But, why shouldn't my music class count? Our class discussion about arts in our educational system made me think about this. During the discussion we came to the consensus that New Trier valued the arts while other schools don't. But then why do people question me when I list orchestra as a major? I think that even though music classes can require as much if not more work than academic classes people don't take them seriously. Even at a school like New Trier who has an incredible music department, music is held to a lower standard. But, who decided this?
Do you think music should be held to a lower standard than academic classes? Are there any other classes at New Trier that you feel are overlooked?
Do you think music should be held to a lower standard than academic classes? Are there any other classes at New Trier that you feel are overlooked?
I think this is interesting to point out. Last year I only took 4 academic majors and an art major and although I had an amazing time doing art homework and I think I learned a lot about other aspects of my life while doing art homework (one of our assignments was to go on trips around Chicago to do observational drawing) and my schedule was rather busy, in all honesty I was sort of embarrassed by my lack of more "academic" classes. Whenever I mentioned my schedule, I'd say I had 5 majors but add, "except one of them is art which doesn't really count," and in some instances make "excuses" for this by mentioning I did summer school, as if I needed some sort of justification for taking an art major and no science.
ReplyDeleteOne of my friends is /definitely/ going to art school and has been planning on /definitely/ going to art school since she was very little, but has actually had a lot of difficulty with putting more art in her schedule because of the school administration/college counselor. They keep on trying to change her schedule to make it more appealing to non-art schools. Freshman year I signed up for two art classes (for soph year), one as a major and one as a minor, and the administration thought that was fine. Then my friend wanted to sign up for the same two classes, except as a double major (less work), and I think administration red flagged it and her art teacher had to go in and convince them not to change her schedule to replace art with a more academic class. I think it's rather bizarre they did this, as I suspect they only did it because she did poorly in other subjects that year. That doesn't make sense at all, because it would have lightened her load to have more art and less academic classes, and she would have been able to do better in academic classes as a result, while still being appealing to art colleges. Then during this year's registration she is basically signing up for all art classes in addition to the last of her graduation requirements, but her college counselor wants her to replace her art classes with a fourth, non-required math class, to be more appealing to state schools, and she had to write them a letter to convince them not to change things around. I'm sure that ultimately she'll get in to all of the classes she wants, but it's just really weird that some people, working in a school, just don't understand that when some kids say they really want to only pursue art as a career and go to art school, they mean it.