In your editorial on June 16 you suggest ”Art and music classes could again be dropped.” This is a gigantic injustice to the education of students. I suggest you listen to Paul Harvey`s commentary about music, heard on March 23 around the nation. In it he states that when it comes to budgetary cuts, music is the first to be eliminated and needs to be the last because of the emotional discipline music (and art) brings to the student`s development. Emotional discipline is as vital to learning as the academic excellence teachers work so hard to evoke in their students. Music and art aid the development of the whole person and provide an important avenue for self-esteem, self-expression, appreciation of others` work, cultural sensitivity and so much more.
Music and art are the places in the educational curriculum where creativity is encouraged, differences are expected, mistakes are allowed and sometimes encouraged, and where there is no one right answer. Creativity is America`s strong characteristic-let`s not choose to lose it.
