“…Music feeds the soul and the imagination, and at a time when our young people hear so much about war, terrorism, and the failing economy, they need to transcend the message of conflict and strife to have faith in a future of peace and harmony. The opportunity to participate in and develop an appreciation for music is a lifelong gift we give our children. We allow them to dream, express themselves, and look at life through many lenses.”
– ELIZABETH BURMASTER, Wisconsin Superintendent of Education, Speech at 2003 WMEA State Conference.
“The arts – the fruits of imagination – are not accessories to life, nor to education. They are not the parsley that decorates the main course. They are education, and provide lessons that can be learned in no other way.”
– DAVID MCCULLOUGH, Historian and Author
“A school’s mission is wider than learning how to make a living. It is a place where students can learn how to make a life. Those who would send schools back to the basics set their standards much too low. The logic of language, the structures of mathematics, the conclusions of the sciences give us distinct perspectives, but they do not exhaust what we can know, what we can imagine, or what we can feel. The arts are among the important ways we remake ourselves.”
– ELLIOT W. EISNER, Arts Educator, Stanford University
“When members of a society wish to secure that society’s rich heritage they cherish their arts and respect their artists. The esteem with which we regard the multiple cultures offered in our country enhances our possibilities for healthy survival and continued social development.”
-MAYA ANGELOU, Poet
“The arts are an essential part of human experience; they are not a frill. We recommend that all students study the arts to discover how human beings communicate, not only with words, but through music, dance, and visual arts. Now more than ever, all people need to see clearly, hear acutely, and feel sensitively through the arts. These skills are no longer just desirable; they are essential if we are to survive with civility and joy.”
– ERNEST BOYER, former President, Carnegie Foundation for Advancement of Teaching
“The arts enrich communities and employees, and also stimulate the kind of intellectual curiosity our company needs to stay competitive.”
– NORMAN R. AUGUSTINE, CEO and Chair, Martin Marietta Corporation
“Educators say they want materials and activities that are constructivist, that is, concrete and hands on. They seek materials that are multi-modal, multicultural, appealing and challenging to the classroom’s diverse range of learners. They look for activities that provide not just a means of assessment but multiple ways to track and evaluate a students’ progress. They want materials that promote critical thinking. They look for activities that are inter-disciplinary. Research confirms what we always knew intuitively: the arts teach all of us – students and teachers alike – innovation, novelty, and creativity. We learn to be wondrous.”
-RAMON C. CORTINES, Director, Pew Network
“For the future of our children and our communities, we must find new ways to engage students in the learning process. The arts can be a powerful vehicle through which to challenge young people’s minds, stir their creativity, instill discipline, and build self- esteem.”
– LAWRENCE A. HOUGH, President/CEO, Sallie Mae
“We need highly skilled workers to think and create. That’s why we’re willing to put our money on the line to make a systemic change in the way young people are educated to the arts and sciences in this country.”
– HELGE H. WEHMEIER, President/CEO, Miles Inc.
“Music education teaches students lessons that they will use for the rest of their lives: cooperation, hard work, dedication, and the desire to strive for excellence. All students benefit from music education, whether they sing, play an instrument, compose melodies, or simply enjoy listening to and learning about the rhythms and the lyrics. Music is an integral part of our daily lives. As I travel around Wisconsin, I hear music influenced by the many ethnic groups that live in my state. I am pleased that these musical traditions are being passed on to the children of Wisconsin, both in the classroom and in their communities.”
– RUSS FEINGOLD, U.S. Senator, Wisconsin
“Providing our children with a challenging and well-rounded education is the best investment we can make in our future, and music education is a key component of that curriculum. Introducing children to the arts opens their minds to creative thinking and teaches them about the many contributions that artists before them have made to our culture. I will continue to support increased federal funding for education so that states and school districts have the resources and the flexibility they need to devote more money toward their highest priorities like music education.”
– HERB KOHL, U.S. Senator, Wisconsin
“Music education stimulates, challenges, and enriches our young people during their formative, school years; its value lasts a lifetime.”
– TAMMY BALDWIN, U.S. Representative, Wisconsin
“…art means more than the resuscitation of the past: it means the free and unconfined search for new ways of expressing the experience of the the present and the vision of the future. When the creative impulse cannot flourish freely, when it cannot freely select its methods and objects, when it is deprived of spontaneity, then society severs the root of art.”
– JOHN F. KENNEDY, 35th President of the United States
“Civilizations are most often remembered for their art and thought. I have always believed in the definition of an educated man or woman as one who could, if necessary, reform his or her civilization. That means we must teach our students more than hard facts and floppy discs. We must teach them the rich artistic inheritance of our culture and an appreciation of how fine music enriches both the student who studies it, and the society that produces it … The existence of strong music and fine arts curricula are important to keeping the humanities truly humanizing and liberal arts education, truly liberating.”
– RONALD REAGAN, 40th President of the United States
Arts and humanities “have enabled Americans of all backgrounds and walks of life to gain a deeper appreciation of who they are as individuals and who we all are as a society.”
– BILL CLINTON, 42nd President of the United States
