Diversity of ideas, of experiences, of races, of sexual orientation, of religious beliefs, of gender, all diversities benefit our nation and makes it stronger. In the imagination of the artist lies the ability to stretch to the outermost limits, to expand our interests, to discover our common grounds, to create the basis for the vibrant and dynamic forces to lead us well into the future. Fostering the arts, talent, diversity, creativity, critical thinking, art production and appreciation, all this leads to the basic skills for problem solving, for non-verbal expression, for the development of individual and team work, for the enhancement of our human capital. We all know that the cultural life of a community depends on the type of education children receive. It is a fact that people can remember scores of tunes and even recognize hundreds more, as compared to remembering full paragraphs or segments of prose.
Music incites passion, belligerence, serenity, or even fear.
But, as researchers have found out, it also helps children do better at math, perhaps because music involves proportions, ratios and sequences, all the underpinnings of mathematical reasoning. Young people educated in the arts, and educated in diversity, are able to extract more out of life and to contribute significantly to society. They become not only creators in their own right, they become audiences and consumers of art, fostering further creativity and development. Because the artist and the arts have at their disposal unlimited possibilities of expression and creation, their reach becomes truly universal. Nourishing art, talent, and diversity promotes to the forefront individuals who can contribute to a better understanding of the role they play in our communities through their creative efforts.