The Arts: An Important Role Of The Arts In The Modern World

The arts are a dying field; it’s impossible to make a career out of. I’m sure every single student who has ever wanted to pursue a career or even simply take a class in one of the arts—usually including music, art, and theatre—has been told this at least once. I know for sure I have. In high school, I was extremely involved with band, choir, and theatre as well as taking dance classes outside of school, but I was often told that I was wasting my potential. I have always exceled in math, so I grew up thinking I should be an engineer or mathematician, because that’s what people told me I should do. When I got more involved in the arts in high school, my entire world changed. Classes became easier, and I felt more comfortable in my own

From being an early form of communication with hieroglyphics, art has shaped society to it’s current standard. Performing arts used to be a way of showing high class, as well as determining ranking in European courts (dance apprec textbook). In modern times, however, this emphasis on the arts has completely shifted. Artisans who were once praised for their works are now being laughed at and told they are wasting their time. The arts are an extremely difficult field to be successful in, so rather than helping kids understand that it is a struggle they may have to face, schools have completely strayed away from the idea that the arts are an area of study. This strong change in curriculum started with George Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act in 2002. This act required states to test students from grades 3-8, and then once again in high school, usually sophomore year. These tests only measured reading and math, though some tests also included English and science. According to this website, the goal of this was “to close student achievement gaps by providing all children with a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education” (NCLB website—find an author). This act affected all schools across the nation, so the main focus of teaching changed from being well-rounded in all subjects to succeeding in those that would help improve their test scores and overall school ranking. It is impossible to use a multiple-choice test to detect someone’s artistic ability, and for that reason it is often eliminated from common core teaching. While there have been changes made to this standardized way of learning, such as the addition of Obama’s Race to the Top legislation, the main focus is still on science, technology, engineering, and math. As these tested areas gain increased funding, those that are not being examined, especially the