Much has been said about the educational value of solid academic skills, global citizenship and involvement in team sports.

But when looking for programs that enhance a child's education, we should not forget the power of the arts to positively impact students' lives, including those with special needs.

Photography, art, literature and music can make our hearts soar in the most trying times, while also recording important historical events.

When the nation mourned the loss of its innocence following the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, many of its most healing moments have come in the form of music, including concerts that have raised millions of dollars for relief efforts. We savored the soothing voices of skilled musicians offering up religious hymns in national cathedrals and raised our own voices to celebrate the patriotic words of "America the Beautiful" and "The Star Spangled Banner."

In today's skittish world, the power of music has allowed us to stand taller, reclaim misplaced American pride and ancestry and grieve with dignity.

Both of my children have experienced the power of music first hand. My 11-year-old son attends music therapy at Michigan State University and enjoys classes allowing him to grow in self-confidence and motor independence.

Today, Eric's role models are Sting and Willie Nelson and like many children without special needs, he wants to be a rock star. Music has enriched the life of this child who faces daily challenges from cerebral palsy and society's stereotypes. 

How Music Helps

Music had helped normalize my son's existence. It has also enriched the life of his 17-year-old sister. We have worked hard to offer Jenna dynamic educational experiences, despite our family challenges.

One of her greatest exposures to the arts came as a member of the Michigan State University Children's Choir, which performed at the Sixth World Symposium on Choral Music in Minneapolis in 2002.

For two years, my daughter was part of this elite musical group that helps teach performance discipline, stage confidence and an appreciation for vocal music filled with historical meaning. I was again reminded of the power of the chorister's music after recently purchasing their third CD entitled Songs of Our Heritage. "America the Beautiful" and "Over the Rainbow" were never sung with such power and meaning. 

Tough Audience

I remember the first time I heard the Children's Choir perform. The setting was in downtown Detroit in a grand cathedral made of stained glass, with ceilings that reached toward the heavens. Amid rich architectural history and powerful religious icons, my husband and I listened as the Choir performed with wisdom and heart beyond their youth.

On that February morning three years ago, this Inner City church was filled with those seeking the finest in choral music. Professionals from across the country had gathered at the Renaissance Center for a convention of the 1998 American Choral Director's Association's (ACDA).

They were a tough audience.

As the MSU Children's Choir took to the altar confidently, my then-14-year-old daughter stood among them. Tall and lean with long, dark hair, Jenna was dressed in the required white shirt and black pants. As my firstborn added her trained voice to the Choir's powerful opening song, I struggled with emotion.

As I sat in that church pew, I reflected on how much the arts have enriched our lives. In this sacred setting, my daughter showed no signs of being the unsure older sister of a brother with special needs.

She was a poised young woman raising her voice confidently in spirited music like the Holocaust piece, "On a Sunny Evening."

"Something about it touched me in a way no other song did," she told me later. "It gave me the chills when I first heard it."

"Me, too," I whispered back.

In this house of worship in the center of Detroit, the choir gave old spirituals new meaning. They sang a carefully chosen repertoire with emotion and spirit, earning an unexpected standing ovation.

With my eyes fixed on one special chorister, I stood tall and applauded loudly, affirming how much music had added to our children's lives. Since Sept. 11, I have again tried unsuccessfully to imagine a world without Mozart, Bach and Handel, or without the Beatles, Jimmy Buffet and Jewel.

With the Renaissance Center silhouetted against the dismal gray sky, I gave thanks that during difficult life moments, we had nurtured Jenna's artistic dreams. Listening to the MSU Children's Choir raise their voices in song on that cold February morning in the Motor City had warmed my creative soul and reaffirmed my beliefs about what makes up a quality education.

 

Judy Winter is an award-winning journalist and a mother.