What arts education did you have as a child?

[bart]

Yes, when it comes to public schools, so much depends on where you live.

Growing up in a suburb 60 minutes from the Long Island Railroad Station in NYC changed my life. The town was something of a bedroom community for people who performed and worked in the arts in "the city." Many of these people -- musicians, actors, stagehands, costumers, tech people -- belonged to unions. (We had dancers, but I'm not sure if there were unions for them.)

The school system the town created in the 50s reflected this population. "The arts" were valued highly. They were taught, practiced, and made the object of field trips. And the taxpayers were willing to pay.

I wonder how much of this arts-friendliness may have come from the fact that the arts were seen as providing decent, interesting, an even fairly secure jobs.

[sidwich]

In the Southern Californian public grammar schools, not a lot. What we had was often because of the volunteer work of parents. Otherwise we mostly did without.

In fifth grade, though, I had the schools legendary "spinster" schoolteacher. One of the women who grew up beautifully educated during World War II and never married, and as a result had very few opportunities other than to become a schoolteacher. She introduced us to foreign languages such as French and German (she spoke several), as well as classical music, drama and dance. (I'm not really sure if all the parents grasped that she was showing the Zeffirelli "Romeo and Juliet" and the Olivier "Othello" to a bunch of 10 year olds). I think I learned more about the fine arts from her than from the rest of my public school education combined.

The arts programs at my private junior and senior high school were quite fine, though. Enough parents were in the Los Angeles entertainment industry, that they valued good arts programs. Drama and Dance were extremely strong, and Music improved significantly becoming quite fine as well.

[dirac]

In the Southern Californian public grammar schools, not a lot. What we had was often because of the volunteer work of parents. Otherwise we mostly did without.

That was my experience in the Northern Californian schools, too. Although I will say the drama and music departments were good and lively ones, and that was true up through high school. All public, not private, I should note.