Arts Education in America
In 1943, the United States Armed Forces Institute published a second edition of War Department Education Manual EM 603 Discovering Music: A Course in Music Appreciation by Howard D. McKinney and W.R. Anderson. The material presented in the book was a reprint of educational material taken from existing standard textbook matter used in American schools and colleges at that time and is significant to this discussion because the text included the following when discussing jazz:
Some may start with an enthusiasm for music of the jazz type, but they cannot go far there, for jazz is peculiarly of an inbred, feeble-stock race, incapable of development. In any case, the people for whom it is meant could not understand it if it did develop. Jazz is sterile. It is all right for fun, or as a mild anodyne, like tobacco. But its lack of rhythmical variety (necessitated by its special purpose), its brevity, its repetitiveness and lack of sustained development, together with the fact that commercial reasons prevent its being, as a rule, very well written, all mark it as a side issue, having next to nothing to do with serious music; and consequently it has proved itself entirely useless as a basis for developing the taste of the amateur.
The ambitious listener might better start from the level of Chopin's melodious piano music, or Grieg's northern elegiacs or Tchaikovsky's gorgeous colorfulness.
Fast-forward 56 years to 1999 where I had the distinct pleasure of contributing to 250 Ways To Make America Better, a collection of suggestions for improving America published by JFK, Jr. and the editors of George magazine. Among my eight suggestions to better the country was:
Give utmost attention to at-risk youth, Pay teachers higher wages, and Appoint an American minister of culture (Don't worry - I am NOT rallying for the job. I have a job. I have several jobs!).
I cite the text from these two publications because I believe they provide the perfect bookends from which an honest and earnest discussion about the importance of the arts in America can begin. As a musician, and at my core a jazz musician, my natural inclination is to gravitate to my area of specialty where this subject is concerned. But make no mistake, every artistic vocation whether it is music, dance, painting, literature, the moving image or architecture is vitally important to the fabric of our country's history and deserves to be protected, promoted and nurtured. As my friend Frank Gehry says, if architecture is frozen music, then music is liquid architecture.
For far too long, dating back to the emergence of Jazz and the Blues, our country has treated its only indigenous music as something unworthy of value because it was born on plantations and reared in jook joints. But the power that it possessed was mighty. From the time that I first traveled abroad as a 19 year-old trumpeter with Lionel Hampton in 1951 to being the music director for Dizzy Gillespie's State Department Tour in 1956 -- the first United States sponsored goodwill tour -- to the unifying power of "We Are The World" in 1985, I witnessed firsthand the transformational effects of our Gospel, Blues and Jazz, and its ability to transcend geographic and cultural boundaries.
And without fail, it was and remains America's artistic contributions, especially its music, that is universally embraced by other cultures, pushing aside their own indigenous music and adopting ours as their Esperanto. But today, we sit as one of two Western nations in the world without a Minister of Culture. When Jaime Austria and Peter Weitzner, two New York musicians, took the initiative after hearing a radio interview that I did several months ago to create an on-line petition calling for the appointment of a Secretary of the Arts -- an idea which I had originally suggested more than 10 years ago -- my belief in the power of the arts to bring people together for a common cause was reaffirmed yet again as the petition gained steam across America with an enormous outpouring of support.
It is so disheartening to me that today our children have no idea of their country's cultural heritage. For example, last fall while I was in Seattle during the opening ceremony of the performance arts center at my alma mater Garfield High School, a group of students gathered around me and one young man said that he was a musician and wanted advice on how to further his career. I told him "that first he had to really learn and master his craft." Then I asked him, "Do you know who Louis Armstrong was?" He said, "I think I've heard of him." I asked, "Do you know who Duke Ellington was?" He said, "No." Again I asked, "Do you know who Dizzy Gillespie was?" Again he responded "No." "Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonius Monk?" I asked, and again he said "No." It tore my heart apart that on this day that my alma mater was naming a building after me, that this young man had no idea who the men were that put me on their shoulders and helped shaped who I was as a young musician. Men who will forever stand at the foundation of popular music, and who I believe in years to come will be regarded as America's Chopins, Griegs and Tchaikovskys.
We currently have prestigious institutions tasked with overseeing the promotion and caretaking of our cultural legacy but regrettably, they have been unable to open up the vast treasures of our culture to all segments of our society.
