MUSIC & THE ARTS are fundamental to the wiring of the human brain. The arts
open up a world of shapes, patterns, rhythms, colors, sounds, movements,
textures, symbols, relationships, perspectives, and meanings that stimulate
aural, visual and mental acuity. These building blocks of perception are
directly related to the development of conceptual analytic skills including
reading, writing, science and mathematics.
MUSIC & THE ARTS help integrate the body, mind, and emotions, fostering
balance and harmony in the lives of individuals. Through rhythm, movement
and music, we tune our ears to listen actively, orchestrating and connecting
the mind, body, and emotions.
MUSIC & THE ARTS are key to social cooperation and development. The arts
encourage cooperation through music and movement games, singing, dancing,
playing instruments, and play acting. These experiences foster emotional and
social development, self-confidence, a sense of belonging, and team spirit.
By participating in choirs, bands, orchestras, dance or drama, we learn that
the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The shared experiences of
music link us socially and culturally within communities, and this heritage
we pass from generation to generation.
MUSIC & THE ARTS are springboards to creativity, and to engaging with the
natural world and with people of other cultures. The arts encourage us to
explore and discover, to re-think and re-create the world around us. We open
our eyes and ears to the rhythms of nature, and awaken to the rich variety
of cultures beyond our own. This process of discovery changes the way we
view ourselves and the world, and inspires creative solutions to the
challenges we face.
MUSIC & THE ARTS give flight to the imagination. From the child's world of
make-believe to the largest productions of music, drama, art, and dance, the
arts stretch our minds, give shape to our emotions, and engage our
imagination. Creativity and imagination bear fruit in all areas of our
lives, and are keys to humankind's survival.
MUSIC & THE ARTS encourage us to persevere. The arts require discipline,
dedication and hard work. They challenge us to set difficult goals, and to
aspire for excellence. The arts are a source of spiritual transcendence,
helping sustain our will and spirit in times of extreme hardship. MUSIC &
THE ARTS are essential to freedom and self-expression. Independence of
thought, freedom of expression, and the right to make individual choices are
the foundations of art as well as of political freedom. Throughout history,
the arts have always played an important role in struggles for
liberation.
MUSIC & THE ARTS offer hope for us to achieve a peaceful world. The arts
help us appreciate the rich diversity of cultures in the world, while
reminding us of the emotions and experiences we hold in common. When people
make music together or share artistic experiences, understanding and peace
are the natural result.
MUSIC & THE ARTS offer us glimpses of the eternal and the beautiful. Even if
their other benefits did not exist, the arts would need no further
justification. We simply cannot live without them. Therefore we hold these
truths to be self-evident, that all ages and all people should have the
right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Inherent in these
basic rights is access to music and the arts, which not only nourish us
individually and as a nation, but actively sustain and protect those
universal human rights from which they flow.
Signed,
C2008. Music In Motion Inc. with inspiration from Thomas Jefferson and the
Founding Fathers
