The Positive Impacts of Participation in the Arts

If you know me or have read my previous blog posts, you probably know that I have a strong passion for the arts. However, you might not be aware of where this love originated, or what has kept me in the industry for 20+ years. Most of us in the arts have what we call an “Aha moment”- that instant a spark ignited and just couldn’t be contained. My involvement in the arts goes way back to my childhood, and it’s truly molded me into the person that I am today.

My mom was brilliant in that she kept me as busy as possible at all times. I was enrolled in dance at the tender age of 3. I put my heart and soul into it, and I’m so grateful for having it in my life as a kid. It taught me resilience, focus, and how to accept criticism, which not only helped me onstage, but in my daily life as well. But if I’m being honest, some of my favorite memories from dance weren’t even of dance at all. It was the moments right after, when my mom took me to 31 Flavors right next to the studio after every class, where she bought me a scoop of whatever I wanted as a reward for my hard work. This always managed to soothe my aching toes, and I’ll always cherish these little memories with her fondly.

So, remember when I said mom kept me as busy as possible? Well, I was also a regular on the pageant circuit and I modelled. I know, a little out of character right? The truth is, I think my mom realized fairly soon the damage that this business can do to a young, still-developing girl. I’ll never forget the sinking feeling of listening to casting agents discuss the fact that my eyes were “too close together” and my nose was “too large for my face,” all while I was sitting right in front of them in the casting chair… as a 10-year-old! I waited until we got out to the car and just let loose a floodgate of tears in the hot Arizona parking lot. What an unhealthy environment for a young girl’s self-esteem! I’m happy to have escaped that world fairly quickly with my confidence relatively unscathed.

Luckily, my mom redirected me into the much more welcoming environment of show choir and musical theater. What could have turned into a resentment toward performance and entertainment ended up becoming one of the most positive inspirations in life. I was in a youth singing group that toured malls and nursing home facilities. I thought we were stars, and my heart swelled every time I sang in front of a swaying crowd of grey-haired fans. They loved watching us sing, and we loved singing for them.

This program really focused on developing self-esteem and a positive self-image in young adolescents, which is arguably more important than the performances themselves. Education scholars have shown that incorporating music and art programs into our children’s lives is extremely beneficial in their becoming well-adjusted, successful adults. Arts education programs like the ones at Kimmel, The Mann Center, and Esperanza, may not result in a career in the arts, but they can develop many important life skills like cognitive reasoning, social skills, responsibility, teamwork, time management, leadership, and public speaking.

Growing up, I don’t think I realized the significant impact that art had on my overall development. For me and the other kids who I performed with, learning to sing, dance, and create art together built our confidence and self-worth. All of us collectively working as a team to make something beautiful was both magical and rare in a pre-teen world of raging hormones and taunting peers. The joy and fulfillment that I got out of nailing a dance number or crushing the last song in a show were the reasons that I participated in programs like these for so long, and ultimately went into a profession that centers around the arts. Plus, the fact that I can now sing old-timey show tunes with my 80+ father-in-law just makes it that much sweeter.

When we were raising our kids, my husband often lamented the many shows and presentations our kids were forced to dance through, asking, “Why is it always a song and dance program?” The thing is, it doesn’t have that much to do with the actual song and dance. It’s about kids taking responsibility for their individual parts while becoming invested in the goal of delivering a group performance. It’s about creating a safe environment where the expectation is that everyone will try their very best.

If you take anything away from this blog post, I hope it’s the importance of integrating the arts in the lives of our children. As much as STEM programs help kids expand their knowledge of the physical world, the arts help them in more abstract ways such as in social environments and through personal development. Mental health, individuality, creativity, and self-expression--all of which are taught through the arts--is critical in building a more accepting, mindful, and equitable society.