In the face of our record business collapsing around the world, I consider it a tragedy on the part of our educational institutions that our children are virtually devoid of their home-grown culture while that same culture is accepted and celebrated all over the world. With the belief that we must first clean our own house in regard to preserving our cultural legacy, I recently hosted a gathering of some of our nation's leaders in music education, the music industry, corporations, foundations and philanthropists to share resources, networks and ideas to make music education an ongoing part of the lives of children in the United States.
The objective of this initial consortium will be to identify a 12-month plan of very specific action steps that will serve as the foundation achieving the goals of
1. Creating a program that ensures our children are thoroughly grounded in the history of American music and its importance to the cultural identity of our nation.
2. Increase the percentage of children that are participating in at-school and after-school programs.
3. Increase the quality and number of the most qualified music educators in the United States.
4. Through partnership with the participants, develop shared advocacy and funding initiatives for youth music programs.
Our culture is as much a part of and just as important to our American history as Washington's crossing of the Delaware, the invasion of Normandy and the landing of a man on the moon and is just as important to our children's educational development.
It has been proven time and time again in countless studies that students who actively participate in arts education are twice as likely to read for pleasure, have strengthened problem-solving and critical thinking skills, are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement, four times more likely to participate in a math and science fair, three times more likely to win an award for school attendance, and four times more likely to win an award for writing an essay of poem. Can you imagine what that does for the self esteem of a child? The confidence it instills in them to overcome any obstacle that they are presented with?
Every great society from the Egyptians, to the Greek and Roman Empires, has been defined by its cultural contributions. The commercial benefits of the arts not withstanding -- our artistic endeavors are a consistent source of revenue in the United States and our nation's largest export -- can we really run the risk of becoming a culturally bankrupt nation because we have not inserted a curriculum into our educational institutions that will teach and nurture creativity in our children? That when future generations look back our cultural legacy is an age of disposable, vapid pabulum.
I am of the mindset that you have to know where you come from to get to where you're going. The time has come to make a concerted effort from both the public and private sectors to put in place a system whereby our children and future generations will be aware of our county's rich cultural legacy and contributions to the world. The arts, particularly our music, are the soul of our country. They are an expression of our spiritual ideals and a timeline of the emotional state of our nation... scars and all. It is a disservice to every American not to recognize them in their proper light.
Regarding jazz, the War Department Education Manual EM 603 Discovering Music: A Course in Music Appreciation would go on to conclude that:
Jazz is too fixed in its limitations and too narrow in the variety and quality of its content to be able to maintain itself long in a world of flux and change. Influential as it has been as a factor in the cultivation of present-day taste, it can hardly be looked upon as a real basis for the development of an American musical idiom.
As a jazz man, I'm thrilled that they were wrong. Our country has a long history of discarding and devaluing our cultural resources particularly where music is concerned. And although we have thankfully evolved in this pursuit, we still have much further to go before we can claim that we are diligent protectors of our cultural heritage.
In the global landscape that we live in today where ideas are exchanged with the stroke of a send key, what better way to influence nations than by exposing them to the basic belief in freedom of expression that is inherent in our nation and witnessed through our culture.
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i have no problem with arts. but arts is a very vast field.
if we are talking economics, awesome. there is marketability for jobs on that. If you are talking about women's studies, basket weaving, not so much.
"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up." - Pablo Picasso
Hear hear, Q! As an artist still in college, I look around with dismay at my fellow practitioners of the arts (I'm in theatre) and see a generation that has never known its past, just like you. I watch television, go to the movies, and see professional plays that fail to hit the mark time and again because they've grown to cater to an uneducated, uncultured audience. This is beyond frightening, because theatre stands more of a chance of dieing in my lifetime than any other art form I can think of. I, like you, interact with students who don't know their heritage. Students who can't tell me their favorite Shakespeare play, who ask who Arthur Miller was, or who furrow their brows when I mention Samuel Beckett. I also see school arts programs of all kinds shutting their doors (and students turning tail and leaving school just as fast).
I echo your call for a Secretary of the Arts to further America's arts education, to make a commitment to arts in our schools, endowing arts projects and programs across the country, and preserving our national heritage. For all that the liberty bell, the declaration of independence, and Gettysburg are national treasures, so are the works of Tennessee Williams, Duke Ellington, and Jackson Pollock. And if we wish to be the nation at the forefront of art and design once more, it's time we pull together and solidify that commitment.
