Starving Artist – NOT! Arts Teachers – YES!
by Rick Goodstein and Ron McCurdy
Perhaps the singular most influential reason students go into the arts is the profound impact that influential teachers provide at some point in their youth. It was certainly true for us. These teachers become mentors and role models providing a life-long impact for students who are learning their art. Many of us pursue an arts career not only for the discovery of talent they possess, but also from the encouragement of a teacher and as a way to model their mentor.
The Influential Teachers We Had
For both of us, this is absolutely true. We wouldn’t have had the successes we’ve enjoyed if not for an influential arts teacher.
For Rick, it was Frank Bowser, my private clarinet teacher who was a gigging jazzer and woodwind doubler. He taught me how to produce a great tone with air support, the art of a musical phrase, the importance of doubling, and the encouragement to pursue music in college.
In graduate school, I was fortunate to serve as a graduate assistant for Dr. Dick Strange and Dr. Bob Fleming. They gave me way more opportunities and responsibilities than I deserved. As I launched my own teaching career I sought to model my career after theirs, including the creation of a family culture within a band program that they so successfully created at Arizona State University.
For Ron… [add text about your mentor(s) here]:
As arts teachers, we both have seen innumerable students come to college because they wanted to “just be like Mrs. or Mrs. Jones,” their art teacher. Just as we experienced, it only takes one or two dedicated teachers to make a difference in a students’ life.
We do; however, worry about the current state and future of arts education. There appears to be a laser-like focus on STEM education at the expense of other valuable disciplines, including the arts. The extraordinary value of arts education has been somewhat forgotten while there is a too-early focus on job training and skill development. Students as early as 6th grade are having to decide on which career path to choose. Without any doubt, that is way too early for a pre-teen to make such a decision and likely one that might be made before a student’s academic strengths emerge.
As arts education is being reduced or even eliminated in schools, students are being short changed for the opportunities to explore their arts aptitude and appreciation. There has been discussions for years that we are losing arts audiences. It seems obvious that there is a correlation between arts education and arts appreciation. Also, if you look at some of the highest achieving high schools in the country, robust arts programs including strong band and orchestra programs and excellent visual and performing arts programs thrive. It’s easy to draw that correlation as well.
We hope that years from now we don’t look in the rearview mirror and wonder what happened. We have both enjoyed the positive impact we have been able to impart to hundreds (maybe thousands!) of students over our 80+ years of teaching. We hope we don’t lose a generation or more of arts educators and teachers in general to some misplaced priorities. We hope students continue to enter the teaching profession – you will not be disappointed!