Since the mid 1950’s citizens in the United States have been awarded more than 400 Nobel Prizes, outpacing second place Germany and the third place United Kingdom by nearly 4 to 1. To maintain our position among the world’s innovation leaders, educational institutions have increased emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, a curriculum known as STEM.
No one can argue with the success of STEM as a focus for many of our students. But at what cost?
As STEM has been put into practice many early advocates now see that removing music and the arts to accommodate emphasis on the “hard” sciences, has been a detriment to those areas that rely on creativity and communication.
A future with only scientists, engineers and mathematician would lack the creative and innovative influence of music and the arts. We also need musicians and singers, authors, artists, actors, and dreamers to make the future colorful, entertaining, and more civilized.
The goal of MUZART is not to stem the tide, but to supplement STEM in specific areas where music and the arts can greatly influence creativity in all its fields and at the same time provide for the future writers and producers of plays, books, art and movies.
More emphasis on the “hard” subjects has naturally created the need to reemphasize areas of “soft” subjects, history, language, writing, analytics, leadership, and organizational skills needed to help STEM meet the demands of the modern world.
The Muzart World Foundation’s purpose is to support music and art programs in schools where they no longer exist, and supplement education programs that have focused on STEM at the cost of the contributions of innovation and creativity of music and art.
Supporting music and the arts in education will not only improve the results of STEM focused curriculums, but help maintain a world where the beauties and benefits of music and art can flourish, making our world a more well-rounded home worth living in.