The quoted text from 1943 is culturally and racially abhorrent and states a belief about Jazz that Adolf Hitler also espoused in his DEGENERATE ART EXHIBITION, with the inclusion of the visual arts and then- contemporary abstract artists. As well, I have witnessed the erosion of budgets for the NEA because, similarly, contemporary artists push the definitions of art.
That said, being a celebrity in the arts is not inherently a credential of an artist who holds this commitment. Celebrity status is the result of public relations strategies and does not inherently depend on art-making. Celebrity depends on a commitment to an economy. That said, nether is all celebrity status ill earned nor without that commitment to make art. Simply put, these are two completely different commitments.
There are living artists the celebrity art world may never know and who might not see the light of day in an art history book, museum, or performance hall. These are not amateur artists. These are not folk artists. These are artists who commit on a daily basis to make art in spite of the absence of economic support because they live contemporaneously with an inner need to fulfill a vision. Remember this, Quincy Jones, that the power of a Secretary of Arts is founded on the backs of artists who are invisible in the very process of creating it.
In support,
Janeann Dill, Ph.D., MFA
IIACI: Institute for Interdisciplinary Art and Creative Intelligence
http://interdisciplinaryartinstitute.com
Thank you for your thoughtful insights into the benefits and high value of arts education.
On the topic of an National Arts Secretary, I would caution its potential problems. The passage you gave from American music textbooks was approved by somebody with lots of power who saw things quite differently than you. Giving someone that much power that a National Arts Secretary would hold could be very damaging to creativity and substance in art education. Just imagine Bush's pick for that position!
Maybe the existing National Endowment for the Arts needs to have a higher profile and have more influence on state boards of education when determining their art curriculum.
Bravo Quincy! I am always amazed at how often education is dicussed at all levels by " educated" pundits with virtually no mention of the arts. Q's efforts will hopefully bring us a Secretary of The Arts who can lead the way in opening the eyes and ears of our country. To disregard the arts is to abdicate control of our future. I hope and pray that, with Quincy's strong and well-connected advocacy, we can all raise our voices and make a difference.
As a jazz artist and educator I am troubled indeed by our country's lack of awareness in our own gift to the world: jazz. Sadly, even those who read Q's wonderful article have not heard any of his classic jazz arrangements ( the theme from Austin Powers not withstanding) Quincy Jones is one of our great masters in the jazz community. The fact that most don't know this about the man is a symptom of the greater illness that is eating away at our culture.
I congratulate Quincy for his on-going efforts and call on all of us in the arts to join him!
The number one thing I've seen missing from high schools is anything dealing with the arts that isn't marching band, pageantry (the girls who travel with the band and make performances "prettier"), and chorus.
Art classes are going down, and taking the individuality and creativity of the students with it.
Thanks, Quincy, for bringing this up!
We here about more emphasis on math and science education but absolutely nothing competes with the arts in regard to teaching our youth how to think.
The creative wiill inherit the earth
Dr. Rick Lippin
Southampton,Pa
We need creativity in any form for our children to have an outlet, a way of expressing themselves. Containing a child in a classroom only to learn and learn with no outlet is like jail for some children, only to explode when the bell rings at 3:00. Everyone needs an outlet, a way to be themselves, to not bottle up everything that happens in a day. Perhaps classroom performance would go up? Perhaps crime would go down? If anger was swapped with fine art or dance or music, to let go/vent frustrations... let their ideas and imagination take shape instead of everything being presented to them on a computer or tv... maybe we'd get some great inventions, new ideas take creative minds. Have there been any studies done to see if there is less crime by youth in schools that give a well rounded education--including all arts and sports. I totally agree with having a Minister of Culture, a great idea.
Right on Quincy! And to read the responses to this article, it is clear why we desperately NEED a Secretary of Arts and Culture. Even most musicians in America don't really understand the importance of what they do. Read the research in Daniel Levitan's "The World in Six Songs: How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature," and Oliver Sacks "Musicophilia" to get some idea of how important music is to human brain development according to current brain research.
But then seeing this article grouped under the banner of "Entertainment" along with "Naked Rihanna- Nude Photos Hit Web," and "Miss California Gets Phone Call from Sarah Palin," and Lance Armstrong:'Sheryl and I Split Because..." makes it clear: In America the arts are "entertainment." Not something to be taken seriously as important to our well-being. We deperately NEED that Secretary of Arts and Culture NOW!
