SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – As many secondary education programs have capitulated in recent years to emphasize “employable skills,” high schools have become the last bastion of music, art, and other humanities. But at one local high school, teachers are trying to offer the best of both worlds.
Waking up early and heading to school can be tough for some students. But for Rice Memorial High School student Lila Hyde, starting the day with music makes is more palatable.
“It’s fun to express yourself, it’s like a nice way to start the morning — because this is first period,” Hyde said.
Music Teacher Kevin Ginter says his classes are more than just lyrics and instruments. “The music department in a lot of ways can be another home away from home for a lot of students, where they just feel comfortable to be themselves and to also be exposed to new potential careers,” Ginter said.
Students nationwide have been getting fewer opportunities to express themselves through the arts. According to a 2019 national survey, 8% of K through 12 students have no access to music education during the school day and 4% for arts education.
“I grew up in a very artistically inclined family and that has helped me a lot with my creativity and my critical thinking. So, if I didn’t have that experience in high school, I didn’t have that open to me — if I didn’t have an artistic family — I wouldn’t have gotten those benefits, and I think it’s a critical part of high school,” said Laina Williams, a senior.
Vermont maintains arts and music education in K through 12 curriculums even as it evolves. Artificial intelligence is changing how teachers teach, including Megan Shrestha. “There are certainly some ways that AI can be helpful when you use Photoshop and InDesign and Illustrator, but I just feel like there’s no substitute for the human element, the human creativity. And when I teach photography, I’m teaching these students how to take great photos and then how we can use AI to further enhance the work that they’re doing,” Shrestha said.
Students see the impact AI is having on the arts and some have concerns about its future. “If we don’t express ourselves in the way of arts, I feel like it’s kind of a dying class, like AI is taking over the world really. And I feel like if we don’t appreciate the arts, they might not be important to us one day,” said Safari Pike, a senior.
Rice has around 14 art programs and school officials say they hope to add more like poetry and digital filmmaking.