did you have art and music in school?

[mopinko]

when ppl start wondering where it all went wrong, my 1st thought is usually- when we started stripping the school systems for parts. i wonder if these broken ppl had art and music in their schools. it’s obviously 1 small factor, but it’s not zero, is it?

i’m old. i had art and music in school. but i went to catholic school and boy howdy do nuns love to make kids sing. dont remember how many credits in the arts you needed to graduate hs, but there was a requirement.

you? asking about grade school, cuz it gets complicated in hs. but feel free to comment.
how much did it matter to you?

91 votes, 1 pass | Time left: Unlimited
	i had both art and music more than twice a week.
	23 (25%)
	i had art or music more than twice a week.
	8 (9%)
	i had both art and music at least weekly.
	56 (62%)
	i had art or music at least once a week.
	3 (3%)
	i had both art and music mostly as an extra curricular activity.
	0 (0%)
	i had art or music mostly as an extra curricular activity.
	1 (1%)
	1 DU member did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[Ocelot II]

1. Art and music were just part of our public grade school curriculum in the '50s

and '60s. In (I think) 4th grade we all had to learn the Flute-o-phone, a rather dreadful plastic recorder not known for the delicacy of its overtones, but at least we were introduced to the basics of reading music. We did a lot of drawing and messy painting, too; I'm sure it was more often than once a week, based on the volume of the stuff I brought home. It all mattered a great deal - I wanted and got piano lessons, majored in music in college, and even though I was never good enough at it for a professional career I stuck with it and still do it. And after I retired I went back to painting, which is also helping to keep me sane. It's tragic that arts education is being so neglected now, but it seems like kids are just being trained to be useful drones because there's no money in the arts. Some countries support their artists, but we don't.

[mopinko]

6. i went to a poor school.

it was a new school in a fairly newly formed parish that was quite blue collar. i lived on the ‘good’ side of town, but only barely and pretty accidentally. the main parish tho, was in the best part of the good side, w an extremely fancy church. the school was quite spendy. poor folks werent that welcome, so this little parish grew.
but the poor showed. we sang a ton, but there wasnt money for even cheap plastic recorders.

they did teach us notation in 5th grade, iirc. but it sure didnt stick w/o that other half of what that sounds like and where it is.

[Xavier Breath]

2. In high school I had neither.

But that was by choice. Art classes in high school were for those with artistic talent, not a general class for the masses. I couldn't (and still can't) draw a decent stick figure, so I passed on those. It was the same situation with music, with the talented participating in either band or choir, and the rest of us receiving no musical instruction. But it was there for the taking had I been so inclined.

It was a different situation in grade school, where music classes involved singing and sometimes even dancing. And, art classes were a regular part of the curriculum, with me creating some monstrosities that only a mother could love.

Even though I never excelled at art, and my musical aspirations fizzled after a couple of years in band, I nevertheless look back on them fondly, and they seem like a great tool in forming a well-rounded individual.

[wendyb-NC]

3. Art and Music are essential

Their value is the same as Reading, Composition, and Grammer (I loathed grammer) Biology, Chemistry, History, Algebra through Calculus, Phys. Ed.

Art was always my favorite.

[Chainfire]

5. Republicans certainly don't see it that way. They want schools to prepare students for a life

of service to the system. Any subject that does not further that goal is a waste of money.

[Celerity]

27. fuck Republicans

sorry, no eloquent rant here from me

the goons can just go fuck right off

[allegorical oracle]

16. Absolutely. Have read numerous articles citing that music, especially, yields better school

performance. Was just thinking about how Ralph Yarl will likely have a easier recuperation because he is into playing music. Just fingering a bass clarinet will aid in the rebuilding of his brain's neurons.

Recall when musician Glen Campbell was fighting dementia. His daughter was interviewed as Campbell's mental condition deteriorated, and she mentioned that despite what he couldn't remember, he was still able to grab his guitar and play songs.

[Bettie]

4. I said other because

it changed through school.