I love the idea Quincy but how can we help?
So do I, but I'm not confident it will ever happen. So take it upon yourselves--my kid can identify Miles, Ella, Coltrane, Sinatra, Armstrong, Cab Calloway (who she loves) through hearing them. She also knows High School Musical and the Jonas Bros. of course, but the point is, expose them to it all yourself, it will sink in and they'll be so much better off separating the wheat from the chaff when they're older.
I agree with Quincy that children should be at least given a foundation in the arts. They may not take to it, as I (for the most part) did not. It is important however to let all people develop their best skills. Why should a violinist be forced to become an engineer? Why should a singer be ushered into a world of accountants?
I recognize that a lot of our national problems need to be fixed with experts in Math and Science. We still should be able to do that and support artistic ventures for people talented in those areas. I was very upset that arts and music get cut often in our education system. And it seems like all we care about are test scores.
We have an incredibly diverse population that should be able to pursue incredibly diverse and rewarding dreams. As far as what was written in the manual, those people were very myopic and euro-centric. All musical styles can have value, especially to the listener. So let's not discourage artistic people from pursuing their dreams or we're going to end up with a lot of unhappy, marginally successful people.
The arts along with science and technology are increasingly important in the design and manufacture of new products and services. See the book A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink. Research has also shown that training in music enhances a students proficiency in the academics and in math.
My unscientific experience when I was an undergraduate at a college known for both its science/math and its music programs was that those who studied the former were often very interested and/or talented in the latter. The disciplines enrich each other, and ourselves. Most people aren't going to be musicians (nor are they going to be professional athletes). If they study the arts, or are at least exposed to them, they are going to be more skillful in so many areas, and so much more able to relate to diverse people. It appears that there is some evidence being posted below. We need to study EVERYTHING more, and indulge our curiosity in everything!
And it's not just practicing art that important--our nation's appreciation for art has greatly diminished over the years, and that is equally detrimental. When was the last time you were truly moved by a new piece of music, television show, or movie? They cater to what we want, and this generation doesn't have any kind of litmus test. So Survivor and Miley Cyrus, and High School Musical 37 are all we seem to get.
The first thing always cut in our local public schools is the arts. It's sad really. Football survives but arts are seen as unnecessary.
yep...but we need to let people know the truth. Here are some facts from a review of the 2005 SAT's:
Arts Course-Taking Patterns and SAT Scores, 2005
SATScores Verbal Math
4+ years arts 534 540
4 years 543 541
3 years 514 516
2 years 508 517
1 year 501 515
1/2 year or less 485 502
Average for all test takers 508 520
Correlation does not prove causation. I'll bet if you plotted athletics participation or the chess club you'd get a similar result.
Mr. Jones~
As a Master's student in Educational Research, I have a vested interest in this. My thesis involves arts education research and its effect on inner-city youth. Studies have shown increased SAT, reading and math scores. I would love to share more research with you, and to be a part of the advocacy in this issue! Find me on facebook!
A Science PhD asks "Why does it work?".
An Engineering PhD asks "How does it work?".
A Liberal Arts PhD asks "Do you want fries with that?".
Funny!
not.
Is that supposed be funny?
I think Allen Greenspan would disagree with you. Not sure he holds a Ph.D, but he does have a Masters in Econ, which is a Liberal Arts Degree. Do I need to go on?
Thanks...excellent responses...hopefully his evolution will be able to grasp this
"Lighten up, Francis" - Sgt Hulka
Maybe he would've made far better judgment calls if he'd been actively playing some form of rigorous and absorbing music. Would bet on it, myself.
And there lies the basic problem with the way the arts are viewed in the U.S. Not only that but drbillybob has lumped in all the "liberal arts" disciplines into one fast food category. Never mind that study of the arts promotes critical thinking, discipline and teamwork, all necessary attributes if you want to do anything successfully. Would he also argue that English class in school is also not necessary? Great literature is also great art and it gets us thinking about all aspects of life. There are so many examples of art as an essential component of life. Could it be that we as Americans are a bit fearful of looking deep into ourselves to for solutions to our problems? Historically, artists have always been ahead of the curve when it comes to predicting our path.
Definitely funny. Liberal arts students tend to be a bit smug and get offended easily though.
And davism97ers tend to generalize about things they no nothing about - like college degrees.
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