BY KENDYL COUNTS
After all these years, paint by numbers and plastic recorders might seem better for nostalgic reminiscence than actual use, but Kindergarten isn’t the only place where students should be encouraged to color outside of the lines. Though by high school most students can draw more than just stick figures with triangle dresses, performing and fine arts classes remain to be an imperative supplement to any educational career.
While simply listening to Mozart isn’t going to help students pass their tests, exposure to the arts nourishes cognitive development and promotes focus, participation, and higher scores among students. According to the Arts Education Partnership (AEP), “students consistently involved in orchestra or band during their middle and high school years performed better in math at grade 12 and were more than twice as likely to perform at the highest levels in math as their peers who were not involved in music.” This doesn’t necessarily mean that taking one year of guitar class as a senior will boost a student’s test scores, but students who are motivated to get the graduation requirement out of the way early on might end up enjoying their new hobby and continuing on with subsequent classes, improving their academic performance over time.
Performing and fine arts classes place students in environments that cultivate collaborative skills, empathy, and cultural awareness. It’s significantly easier to make friends and in classes that stimulate creativity and encourage cooperation; there’s a difference between running lines for the upcoming play and plotting lines on a sloppily-drawn graph. Whatever performing or fine arts class they decide to take, students become instantly surrounded by others who share their potential interests.
For many, creative classes are almost therapeutic; after all, a pottery class with friends after a long week is an instant mood booster. Performing and fine arts classes can sometimes be thought of as oases of expression; painting or playing an instrument can be cathartic when nothing else has gone right that day. When academics get stressful, performing and fine arts classes are a great way to ease off the gas and enjoy life a bit more.
“Band has provided me with a group of friends that I can trust and go to for advice,” CCHS Sophomore David Lee said. “It’s like having a family – they’re always going to have your back.”
Taking on a performing or fine arts class may seem intimidating to students who tend to be shy, but many CCHS students credit these courses for their development of a sense of self-confidence. Performing arts such as debate and theater endow students with invaluable public-speaking experience, and both performing and fine arts courses allow students to perform and create with a sense of pride.
“Debate has changed my life, let alone bolstered my confidence,” CCHS Junior Bruce Glasserman said. “It taught me to use a voice that I didn’t know I had in a time when I really needed to discover who I was.”
It may seem unfair to force students to take a performing or fine arts course with a graduation requirement when their natural talents or abilities may not align with that skill set. Not everybody can tell the difference between primary and secondary colors or a half note and a quarter note. Still, CCHS offers a slew of courses that qualify, so whether it’s photography or Introduction to Information Technology, there’s something for everybody.
High school is meant to be a period of growth and exploration, when students can uncover talents and passions before they are pursued and perfected in college, in careers, or as life-long hobbies. Performing and fine arts classes are meaningful facets of a well-rounded education, enabling students to try new things to find what suits them, even if they wouldn’t normally think to put it on their schedule.
