visual arts, and all things artsy may have waned or been completely cut out. In the race for our children to succeed and fast track to the best colleges, we easily forget how instrumental the arts are to rounding out our children’s educations.
I worry a lot with all the changes in academic standards and the pressures to take AP classes, that there will be less time for doodling in sketchbooks, composing poetry or performing monologues up on stage, or picking up a musical instrument. Growing up, I fell in love with theater in middle school. Staying involved in drama helped me survive the real-world drama that was high school too, and forced my introverted, shy self out into the world. Not every child is an artist. I get that. But every child should have the opportunity to pick up that paint brush or try out a wind instrument. My philosophy has always been to throw every possible thing at my kids, whether it’s a type of sport or hobby, and see what sticks.
I attempted this during the ill-fated stretch of piano lessons. Let’s just say that my sons’ destinies veered far from a future as the next Billy Joel and Elton John. Just because I regretted quitting piano when I was a child didn’t mean I had to force them to play an instrument that absolutely did not gel with their personalities. But for those two years that they banged the piano keys, they learned how to read music and perform in front of a small audience.
During our piano phase, I worked with the PTA to bring music back to our elementary school. There were no school funds to help out, so we partnered with a nonprofit music program. Due to my own involvement in the program, I admit that I pushed my son into joining the band since this was fresh after the piano lesson meltdown. Why not try a different instrument? Well, the saxophone didn’t ‘stick’ with him either. And I still say that it wasn’t a waste of his time. Although he didn’t fall in love with playing music, thirty of his peers did. My son didn’t give up. He was brave enough to express to me that his passion lies elsewhere. Like he tells me now—can you organize an animation club this year?