Music, theater, dance, and the visual arts have endured in all cultures throughout the ages as a universal basic language. The arts convey knowledge and meaning not learned through the study of other subjects. Arts education offers students the opportunity to envision, set goals, determine a method to reach a goal and try it out, figure out alternatives, evaluate, revise, solve problems, imagine, work collaboratively, and apply self-discipline.

“I must study politics and war that my [children] may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My [children] ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry and porcelain.” -- John Adams