Elementary school: Art/Music twice a week

Middle/High school: Art and music are electives, but happen 2 days one week, 3 the next...if not more.

My youngest son is taking both band and choir, so he has music of some kind every day. Older ones did too.

[mopinko]

8. yeah, that's why i asked about grade school.

it got complicated after that. plus i think it’s more foundational, which is the question.

i took 3yrs of art, and i got kicked out of the choir after freshman year. funny thing, tho. took another 50 yrs to find out i actually do have a good voice, and that sr dominica would have known that if she had known what she was doing. but then, she had a plethora of talent. she could afford to be picky.
besides lessons, performances a couple times a year, there was all those masses. all those seasonal hymns. started taking voice lessons at 65, which is part of why this is on my mind. it was kind of a trip tapping those roots.

[Bettie]

9. Weird. I was thinking of taking voice lessons

now, in my mid-50's! It is wonderful that you decided to do it!

I took some art classes, choir, never could do band, my family couldn't afford an instrument, but choir didn't cost any extra.

[mopinko]

11. well, it was a coincidence, sort of.

i had a flat voice all my life. but it turned out it was neurological. muscle spasms. i had a lot of other things like that, finally got it fixed. and my voice changed. it was weird.
a dear friend’s hubs is an amazing voice teacher. i mentioned wondering if i could learn to sing, and she hooked me up. we did zoom lessons that helped us both survive the plague. we’re good friends.
i sang some irish tunes w a jam band last summer. hoping to do it again this year. fair number of places in my hood to sing.

[Bettie]

14. That is super cool

To have a place to do it is nice. I miss when I was in a Scottish dance group and we did group singing at our performances and practices.

My kids all sing, I should teach them those songs and we can sing when we're camping.

Glad you found out what was holding your voice back AND found something to get you through the plague. For me, it was online D&D games. Yeah, I'm that kind of nerd.

[mopinko]

23. ya know, i think it's gonna be interesting

to see the long term impacts, esp on kids/teens. everyone’s ringing their hands, but i know a whole lot of kids were dong stuff that they just dont have in school. i trust kids to learn what they need.

[musette_sf]

7. In HS I had art twice a week.

I had music in HS twice a week because I was in the school chorus.

In grade school we had music at least twice a week with recorders. We learned how to read music.

[nevergiveup]

10. Rural Midwest America: 1960's

Jr. High and High School had music class once a week but no art classes. Grade school had no music and no art classes.

[mopinko]

12. yeah, i suspect there's a divide there

and i cant help but go hmmmmm.

[Withywindle]

13. Appalachian public school, 1970s

We had music a few times a week - this included some dancing too, the teacher would put on a record and we'd kind of jump around. Had some square dancing as part of PE. We had a piano teacher come and lead us in choir - mostly singing popular and folk songs. We put on a community concert/talent show every year. Musical instrument instruction was mostly done outside of school, but enough kids were learning a little piano or guitar that we always had someone plucking or plonking.

Art was less organized, it was mostly just an hour or two a week when we were given paints and crayons and told to draw whatever we wanted (within reason). Artworks got posted around the school to show off.

[allegorical oracle]

15. Had music daily for most of my school life. Was in the band, concert and marching, for seven years.

Was blessed with art classes daily for five years. Still make both art and music.

[SYFROYH]

17. I'm so glad I convinced my son to keep playing the cello through high school.

He likes it but it’s not a passion. But I know it’s good for him in multiple ways

[maxsolomon]

18. I went to a Arts School from 5th to 12th grade.

I had orchestra every day, chamber orchestra every other day, and practice for ballets & musicals after school.

I was an Art Major, so I had 2 periods of Art every day.

Arts training makes your brain grow.

[CTyankee]

19. IIRC, it was only in high school. I was in segregated schools in Texas (Brown v. Board was decided

the year I graduated from high school).

We had a brand new school which white kids got. The black kids got the old white school often. My high school was in a newer section of Dallas which was segregated.

