I am interrupting an account of my own childhood experiences in order to comment on the current experience of my daughter Emily. I have just finished settling her into a new life as a full-time student at the Interlochen Arts Academy (IAA), located near Traverse City on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. As a student at Oberlin back in the 1980s, I had a number of classmates who had attended IAA as part (or all) of their high school experience. I remember being impressed by them, and it was true that some of the most experienced, as well as accomplished musicians at Oberlin had done at least some previous study there. Despite the reputation, and my personally having had friends from IAA, I was not prepared for the overwhelmingly positive impression that I received while visiting the campus and interacting with its faculty, staff and students. I realized quickly the special opportunity that Emily now has as a student there. There is the natural beauty of the place, and of the area in general. Appropriately, after driving from Upstate New York through some harrowing thunderstorms (as evidenced by the picture), the weather when we arrived at the campus was breathtakingly beautiful, the kind of clear, crisp day that follows big thunderstorms that lead to a wholesale change of air masses – bridging the stifling heat and humidity of late summer with the passing of a powerful cold front, ushering in the first polar are mass of the coming fall season.

In addition to the mundane task of moving Emily into her dorm room, I attended informational meetings, as well as went with her to the various offices in order to settle all of her affairs, in preparation for the start of the semester. It was during the meetings, as well as in one on one conversations with various faculty and staff, that I realized the special qualities of Interlochen, and experienced the passion, dedication, warmth, and generosity of its faculty and staff. To say that I felt comfortable leaving my daughter in the care of these people understates the confidence that I gleaned from interacting with them. I want the best for my daughter and for her to have this opportunity; one that will undoubtedly lead to a rich cultural, artistic and academic experience, that will put her on a path to her fulfilling her potential. I can say without hesitation, that Emily is in the right place, and that in this learning environment she will be challenged, nurtured, guided, encouraged and, most importantly, realize that a life involved with the arts is special, despite the inevitable challenges that come with self expression and, of course, acceptance of the financial risk, as well as to reap the rewards that will, hopefully, allow her to continue to use her talents in the service of art and thereby, in the service of those who take an interest in, and enjoy her work.

I use the term art as a generality, as I believe that the future of art lies in the area of collaborative and comparative arts through the development of a range of artistic skills that allow for the student to be able to combine multiple art forms into something that is broader and has more potential for integration into mediums and media; that produce new multi-faceted, meaningful and relevant art forms, leading to new and richer experiences for artist and audience. When I attended Oberlin, I entered the college as a liberal arts major, a term that, at that time, implied a curiosity and a desire to learn about, and master a number of diverse disciplines, and thus gain what was thought to be a richer educational experience, and a skill set that could be translated to a number of occupational fields. But these days, the idea of an education in the liberal arts and humanities has receded in favor of more focus on specific disciplines and areas of study that will lead directly to specialization, and a to a specific career or skill set. If one looks at history, this is not a new problem for the arts and humanities, but a cycle that has been repeated throughout history.

As an educator, I have mourned this most recent decline in students who study a broad range of subject areas, especially those that deal with the development of the individual – emotionally, intellectually, spiritually, and aesthetically. But my recent experience in China (see my other blogs on this website) and now being involved in the creation of a new Chinese tertiary educational model, along with my being exposed to the faculty that my daughter will interact with at IAA, I am encouraged that there is still an interest in, and passion – albeit through a different lens – for the arts and humanities, and that they can continue to play an important role in the education of all students, no matter what their – practical or sometimes not so practical – career paths. Like the excitement that came with the creation and development of multidisciplinary art forms such as opera, musical theater, dance, film and other formats that contain and combine a number of art forms, I can see new developments beginning to take shape in schools such as IAA that are at the vanguard – not slaves to conformity and working within a broken system, but rather those that are willing to take the risk to explore new ways of engaging the human spirit and its natural curiosity and, by association, the desire to make, create, and contribute to the legacy of human history through the creation and use of art.

