TOPIC 124

TOPIC 124: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? All students should be required to study art and music in secondary school. Use specific reasons to support your answer.

Essay

I agree that all students should be required to study art and music in high school. 'I've read that young children who study art and music in grade school do better in their other studies. That argument aside, we should study art and music for its sake alone. We should study art and music to learn more about ourselves, our culture, and our world.

Both art and music feed students' imaginations and help them express themselves. There's a reason our ancestors in caves drew on the walls and made music with drums. Wanting to express ourselves is natural. It gives us an avenue for our emotions and fears. It may not always be music other people want to hear or art others will appreciate, but the activity itself is enjoyable. It shouldn't matter if the end result isn't perfect. In the process, we learn what we like and dislike.

Studying art and music means more than drawing or playing an instrument. Students usually go to art galleries and concerts, too. By studying the pictures on the museums' walls or by reading the program notes at a recital, students will learn what society has decided is worthy of praise. They learn what is important in their own culture.

Students may also learn about other cultures by looking at art and listening to music from other countries. When they do that, they'll see similarities and differences with their own. They'll learn about what is important in other societies. Students will also learn how the art and music of other cultures affect our own.

By studying art and music in high school, students begin to understand themselves as well as their own culture and other cultures. What could have more value than that?

(Essay ID: 221 )