Traditionally, the three R's in education have referred to reading, writing, and 'rithmatic. And with current educational reform placing so much weight on test scores, some educators believe that concentrating only on these "R's" is the best approach. But what about Renoir? Rachmaninoff? Rhythm and Blues? What about the student who is passionate about performing or whose intelligence lies in creating?
PA Cyber senior Mary Andes says, "I just can't imagine my life without the arts, without performing. I love taking on roles, getting inside the thoughts of another person. When I act, I'm thinking deliberately and dissecting everything. And when I'm writing plays, I'm creating complex characters who don't always see the world as I do. Theater has really made me think about the complexities of life."
Andes is dedicated to the arts, and PA Cyber is dedicated to her because it acknowledges the value the arts can add to an education and to life.
The American Music Conference's website is filled with evidence about how students who participate in instrumental music score significantly higher on standardized tests, and how young children who make music show improved spatial-temporal reasoning, which is the foundation for higher thinking in math and science. And Harvard Professor David Perkins, in his book The Intelligent Eye: Learning to Think by Looking at Art, puts it quite simply: "Art is an opportunity. Let us not miss it."
"Art is an opportunity. Let us not miss it." David Perkins, Harvard Professor
So having a PA Cyber student become a professional actor, painter, dancer, or musician is not really the point. It is more important to recognize that studying the arts develops good habits in the mind and the imagination. And in an age where students all too often focus on immediacy, the arts slow them down and help them appreciate both discipline and beauty.
No missed opportunities
PA Cyber has become the solution to a big problem in this arena: how can a student complete high school requirements and still have the time to take lessons, perform, and enjoy all of the benefits that come from studying the arts?
For many, it is PA Cyber's flexibility that has allowed them to pursue their passions. Because Andes no longer attends a traditional five-day-a-week school, she has been able to work at local theater companies and participate in the Pennsylvania Renaissance Fair.
Another PA Cyber student, Mark Williams, at the ripe old age of 13, has already performed with top musicians including B.B. King, Les Paul, and Will Lee. As a guitarist and pianist, he has recorded several CD's, travels throughout Florida, Nashville, and his hometown of Stroudsburg, and has appeared in two different venues in New York City. Williams explains, "When I attended a traditional public school, I had to turn down a lot of opportunities because I would have missed too many classes. Now, I have the freedom to do my coursework on my own schedule, and I am able to dedicate more time to music."
Williams auditioned for the Sarasota Jazz Festival in Florida and played there in 2002 and 2003, and he was the youngest member ever of the COTA Cat Band to perform at the Jazz Festival in Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania. He was recommended to the Manhattan School of Music in New York City, takes lessons from various top musicians all over the country, and his friend and mentor is musician Eric Doney.
Carla Bianco, Director of the Henry Mancini Performing Arts Academy's Outreach Program, got to work with Williams while she was conducting a "Broadway Experience" workshop in his hometown of Stroudsburg. He later invited her and several of her colleagues to see him perform live, and she was "amazed, really amazed." Bianco says, "We could all see immediately that Mark's dedication and his ambition went way beyond his age. He plays like an old soul."
All in the family
Now that Andes and Williams are pursuing the arts while attending PA Cyber, their families have noticed positive changes. Andes's mother, Diane, says, "Although she was always a top student, Mary never really enjoyed school because she always felt pulled in different directions. She is much happier now that she's attending high school on her own terms. We were apprehensive about leaving the school system that had served our older children, but we trusted our daughter, and the decision has been a good one."
Williams's mother, Karen, concurs. "We've made the right choice for Mark. He no longer has to race around all the time, trying to be in two places at once. He is more relaxed and focused. It's as if he is more aware of his time now, and his own responsibilities."
Although it may at first seem trivial, both families rejoiced in the very real benefit of more time for sleep, and in turn, a healthier child. "Mary gets to set her own schedule," says her mother, "and that means that if she is late getting to bed because of a performance, we do not have to get her up at the crack of dawn the next morning to catch a bus. She's healthier, and she's around us more than the average high school student — time that we really value."
Williams, who takes all asynchronous courses to allow for the most flexibility, says he appreciates being able to perform at night, sleep until he's fully rested, and then be able to give his full attention to his school work.
The state of the arts
Andes and Williams are taking the majority of their arts courses through professional schools and selecting PA Cyber courses to complete their other school requirements. Andes, however, has enjoyed several English and composition courses to explore her passion for writing. "Part of the reason I love theatre and drama is because I hope to write plays or movies, so these courses have helped me learn more about that process." And Williams is studying Japanese through PA Cyber to help him gain an advantage in the world music market.
Williams — who still has several more years of schooling before he graduates — will be able to take advantage of PA Cyber's ever-expanding arts opportunities, as well as workshops PA Cyber will continue to offer through the Henry Mancini Performing Arts Academy.
The arts should be recognized as a vibrant, enjoyable, and very relevant element of a balanced education, and students must be encouraged and supported as they pursue their passions. PA Cyber wants to help make Pennsylvania a state of the arts.