Art Education: The Four Areas of Emphasis - Essay Example

Music is a form of art that uses sounds that are arranged harmoniously. It is a way of expressing one’s feelings and thoughts on a certain object. The basic elements of music are (1) sound, (2) pitch, (3) rhythm, (4) melody, (5) harmony, (6) key, (7) texture, and (8) form. Studies as cited by Dickinson argue that learning music contributes to high achievements for students in school. Reports mention that schools that produce students with high remarks have allotted time of 20 up to 30 percent on arts with a given emphasis on music. (Dickinson, 1993)

A. Dancing
Dancing is another form of art that emphasizes the movement of the body in rhythm to the music. Dancing is used for the expression of emotions, energy release, and being joyful of the movement itself.
Riitta Pasanen Willberg (2007) introduces a somatic choreography approach in relating the ideas of dancers with their choreographers on performances. She aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the exercises on the dancers to assess if the goals of the choreography were attained. Somatic practices are intended to raise kinesthetic awareness and to listen to one’s physical sensations, unlike just focusing on the visual view, imitation, and repetition of movements. (Willberg, 2007)

B. Theatre Arts
Theatre Arts is a form of art wherein the actions of the body particularly facial expressions and human voices are used by performers in interpreting and creating drama in a story. It uses several elements like architecture, lighting, stagecraft, and sound design.

John William Sommers (2008) argues that theatre can stimulate changes in art, a belief that is contradictory to U.S. Cornerstone Theatre Company Artistic Director Bill Rauch’s idea that one cannot predict art changes. He introduces the term Applied Drama which involves the application of direct experiences to create changes. In his study, he concludes that change is possible through the creation of situations in which people will experience favorable conditions where changes in values, knowledge, and attitudes can happen. (Sommers, 2008)

C. Visual Arts
Visual Arts is another form of art that focuses on presentations that are seen and appreciated by the naked eye. These presentations are in the form of paintings, sculptures, collages, etc.

Terrence McCraw discusses the distinction between arts from crafts. He provides one instance that explains the distinction. It was during the Reformation that embroidery became popular with more focus on the different designs. McCraw cites that the embroidery production created shared features with arts and crafts which made them similar. However, according to him, the connotations of crafts in the modern period are still present in the embroidery works that were produced domestically which makes the point above confusing.

II. RECOMMENDATION
For music, the studies on musical therapy and the effects of music on the human brain function are significant topics that can be discussed and expounded in art education. For dancing, the study of somatics is also an interesting mechanism for effective body movement and coordination. In theatre arts, the notion of Applied Drama is an essential tool for art change for versatility. Lastly, the distinction between arts from crafts is a good topic for debate when understanding the nature of art and its disciplines. Read More