Why Arts?

When I was a music teacher, I sometimes had parents expressing their conflicted feelings about putting their kids in arts activities or sports. (Our overscheduled children don't seem to have time for both... but that's a topic for another day!)

I know that sports are wonderful--teamwork, physical fitness, all of that. And if your child *loves* the sport in question, then the answer is easy. But we often saw kids who had more of a, shall we say, artistic nature being forced to participate in a sport they did not enjoy. The feeling seemed to be that the benefits of a sport absolutely outweighed any perceived benefits to the alternatives--art, music, or theater.


But let's think about this. Arts activities have some unique benefits:

*Boys and girls can play together. 
Sports by necessity need to segregate the sexes. Arts do not have such a restriction. In a choir, both are necessary for a full sound. In a play, there are almost always parts for boys as well as girls (except for "Steel Magnolias," ... but I digress.). Boys and girls get to experience working together for a common goal. That's cool!

*Arts can be a lifelong involvement.
Our family was in a summer musical once in which the ages of the actors ranged from 8 to . . . wait for it... 92! In arts activities, not only the genders but the generations can play and work together. For the individual, this means you never "age out" of the arts: You just improve and improve, and even if you blow out your ACL, you can still participate! And how cool is it for a child to participate with teenagers or adults in an activity? Talk about a self-esteem builder!

*What about physical fitness?
Pick your kids up after rehearsal for a musical and observe their healthy pink faces-- practicing a dance routine over and over can be all the exercise anyone could ever want! And a word about dance: Groups who engage in movement together actually bond strongly. It's science: dancing or moving in tandem releases oxytocin (the bonding hormone) in the brain. Ken Robinson says that if there were only one course that should be required in every school, it would be dance. More and more, I agree (and I am NOT a dancer--just ask any of the kids who are following my lead for movement during rehearsal of our church Christmas musical!). But, wow--all the benefits! Fitness, coordination, cooperation, oxytocin--all wrapped up in one FUN package!

*Self-confidence
Besides dance, I would add "presentation skills" to the list of required topics in school. Think about it: There are the ubiquitous book reports in school, but the workplace also often requires presenting. People who are calm and confident when having to present their ideas to a group have a distinct advantage (and a happier time of it when that presentation looms). Teachers told me they could always identify the theater kids: They were the ones who were completely unruffled by having to speak in front of the class! Theater, singing, dancing--all of these help take a bite out of the Fear of Public Speaking. And people who are well versed in art care about creating visually appealing presentations. 'Nuff said!

So, parents, if your child would rather paint and sing than throw a ball--don't despair. They are reaping benefits that can continue through their lifetime!

Middle School Difference-Makers!

OUR SCHOOL'S "spiritual emphasis theme" this year is "Put Your Faith in Motion." This is SO up my alley I can barely speak! We have many cool things planned.

2nd Baptist dances their shoes off.

The first is Wednesday, Sept 28. We are going to have a Denver Christian "Dance Your Shoes Off" event. The idea came from this video of 2nd Baptist church in Houston. They donated thousands of pairs of new shoes to people who needed them. If all of our kids participate, that will be about 300 pairs of shoes.

We will be donating the shoes to Soles4Souls, an awesome nonprofit that collects and distributes shoes worldwide. If you are in the Denver area, come dance with our kids--and donate some shoes!

As it turns out, an organization called Sevenly is running a drive (2 days left) in which for every "Give Shoes" t-shirt you buy from them, they donate $7.00 to Soles4Souls! How awesome is that!?

I am most excited about my students' year-long project--the "Faith in Motion Performance." Each middle school class (there are five) will be choosing a cause/problem to work on. They will become experts in that issue, creating a Wiki page as they go. Then they will design a 15-minute performance to educate, entertain, and motivate their audience about their particular issue. These could involve singing, drama, videos, art--whatever the students come up with.

April 12 is the date--it is currently scheduled for a morning performance, but if it turns out as cool as I think it will, I might push for an evening show as well.

If you are reading this, would you please pray for these kids as they research and prepare? I am sure I will blog more about this, because it is SO near and dear to my heart, so check back for updates. I can't wait to see what they choose as their causes!