I left Texas to go north to college (Pittsburgh, to Carnegie Tech for drama) and I never went back to Texas to live, just to visit my parents and other kinfolk.

[Takket]

20. yes and I sucked at them both lol

Although I did make a casting of Odie the dog and painted it and it came out pretty damn good. My mother still has it in her home.

I remember the art teacher trying to teach me how perspective works in a painting and I could just never get it. My brain just can't visualize such things.

[yonder]

21. I spent most of grade school in the Denver Public School System.

It was funded very well at that time (maybe still is?) and I've no complaints about the instruction received.

Here's an example of DPS resources at that time: all the elementary schools had separate auditorium, gym and lunchroom facilities as did the JH and High schools. The HS I graduated from even had an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

5th grade music flashback: Mr. Santapietro would always admonish everyone that it was okay to laugh WITH but certainly not AT whomever might goof up when singing or playing in front of the class. Classy guy.

We did a bit of moving around but Denver and its school system were always home base and I was thankful for it, especially after experiencing other places.

[ProfessorGAC]

22. Yes, But...

...it was one period of each, once a week, in grade school.
No such classes in HS. Any such activities were extracurricular. Even the marching band folks had rehearsals after school, not during.

[Talitha]

24. I'm 70 - went to a south side Chicago parochial grade school - taught by nuns.

Their weekly art and music classes were a joke.

It was just a bunch of artsy-fartsy craft stuff like gluing beans to construction paper or cutting out snowflakes. Actual art instruction? Non-existent.

Music class was just as bad, mostly rehearsing hymns or singing lame-assed songs that went stale before the Civil War.

"Goodness how delicious, eating goober peas!!"

[mopinko]

28. lol. i remember that song.

yeah, art lessons w nuns. after 2 yrs w sr mary alberta i almost wanted to never lifted a pencil again. she taught half the electives and she hated me, cuz i wasnt my big sister. another catholic school specialty.
fortunately they hired a lay teacher when i was a junior. the art room gang convinced me i’d like her so i took it again sr year. last i heard the old bat is still kicking at closing in on 100.

[Talitha]

30. Yep, I had 3 older siblings - they were a hard act to follow.

Two braniac brothers, and a sister in the class ahead of me.

Wish I had a dollar every time I heard "Why aren't you smart like ____ is?"

Hate to repeat myself, but:

[lamp_shade]

25. Neither. Small Catholic School.

[shanti]

26. Well

I took different art classes in HS, but not on a regular basis. If I had a free elective, I took one. No music though. I like it, but no talent there.

[nuxvomica]

29. No music but I was an art major in high school

I went to Catholic schools from kindergarten through college and while there was no music in grade school or high school we did have art in high school and I was able to graduate with a Regents diploma in art. The lack of music was mostly a financial issue as the schools were not well-funded but the nun and the lay teacher who taught art in my high school were really committed to it, the nun especially pushing us to be as free in our expression as possible. We also had a drama class in high school and that was some of the most fun I recall from those days. We would have various acting exercises, one of which required playing two separate characters in dialogue, so I chose Dracula and Jonathan Harker and received a standing ovation after ending it by biting myself in the neck. The closest we came to music was the attempt to create a school band after some consultants convinced us to buy instruments but later disappeared. I still don't know the details of what happened but I suspect it was some Music-Man type scam.

[Raftergirl]

31. I had both art and music but don't remember how many times a week. Was at least once a week.

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

32. I can't answer the poll

Because I attended a bunch of schools. My parents' jobs required frequent moves, so I experienced many different schools--urban, rural, public, private, large and small.

For the primary schools, I attended a city school that didn't have art and music at all. Or if we had it, I don't remember it. I also attended one small (religious) school that had an excellent art program, but no music. A rural school had art and music classes, but only once a week, or something like that.

For secondary schools, I attended a rural school which had no art or music at all for grads 7 and 8. After that, the schools were in small towns and a city. All of those were more consistent about offering art, music and drama, but some were better about it than others. Oddly, the city schools I attended offered a good selection of music and art options, but the classes were mediocre and boring. I didn't last a week in them before I was opting out of them and into other electives.

