Why Music?
Quotes and Reports From Corporation
and Business Executives
 
* The U.S. Department of Labor issued a report in 1991
urging schools to teach for the future workplace. The
skills they recommended (working in teams,
communication, self-esteem, creative thinking,
imagination, and invention) are exactly those learned in
school music and arts education programs.
-- 1991 SCANS Report, U.S. Department of Commerce.
 
* The nation's top business executives agree that arts
education programs can help repair weaknesses in
American education and better prepare workers for the
21st center.
-- "The Changing Workplace is Changing Our View of
Education," Business Week, October 1996.
 
* "We believe the skills the arts teach--creative thinking,
problem-solving and risk-taking, and teamwork and
communication--are precisely the tools the workforce of
tomorrow will need. If we don't encourage students to
master these skills through quality arts instruction today,
how can we ever expect them to succeed in their highly
competitive business careers tomorrow?"
-- Richard Gurin, former President and Chief Executive
Officer, Binney and Smith, maker of Crayola crayons
 
* "The purpose of education is not simply to inform but
to enrich and enlighten, to provide insights into life as it
had been led and as it may be led. No element of the
curriculum is better suited to that task than arts education...
The arts take us beyond pragmatic concerns of the moment
and give us a glimpse of human possibility."
-- David Kearns, now retired Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer of Xerox Corporation
 
* "It's a given that today's employee has to have basic
skills. But superior skills are needed to survive
competitively in the global context. Acquiring them has to
begin as early as possible in a child's education, and we see
that it comes through arts education. We are not doing
justice to our economy or our children if they don't get
that in the K through 12 context."
-- Dan Lacy, corporate Vice President for Communications,
Ashland, Inc.
 
* "We see a tremendous need for workers who are
creative, analytical, disciplined, and self-confident. And
we believe that hands-on participation in the arts is one of
the best ways to develop these leadership abilities in young
people."
-- Jane Polin, Manager of the G.E. Fund
 
* "The arts enrich communities and employees, and also
stimulate the kind of intellectual curiosity our company
needs to stay competitive."
--Norman R. Augustine, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
Martin Marietta Corporation
 
* "For the future of our children and our communities, we
must find new ways to engage students in the learning
process. The arts can be a powerful vehicle through which
to challenge young people's minds, stir their creativity,
instill discipline and build self-esteem."
--Lawrence A. Hough, President and Chief Executive Officer,
Sallie Mae
 
* "The arts can communicate with the effect and impact
that captivate young people. Dance, music, and writing--
they facilitate an environment conducive to learning
and creativity. It's here that we can start to turn the tide
as members of the corporate community."
--Michael R. Bowlin, Chief Executive Officer, ARCO
 
* "The need for improving education is well-accepted.
There is no better way to achieve this goal than through
an understanding of and appreciation for the arts."0
--Arthur Y. Ferrara, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
The Guardian Life Insurance Company
 
* "We live in an age increasingly ruled by science and
technology, a fact that only underscores the need for more
emphasis on the arts . . . A grounding in the arts will help
our children see; to bring a uniquely human perspective to
science and technology. In short, it will help them as they
grow smarter to also grow wiser."
-- Robert E. Allen, former Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer, AT&T Corporation
 
* "I believe that there is a place for the arts--music, dance,
drawing, painting, writing--in the school curriculum. In
the elementary grades, the arts are a valuable component
in broadening a child's mind and talents. In secondary
school, the arts provide a sense of history, connecting the
past to the present. When a student reaches college, a
liberal arts education teaches not just clear but creative,
innovative thinking. That's the kind of individual I'm
interested in recruiting for Chase: one who can think
conceptually, write well and--perhaps most importantly--
bring a creative outlook to the conference-room table."
-- Willard C. Butcher, former Chairman of the Board of
The Chase Manhattan Corporation
 
* "Business also benefits from education in the arts.
Successful companies in our emerging global economy
need more than technicians. Appreciation of music and
related arts bridges the gap among societies and offers
young people valuable lessons in cooperation and
sensitivity to others."
-- William E. LaMothe, former Chairman of the Board and
Chief Executive Officer, Kellogg Company
 
* "We must encourage our youngsters in such pursuits as
music education. In addition to learning the valuable
lesson that it takes hard work to achieve success, no matter
what the arena, music education can provide students with
a strong sense of determination, improved communication
skills, and a host of other qualities essential for successful
living."
-- Edward H. Rensi, former Chief Operations Officer,
President and Chief Operating Officer, U.S.A. McDonald's
Corporation
 
* "The creative arts provide us with a unique and vital
perspective about our world. . . . I want to work with people
whose imaginations have been unleashed and who tackle
problems as challenges rather than see them as obstacles.
An education enriched by the creative arts should be
considered essential for everyone."
-- John Sculley, former Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer of Apple Computer, Inc.
 
* "Music and the arts help children grow and learn in
multiple ways, and they are vital to educating our nation's
children."
-- Anne Dowling, President of the Texaco Foundation
 

For Source information, return to Why Music? Links and Info Page

To berksmusic.com Music Education Links

Return to berksmusic.com Main Menu