As I sat and listened to the faculty at IAA, who are in the fortunate position of having the freedom and the support of an administration, as well as in an environment that is not bound by conformity (something my daughter chafed at as a student in a suburban public school system), my hope is that these young people will one day find themselves in the position of being able to enact real change through the quality, uniqueness, and wonder of their skills as artists. Change will not come from the established and dominant paradigm, it will occur in those out of the way places, in towns, cities, and even nations, where there is a willingness and a confidence that allows for the taking of risks, when dismantling what is currently in place, and re-imagining and executing something that is new. Furthermore, although there are many with ideas, it is those who can take those ideas and execute them – bring them to life – that will have the most influence, and have a lasting impact on what the future in terms of arts, education, and what the future arts experience, as well as its instruction, will be.

I will step off my soapbox for a bit, as preaching is not the primary reason for this entry. There are plenty of other places in these web pages in which I express my feelings on education, as well as grapple with the current state of affairs, and to offer my own vision for what possible changes can be made, and what the future of arts education might hold, based on my work and experience. Rather, I would like to continue to talk a bit about how my experience this week at IAA, and how that experience evoked a personal reflection on my life and my own artistic and educational experiences.

I am fortunate at this point in my life to have the rare opportunity and, more importantly, the time to think about my career thus far, write about it, and share my thoughts and experiences, as well as to continue to dream about – and then write about arts and the purpose of art in my life and in the lives of students (past, present and future). One of the sad commentaries on life today is that, despite more technology and techniques that one can find in reference to increasing productivity, efficiency, and creating more leisure time (whatever that may mean), the reality is that, for more and more of us, these “improvements” have not led to more opportunity, more time to create, pause and reflect, but to less. Perhaps it is the because of the immediacy and speed with which information can be transmitted and the ubiquitousness of social media, that we are actually more and more pressed for time, and constrained by a timeframe in which to react or respond. Perhaps it is because we are all trying to do more because we can, and must do more in order to gain and maintain a living wage. But whatever the reasons, it is now more critical than ever to be able to evaluate, think about, and somehow find the time to re-invision how and why arts are in the vulnerable position they are, and how we can begin to get on with the business of overhauling our the aspects of our educational system that have not kept pace, or adapted to the new reality of what it means to live in a technology driven world. But even while I do have the time, I too often fall victim to feeling the intense pressure to execute quickly (and thus inadequately) the issues and problems with which I am engaged.

I found out that, at IAA, I was certainly not alone in my perceptions of the status quo and the current state of arts education. I realize that if I am thinking about it, then there must be others who are as well. Affirmation is a good thing, especially when it comes to thinking about change and the risks involved. I found out at IAA that I have company, as well as many kindred spirits among the faculty and staff. But I am especially excited that there are also hundreds of students, my daughter among them, who are constantly being exposed to new ways of thinking and creating, as well as the questioning of their own purpose, and how best to use the opportunity that they have before them. I found myself swept up in the joy of what it means to innovate and to explore, not just to accept and to fit in. I have always thought of myself as a educator, creator and a musician, I live that belief. But it has been very difficult at times, particularly recently, for me to call upon my own energy and enthusiasm, especially when confronted with a reality that can be discouraging, indifferent or unenthusiastic about the present as well as the future (politics, poverty, inequality, disenfranchisement are but a few). IAA helped me to reconnect with that inner idealist and the youthful spirit and desire to go after what is important to me. I have never, nor do I now, strive to be an inheritor – someone who fits in and guards or accepts the status quo – no matter how successful and valid that might be, but one who seeks to consider alternatives and, thereby move whatever I am engaged with forward, and with an eye toward the possibilities for improvement and change. I believe that this is the way the world works, and that artists – all who have the artistic temperament – are vital in the continued evolution of society in a number of crucial ways – art is practiced and it evolves – as should everything that surrounds us. At IAA I remembered fondly my own days as a student, and the discussions and debates that I had with faculty and fellow students – on current issues and how what I was passionately interested in could add to the richness of my life, and to the lives of others around me. Ultimately I came away from the Interlochen experience not only happy for my daughter, but also renewed and reconnected with my own special experiences as a student many years ago, as well as with the realization that I can still call upon that youthful enthusiasm and passion; realizing once again why I devoted my life to art in the first place, and that I still have so much more music within me, that I must find a way to express.