I had better luck at the two small-town schools. One had a famed drama department that was a regular winner or runner-up in competitions. The music program garnered almost as much respect. Unfortunately, the drama teacher and I...clashed, and the music teacher turned out to be a perv who attempted to molest me, more than once. I stuck with the drama class, anyway, but the music had to go.

The other small town school I attended during those years had an orchestra--the only school of all I attended that did. I have vivid memories of the orchestra classes, but can't remember very much about the rest at all. I think it's safe to say that orchestra was my favorite class of all.

[DFW]

33. Through the 8th grade

After that, they were extra-curricular activities.

[electric_blue68]

34. It mattered alot to me. Art and Music in Grade School, and JHS...

I was in the top class. Art and music at least once/wk, possibly twice in 5th, and 6th grade, maybe earlier grades for art. Oh, we had those plastic recorders maybe in 3rd, definitely in 4th grd. 😄
I played viola (I wanted the violin) in 5th grd, clarinet which I wanted in 6th grd. Don't know if every class got this.

Art was at least once, probably twice a week in JHS. Also did illustrations for my poetry in our art & literary magazine. We had a great Art teacher.

I went to the HS of Music and Art for Art so there you go. 👍 Lots of Art! 🧡 I don't think 🤔 we had a dedicated drawing class. We had watercolor, oil painting. Possibly sculpture, not sure unless I didn't take it. Graphic Design, and 🧡 Illustration elective, which also did the Art, Photography, Music & Writing magazine.
I think we also did etching on plastic which we ran through a press.
Ceramics, hand build, not sure we had the wheel. Occasionally it was daunting, but oh I generally loved it!

I went on to Art College, too. Sometimes daunting, often I loved it! 🧡👍

I did go on and took a few post college single courses at another Art School, and anatomy through a third Art school.

I had a partial career in commercial art as an old fashioned paste up & mechanicals person with some graphic design, occasional Illustration. Also 3 years as a jewelry set up person in their photography studio for a small cataloge house.:I occasionally helped with hard goods.
Once even 😄😑 got dragged into designing a multi paged flyer (along w p u & m) when the Art Director went on vacation. I did have fun designing the cover page!

The best thing was when my boss (the permanent jewelry photographer) told The boss the art/design chops I had. So I got to go with my boss to the specialized glass makers place, and marble & stone tile place to help pick out backgrounds. I loved that.

Also did volunteer work designing, making flyers for my local neighborhood arts events non profit. Plus paid design, illustration, p u & m for The Bronx Council On The Arts back in a the late '70's.

I wish I'd been able to be a full color book cover Illustrator along with interior Illustrations for magazines. Oh, well.

Still looking back I consider myself sonewhat lucky at times in a bunch of this since I got to do some of what I wanted nearly most on occasion at least in B&W illustration.

I continue to do and improve my art in tradition mediums, and mostly self taught in digital art.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

35. HS class of '75 in Chicago west burbs here. Art & music were mandatory thru Jr. Hi.

In HS, the most popular art & music classes were electives and met during the regular school day-- for instance, concert band was an elective during the day but jazz band was an after school thing.

Way back in elementary school, I vaguely recall that our early group lessons on band instruments had us leaving the classroom for a bit during the day once a week. I'm not sure what we were being excused from, maybe just a study period. Rehearsal with the band was after school and off-site. Both the band and non-band students had mandatory music class-- choral or sometimes those flute-a-phone type deals.
Meanwhile, my mom volunteered as the "art lady" and would come to class to give little lectures on art history and styles. This was in addition to regular scheduled drawing and painting.

