Cut Back on Sports, Fund the Arts

For years, fine arts and music education programs have been among the first cut by cash-starved school districts. Despite Hillary Rodham Clinton’s call for additional arts funding, congressional Republicans and Democrats are wrestling over the fate of the National Endowment for the Arts. Despite the dwindling political support for the arts, young people still are drawn to demanding, if financially uncertain careers in the arts. JIM BLAIR talked with arts students about their chosen fields and their thoughts on government support.

RYAN BENZ

18, senior, Huntington Beach High School; plays violin and guitar

I definitely want a career in music. But music goes hand in hand with science. In college, I’m going to double major--music and science.

In science you need to have a certain amount of creativity in terms of developing research.You also need that same creativity when you’re playing a solo or composing music. Musical and scientific creativity may seem abstract and separate from each other, but it’s really the same creative process.

Financially, orchestras are having a lot of problems. Music has been cut so much in schools that it, especially classical music, has really lost some of its appeal.

We don’t see sports get cut very often, but its seems that music has completely disappeared from the schools. Maybe we should start cutting back on sports and bring music back and have a balance.

CRYSTAL YANG

17, senior, L.A. County High School for the Arts

I’m a vocal major, a soprano, but I also do instrumental music here. I think I’m best at musical theater but I really enjoy classical--I play the flute--and gospel music.

I started piano when I was very young, so I’ve kind of always been involved in the arts. My parents are very supportive. Singing was always in my family.

Music has always been a way of expressing myself and not something I really want to earn a living by. In college, I want to major in psychology, but will minor in music and keep it part of my life--not really as a career but something that I can enjoy and participate in.

It’s really sad that people have a negative attitude about the arts. A few centuries ago, it was a very big part of everyone’s life. Music was community-based rather than talent-based.

The L.A. Philharmonic audience gets older each year because it’s the same people. There should be something to draw in younger fans.

People don’t have the same appreciation for 20th century music because there’s been very little education. Most people’s favorite composers are Mozart and Beethoven, and support for the orchestra has been declining.

I have mixed feelings about the future of the arts in this country but if the economy improves, there’s going to be more funding available for entertainment and that includes music.

JOANNA DeJESUS

17, senior, Van Nuys High School for the Performing Arts

My specialty is voice and I grew up in a very musical family. I’m planning to apply to the USC School of Music and study vocal jazz there.

Music is universal and transcends color lines. Music at my school brings people a sense of unity. We’re a choir and we come together to make a great sound. It teaches you responsibility. It teaches you committment. It teaches you self-worth and that you can work toward a goal and achieve it.

For someone to take away music, my opportunity to develop what I love, would destroy me in the sense that I wouldn’t have something that makes me feel this way. When they say they’re going to cut arts funding, I feel it’s like they’re encouraging conformity instead of individuality.

MAYAH AISHAH McCOY

16, senior, L.A. County High School for the Arts

I became interested in dance when I saw live productions and videotapes.

I plan to go to college and double major in dance and film. I want to make dance films for dancers. Dance is not being taken seriously right now and I think that it should be.

I’ve known since I was young that it would take a lot of money. If you want to something like this, you have to be able to do it for yourself. You really can’t get too much funding for it, because government and everybody else doesn’t take the arts seriously anymore.

I want to study and become a chiropractor. Dance is not going to pay my bills; being a chiropractor will. The money I earn will help me pay for the dance film projects I want to do.

The people who are cutting arts budgets are totally crazy. A lot of people like art and entertainment. The budget cutters need to take it seriously because there are so many people who are interested in the arts.