Category: Investing in Arts Education

  • Joshua Bell on the World-Changing Power of Early Music Education

    Joshua Bell on the World-Changing Power of Early Music Education

    Acclaimed violinist Joshua Bell discusses the power of music in children’s lives and how it can contribute to a better world for all.

    Can you share a memory from your early years that highlights the impact of arts education in your life?

    I grew up in a family where music was a central part of our lives. Everyone in my family played music, and there was a strong belief in providing music lessons to children. Before I even started playing the violin, my mother enrolled me in a very early class for two- and three-year-olds. In that class, we would simply beat out rhythms and engage with music in a very basic way, even at such a young age. I was fortunate to grow up surrounded by music, and I began taking private violin lessons when I was around four years old. I consider myself one of the lucky ones, as my parents deeply valued the arts and arts education. However, not everyone is as fortunate. For many people, if they don’t have parents who prioritize music or if music isn’t offered in their schools, they may never be exposed to the arts at all. I find that incredibly sad, as arts education can have such a profound impact on a child’s development and life.

    How did having access to music education influence your career as a world-renowned violinist?

    Well, I think it’s hard to pinpoint exactly, but clearly, I wouldn’t be a violinist today if I didn’t have an early music education. It’s just a fact — this doesn’t come out of nowhere. My parents gave me lessons and exposed me to the right teachers, which made all the difference. I’m fortunate because I had more arts education than most people will ever have, and I realize how lucky I am in that respect. However, what I’m passionate about is expanding arts education to a broader audience.

    I believe arts education should be accessible to everyone, not just a select few. The appeal of arts education for the general public is very important to me because I’ve seen firsthand what it can do. I’ve been involved in several programs that bring arts education into schools, particularly one called Education Through Music. This organization sets up music programs in inner-city schools that have no arts education whatsoever. I’ve visited these schools and witnessed the profound impact music education has on students, especially those from challenging backgrounds and environments. The difference between schools with no music education and those that’ve integrated music programs is astounding. I visited one school, for example, where they provided every child with a violin, and the effect was incredible. Attendance rates soared — nearly 100% — because the kids were excited to play music and engage in the program.

    Music became an outlet for their creativity, which is crucial for children. It also teaches cooperation as they play together and helps them develop skills in areas like language and mathematics. Music engages multiple brain functions and fosters the development of skills across the board. I truly believe schools should prioritize music education. In fact, I think music should be the foundation of education — perhaps the most important part. The discipline learned from mastering an instrument extends to every other aspect of life. The focus, patience, and work ethic required in learning music are invaluable, and these skills can be applied to any endeavor. Lastly, I think it’s especially crucial now in our increasingly digital and AI-driven world. Everything is moving towards computers and technology, and I think music offers something essential that technology can’t — human connection. Music is deeply human, and it helps remind us of what’s truly important. That’s why I believe it’s vital that children have access to music education.

    Why do you believe arts education is essential for young people in today’s world?

    I believe the skills you learn through music, such as discipline, are incredibly valuable. Music, especially when played with others, teaches you how to listen. Listening is such an important skill, not only for music but for everything you do in life. It’s not just about playing your part; it’s about being attuned to others and working together. Music is one of those things that, like all forms of art, is essential. Visual arts, painting, and other creative outlets are equally important. From a very young age, children naturally gravitate toward art, whether it’s music or visual arts. Kids are inherently creative, and I think our school systems, in many ways, tend to suppress that creativity. Instead of fostering it, they often teach kids how not to be creative anymore. But creativity is crucial — it’s important in everything we do. Music provides a wonderful outlet for creativity, allowing children to express themselves in ways that other subjects may not. That’s why I think music education is so important.

    How do you think exposure to music and other arts can benefit children both in and outside of the classroom?

    I believe that music education benefits children in many, many ways. It helps improve their attention span and teaches them important life skills. For some, it might lead to a career in music, which I can’t think of a better vocation for. However, for most, it will simply make their lives more well-rounded.

    The lessons learned through music and art may not always be immediately obvious, but they have a ripple effect that influences many aspects of life, often in ways the child won’t even realize at the time. I also believe that a love for the arts, especially music, has a deep connection to empathy and understanding. It’s hard to imagine someone who truly appreciates art and music wanting to go to war or harm another person. The mindset that music and art promote is fundamentally at odds with violence. These forms of expression remind us of what it means to be human, and they foster empathy, which is something we desperately need in the world today.

