A Message from the Chairman to the Indiana State Board of Education

Dear Members of the Indiana State Board of Education,

As the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Music for All, a prominent national music education organization based in Indianapolis, I am writing on behalf of our members to respectfully ask that a two-credit requirement in the arts be specifically mandated as part of the new General Baseline Diploma.

As you work to ensure that all Indiana students have the benefits of a well-rounded education, we ask you to recognize that music and the other arts provide students with more pathways to their future; they enhance the quality of life in our communities; they bring added revenue to our state.

Consider . . . for those students to whom the military offers an attractive career, music and the other arts provide a head start on learning the importance of discipline, the value of honoring commitments, the willingness to serve others, the rewards of working together, the ability to reach higher goals – and other fundamentals that make them better qualified to serve. As proof the military recognizes the value of those skills: the Army and Marines are sponsors of – and active participants in – Music for All.

Consider . . . at a time when chronic absenteeism is a major challenge in high schools, a seven-year study of all public schools in Virginia Public Schools shows that students taking four years of arts instruction have up to fifty percent lower chronic absenteeism rates as compared to those not taking that instruction. Students in the arts feel they have a clearer reason to come to school.

Consider . . . among graduating Indiana seniors, too many lack the soft skills needed to secure rewarding career opportunities. According to IDOE, the top six durable skills valued by state companies are: communication, metacognition, leadership, critical thinking, and collaboration. Participation in music and the fine arts enables students to develop and hone those skills.

Consider . . . education offers an array of choices. Unless music and the fine arts are specifically required, they are in danger of getting overlooked by students in the abundance of electives available.

Consider . . .the other quantifiable benefits that music and the arts bring to our state. In addition to well-attended parades and exhibits, concerts and shows that add to the vibrancy and quality of life, the Bands of America Grand Nationals, sponsored by Music for All, brings more than $30 million annually to Indianapolis. So many of the thousands of band members, instructors, arrangers, educators, and others who participate in that event got their start in a school arts program.

And so, please consider . . . the opportunity you have, to enable Indiana students – and our communities – to experience and enjoy the life-changing benefits of music and the fine arts by mandating – specifically – a two-credit requirement in those courses. One critical purpose of education is to expose students to skills they never knew they needed.

Respectfully,