Nancy Shankman: Why We Need Arts (2min)
It’s not enough for a student to just to go to school and learn how to add and read and do science experiments. There’s a whole other part of the human psyche and the soul that needs to be nurtured. You cannot be a well-rounded human being, an adult, unless you’ve had the opportunity to participate in the Arts. Also, when you’re out of school and you become a citizen, especially in this great city where we have so many opportunities for concerts and theatre and museums, it’s a sin, a crime, not to educate our youngsters to be able to take advantage of that world.
I always tell my students that if you’re doing this because you want to play or sing, and this is something to fall back on, don’t do it. Because for this, like anything else, you need to be passionate. And if you’re not passionate about it, you’re not going to like it, you’re not going to be a good teacher and you’re students won’t learn well. So I always say don’t use this as an excuse for something else you want to do. Do it because you want to do it. Last year in fact, we had approximately 15 music students graduate and go into the world of teaching. Every one of them got a position. So there is a great need for music teachers in New York City. As much as I’m not supposed to have priorities, we try to encourage them to stay in New York City.