    What do you say to those who argue that arts education should take a backseat to STEM subjects?

    I believe that music and art, alongside STEM courses, are all incredibly important. A well-rounded education is essential, and I think it’s crucial to have a balance between the two. Both areas contribute to developing different skills and perspectives, making a complete and comprehensive education.

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  • How to Turn Creativity into a Healing Career in Art Therapy

    How to Turn Creativity into a Healing Career in Art Therapy

    Investing in Arts Education

    Pursuing a career in art therapy can help turn your creative and artistic abilities into a mental health profession, allowing you to support others, especially at a time when Americans are facing unprecedented mental health crises. 

    Every day, art therapists support their clients within a therapeutic relationship to use art and creativity to improve their mental, emotional, and physical well-being. They work with people of all ages and backgrounds — from children experiencing developmental delays or emotional and behavioral challenges to military service members with PTSD to older adults struggling with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

    “At the heart of my work as an art therapist is the creativity and self-expression found in art-making. We’ve all experienced it as children, and some of us have the joy to work with art to help people and communities heal. I’m always inspired by clients who may be afraid of using art materials as non-verbal language at first, but try it anyway,” explains art therapist Christianne E. Strang, Ph.D., ATR-BC.

    Particularly when people are struggling, facing a challenge, or even a health crisis, their own words or language may fail them. During these times, an art therapist can help clients express themselves in ways beyond words or language. Art therapists are trained in art and psychological theory and can help clients integrate nonverbal cues and metaphors that are often expressed through the creative process. 

    According to research, art therapy helps people feel more in control of their own lives and helps relieve anxiety and depression, including among cancer patients, tuberculosis patients in isolation, and military veterans with PTSD.

    According to art therapist Kathryn Snyder, Ph.D., ATR-BC, LPC, “Engaging in art therapy offers imagery and creative processes that support communication, expression, and insight into, as well as release of, difficult emotional experiences.”

    Opportunities for art therapists

    Art therapists serve diverse communities in different settings, such as medical institutions like hospitals, cancer treatment centers, and psychiatric facilities; outpatient offices and community centers; and schools. Many art therapists have independent practices. They also help support individuals and communities after a crisis or traumatic event, like a mass shooting or a natural disaster.

    Training in a broad range of psychological theories and ways to use art media and creative processes is necessary to becoming an art therapist who is able to help people process and cope with mental health challenges. Art therapists hold postgraduate degrees and are then credentialed by the Art Therapy Credentials Board as ATR (art therapist registered) or ATR–BC (board-certified art therapist registered).

    Learn more about art therapy and how to become an art therapist through the American Art Therapy Association.

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  • How Tony Danza Is Helping Shape the Stars of Tomorrow

    How Tony Danza Is Helping Shape the Stars of Tomorrow

    Investing in Arts Education

    Tony Danza | Photo by John Russo

    Actor Tony Danza discusses how he helps shape the stars — and generally good people — of tomorrow through his youth program.

    Before becoming an entertainer, you were a teacher. How did that experience influence your perspective on the role of arts in education?

    Teaching has influenced my thinking about kids and what they need. As a society, I think we have abdicated some responsibility for nurturing our children, and we have work to do. It’s been wonderful to be a part of The Stars of Tomorrow Project, which focuses on youth development through performance and allows them to discover the world and the tools to navigate it. It uses the art of acting to help students develop while mentoring and nurturing them in safe spaces. We provide young people places to express themselves while developing into productive world citizens and tomorrow’s leaders.

    What kinds of skills does arts education help young people build, beyond just the ability to perform?

    We have a slogan at the program, and we try to live by it: “When you teach a kid how to act, you teach a kid how to act!” If you think about it, most of the media — music, TV, movies, websites, and apps — that young people consume are often concerned with the self. Acting makes you be part of something bigger than yourself. It teaches you to be present, to look people in the eye, to speak clearly — all things you need to be successful in life. The program is a life program.

    We make good actors. We have one from the program on Broadway right now; his name is Daniel Hernandez. I am so proud. But we also try to make good people. 

