Every weekday in room 55, in Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis’ Natchez High School music class, a complicated process is occurring

Students’ brains are translating a note read on a page into a finger pressing a key on a keyboard.

Eventually, forethought and vigilance combine to produce a complete melody.

&uot;In no other subject is a child called upon to make four or five decisions per second and to act on them continuously for long stretches of time,&uot; according to Frances H. Rauscher, PhD., of University of Wisconsin.

That is, if arts are offered in schools.

Arceneaux-Mathis, who majored in music education in college, said &uot;the arts promote a higher order of thinking skills.&uot; She said this is reflected in the students’ ACT exams. But most importantly, Arceneaux-Mathis stresses, &uot;The arts educate the whole child.&uot;

When Mary Beth Wentworth began teaching visual arts classes at McLaurin Elementary and Susie B. West Primary schools six years ago, students would only choose black crayons with which to draw.

&uot;They didn’t know the first thing about color,&uot; Wentworth said. Now she says her students apply the colors and shapes learned in her art class towards math, science and problem solving skills.

Yet every year, school boards grapple with the decision to cut arts programs from their curriculum due to budget restraints.

The Miss-Lou is no exception. For this school year, students in the Natchez-Adams School District will not be resume string classes under instructor Mickey Davis, since his program of three years was cut from the budget.

Davis, now director of orchestra for the public schools in El Dorado, Ark., said he knows the financial restraints of Natchez-Adams School are very real. However, he said, &uot;If we don’t nurture this (music education), who will?&uot;

Fifteen-year-old sisters Chanda Douglas and Cheleen Sugar said they miss Davis’s class. &uot;I think it’s sad that they take music programs out of schools,&uot; Douglas said.

Fortunately, budget decisions are made yearly. Arts programs can always be added or reintroduced to school curriculum.

Both Natchez-Adams Superintendent Dr. Anthony Morris and Concordia Parish Superintendent Dr. Kerry Laster agree that if they had more funding, they would push for more art programs in their schools.

Others said the community has to push for arts programs in schools as well.

&uot;I think you have to educate the community,&uot; Arceneaux-Mathis said.

&uot;Community involvement and legislative support propel these changes and affirm that the arts are vital to Mississippi’s growth,&uot; Tim Hedgepeth, executive director of the Mississippi Arts Commission, said in a recent Picayune (Miss.) Item story.