By SHAY ROSE
Sheridan High School Student
Editor’s note: The Sheridan Student Column is brought to readers by Sheridan High School’s 10th grade honors English class, taught by Tanya Busailah.
Most of my family are huge Fine Arts nerds, including me. I grew up on Bon Jovi and Queen, as well as seeing my grandma play the guitar at family gatherings. I grew up going to art shows for my aunt and sitting in auditoriums watching my cousin in plays. The Fine Arts have always been an important part of my life. The places you can go with music and art are so incredibly extraordinary, and I love every aspect of it.
The Fine Arts program here at Sheridan High School has brought so many people together over the years – bonds that will never be broken. This program has helped students who needed a place they could go to be themselves because they couldn’t be elsewhere. It’s given so many people a sense of belonging and has helped many people figure out what they wanted for their future.
The teachers here at Sheridan High School have helped me so much more than they know. In middle school, I had everything planned out the way I thought I wanted. I was going to go to college at The University of Michigan and get a degree in human biology and move on to med school. I still want that, but my middle school choir director, Gretchen Rafferty, helped me figure out that I also want something else. She helped me discover my love for music and gave me a different perspective on it and on life in general.
My current choir director, Libby Doublestein, has continued that and has also helped me grow into the person I am now. She’s helped me on so many different levels and in so many different ways. She’s helped me grow more confident in my voice and my future.
I haven’t been in band for too long, but my band director, Patrick Cronin, has also played an important role in shaping the futures of a lot of people, including me. He has pushed me to be my best and find passion in music and the instrument I play. He believes in everyone no matter their level and that makes them believe in themselves too.
Since the class of 2024 graduated, participation in the Fine Arts program has gone down. Many students just do band, choir, and other art classes for the Fine Arts credit. They don’t care about the actual music or the art. It’s so heartbreaking to see people hating the classes that mean the most to me.
Art and humankind cannot function without the other. Music positively impacts our health and cultural understanding. Music and art in general reflect who we are and where we came from. Many people use art and music to connect with their ancestors. People with mental health conditions like depression or Alzheimer’s also use music to improve their cognitive skills and many other things.
The Fine Arts program helps students develop critical thinking and social skills also. Participation in the Fine Arts reduces student dropouts, increases student attendance, helps foster a love for learning, and produces a more prepared citizen for the workplace. It also helps students who aren’t motivated. Fine Arts teachers will do anything they can to get students to love music as they do. They will motivate students to be their best, and that also helps students gain the confidence they need for everyday life.
Although a Fine Arts credit is required to graduate, please don’t let that be the only reason you join choir, band, or an art class. Don’t let Fine Arts programs in schools die because some students are counting on it. Your participation affects the students already enrolled in those classes.