    Many students face self-doubt when pursuing a career in the arts. What advice do you have for those who are passionate but hesitant?

    I have something that helps me, and it’s what I tell young actors: You have to truly believe that no one can do what you can do. You can’t do what Timothée Chalamet can do, but he can’t do what you can do. You have to really believe it and then not get in your own way. 

    How has your own teaching background influenced the way you advocate for arts education?

    I have been performing now for 50 years, and before that, I used to put myself on the line in the boxing ring. My only regret is that I didn’t start in the arts when I was younger. It has transformative powers. We’ll have a kid come to the class, and all it takes is a short time before he or she is saying, “I have to support my ensemble!” The Stars of Tomorrow Project works!

    Lastly, we are all thinking of you, LA!

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  • Top Challenges Inside the Classroom for Drama Teachers

    Top Challenges Inside the Classroom for Drama Teachers

    Investing in Arts Education

    Often a department of one, drama teachers must work proactively to find support networks and community resources that enable them to provide the best education possible.

    In late spring, 2006, I was faced with a quandary: How do you teach drama? I had just been assigned my first drama classes at North Hollywood High School, where I’d been teaching for two years, and although I had many thoughts about shows I might direct that would be a good fit for our student population, I had no idea what to include in day-to-day classroom curriculum. 

    This conundrum was unfortunately not new to me. I had just earned my teacher certification in the state of California as an English teacher through LAUSD’s District Intern Program. Never mind that I had never taken an English class in college — I passed the state exam for English language arts and that was sufficient for entry to the program. As a result, I leaned heavily on the expertise of teachers in the English department at North Hollywood for guidance on what to teach. I asked those colleagues what they were teaching to get insight into what materials and activities were successful with our students. However, when it came to drama, I’d be on my own. Although elements of drama pedagogy were incorporated into various graduate courses I’d taken while a student in NYU Steinhardt’s Program in Educational Theatre, I lacked a scaffolded approach to learning how to create a curriculum and no set community of drama teachers to turn to for support. 

    Just as I had experienced in the English department at North Hollywood, most teachers have the luxury of working with colleagues who teach the same content. Consider the math department, the social studies department, or the science department. But how many schools have a drama department? Some lucky few might find themselves within an arts department, but how similar are visual art teaching, music teaching, dance teaching, and drama teaching? Consequently, it is incumbent upon drama teachers to get out of the isolation of being a department-of-one and find a support network of trusted peers to whom they can turn when faced with the all-too-common question: “What now?” 

    Community support for drama and theater teachers

    Professional organizations like the American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE) and the Educational Theatre Association (EDTA) host annual conferences that provide theater educators with needed professional development and networking which are necessary resources for supporting classroom teachers. However, membership in these organizations is not free, and registration and travel to attend these annual conferences requires investment from school and district leadership to support teachers in their professional development.  

    The support drama teachers get from these organizations is essential at this political moment. In the press, a lot of attention is given to book banning across the country, but less so to censorship and restrictions in the arts. For the last five years, Qui Nguyen’s play “She Kills Monsters” regularly appears in EDTA’s annual survey of the top ten plays performed in schools, and yet the work has been met with calls for censorship and cancellation due to the play’s content. Other popular plays have faced a similar fate — be it Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun,” Moisés Kaufman and members of Tectonic Theatre Project’s “The Laramie Project,” Bert V. Royal’s “Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead,” or even works by William Shakespeare. 

    Through partnership with organizations like AATE and EDTA, teachers learn about initiatives to actively oppose efforts to restrict the arts, such as the No Book Bans Coalition, which advocates against theater bans; Dramatists Guild Legal Defense Fund, which has published “Dramatic Changes: A Toolkit for Producing Stage Works on College Campuses in Turbulent Times,” and provide legal support for producing scripted plays; and the National Coalition Against Censorship, who have published “The Show Must Go On: A Toolkit for Organizing Against Theatre Censorship in Public Schools.”

    Through participation in national organizations like AATE and EDTA, drama teachers are able to develop support networks across the country. In community and solidarity, drama teachers are able to develop skills to meet the needs of an ever-diversifying student population, improve classroom instruction, promote deeper arts learning, and respond to classroom and community challenges in turbulent times.

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