What is the promise of an education in the arts (music)?
The truth is, we do not need it.
Strictly speaking of needs, lunch would count as the most important subject.
But what the arts offer us is the chance to recognize beauty and work towards creating it.
When we think of the moments that we are struck by the beauty of something, are they not some of the most motivating experiences we can have?
Not only that, but any time we recognize something we find beautiful, we assume its universality. In other words, we are driven to share it in some way, connecting with our fellow humans.
Music, along with all arts, is filled with these aesthetic experiences, preceding any form of logic, concept or cognition within us, yet they have a powerful influence on all three of them.
That, dear friends, is the closest we will come today to defining the value of the arts.
What is certain is that the arts belong at the core of our educational experiences, and it is of great importance to make time and space for them as we start building routines and defining the rhythm of our days.