[mopinko]

36. my kids-

the neighborhood school is pretty good. it was badly overcrowded, but opened a new addition just when my 2 youngest started there. a well run cps school in a very diverse hood.

they had the hardest working art teacher in the city. 800 kids, and she saw every one of them once a week for 8 yrs. she had a nice art room, and had an after school club for older kids. she had a minimal budget so she fundraised. her big thing was ‘masterpiece tshirts’. had the art club paint master paintings on tshirt and auctioned them off in a big event. she raised a lot of money too. her hubs was in the movie biz. he’s the drummer in the band in groundhog day. he brought the stars. 1 yr mel gibson paid $1k for 1.
it was a ‘school of international studies’, every year picking a country, and integrating it into every subject. she relished that program. always so good.
1 yr she did a whole year about a mural in the school. mary mahoney griffiths. the brains behind flw’s prairie style. all that stained glass? the furniture? pretty sure more her than him. anyway, she’s from the hood, and did a delightful mural of fairies. it was a thing w her. the place was awash in little fairies from 1st gr tissue paper to elaborate art club 1s. they also got a lesson in how women are erased in history, and the kids helped get a beach renamed for her. right down the street from me.

the music teacher was the 1 w the cart. once a week. 4th gr up had a band. it was during the school day, and it cost a fair $$. plus most of the kids had to rent instruments which wasnt cheap. we could afford to buy them. there were only a doz or so kids, and they were somehow responsible for the work in the class they werent in.
my son was the 1 who rly needed it. it was 1+ class a week where he wasnt using his butt more than his head. but he hated it. it was the same deal for the gifted programs. pull outs, where you’re still supposed to do the homework. and the pullouts were mostly crap. he quit and i couldnt talk him out of it. even tho he has an undeniable gift.

so the new teach said- give me the band. the school did have some instruments they lent to kids who couldnt afford the rentals. a doz maybe. she wrote a grant to vh1, got $20k, and bought herself a band. this was about the time my kids graduated. another reason i should poke my head in.

i think the art/music competition was great.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

38. +1

[electric_blue68]

44. This sounds very interesting, and helpful.

[Retrograde]

37. Not really

there were a few attempts to teach us about "great musicians" in Catholic grammar school, and all the girls from 6th grade up had to sing in the church choir (with no training of any sort - must have sounded great). In Catholic high school there was choir for those who could carry a tune, but after school. There were occasional attempts to include something called Art Appreciation, and there was a small art track for those interested, but most of the girls were college bound and took additional math and sciences instead. Most of my exposure to art in those days came from family trips to Buffalo's Albright-Knox museum, which was heavily slanted towards 20th century art.

[Mr.Bill]

39. I was exposed to art and music every day in Catholic

grade school. Not just getting to do it, but learning that it was important. I public middle school, again art and music were mandatory every day, including industrial arts. In high school, I gravitated more to industrial arts like auto shop and wood shop. I did take art classes as electives for two of my high school years.

[Raine]

40. Yes both, I went to private elementary school also

had language courses both German and Spanish. Unfortunately now I don't remember more then a few words in either of the languages.

[mopinko]

45. you could probably pick it up again pretty easily.

those tracks that get laid down in childhood might get flabby, but they’re there.
i’ve been working on my spanish on duolingo.

[FreeState]

41. Public school and had both daily

In addition my Mom required all her children to play an instrument in Junior high. I was lucky.

[Ms. Toad]

42. Grade school is more complicated for some of us.

I went to a one room country school. I.e. one teacher, teaching all subjects to al students in 7 or 8 grades in a single room. There was a piano there. We occasionally sang. I'm sure we also occasionally did arts and craft projects.

The schools consolidated when I entered 7th grade (the first year of middle school). In middle school I had art, vocal music, and band. Band was optional - I learned to play the clarinet between 7th and 8th grade purely to get out of the non-band track in which the bullies lived. I don't recall whether vocal music or art were mandatory or optional, since I would have chosen both.

[Iggo]

43. Of course. I graduated high school pre-Reagan.

[FelineOverlord]

46. Yes

A couple of time a week in grade school.

My public high school (where all classes were 5 days a week) had many art classes including photography, and the music department also had classes in music theory.