My Life as a Furry Red Monster - Kevin Clash [58]
BY PERFORMING ELMO for the last twenty years, I’ve naturally been drawn into the world of education, and I have a deep appreciation for what teachers do for our kids. I know that I was blessed with a number of wonderful teachers in my life, and the quality of Shannon’s education is a reflection of the abilities of the faculty and staff at her school. The best teachers, like the best parents, have a tireless devotion to the well-being of children.
But even the most dedicated teachers can find it hard to carry out their mission in today’s public school environment, particularly when faced with budget cuts. Because of my personal interests and my work in public television, every day I learn more about the politics of education.
In 2002, Elmo and I went to Washington, D.C. (he wore a suit and tie), to testify in front of Congress at the Education Appropriations Subcommittee, which was investigating the effects of eliminating funding for school arts programs. Even in affluent school districts, public schools face cost-cutting measures as they struggle to balance ballooning costs with shrinking budgets. With alarming frequency, programs in the visual arts and music—considered “electives”—are often the first items to be cut.
Elmo and I made an impassioned plea on behalf of all kids who benefit from these programs, particularly music. Though I wasn’t really nervous, I was glad to be under the table—this was Congress, after all. “Elmo is here because he wants to make sure Elmo has music when he gets to school.” The words came easily enough since I had been one of many kids for whom in-school and after-school arts programs were a lifeline. Playing trombone was some of the most fun I had in school, though I can’t say it was a pleasure for the folks who had to listen to me. No, I wasn’t destined to blow the horn, but music kept me engaged and certainly livened up my school experience.
Music still is a big part of Sesame Street, and many professionals in the arts and education understand the benefits that kids can reap when they are exposed to this art form from an early age. Sesame Street is a great place to hear all sorts of music, and artists like Wynton Marsalis (a great supporter of music in the schools), Itzhak Perlman, Sheryl Crow, REM, Yo-Yo Ma, and many others, from opera singers to hip-hop stars and rockers, have all appeared on the show.
The lessons I learned in the world of theater and music have stayed with me to this day. I’d hate to think that shows like Sesame Street are the only places where kids can get a taste of the arts. I realize that most children in school-sponsored programs won’t go on to have professional careers as artists, musicians, or puppeteers, but learning happens on many levels, and a basic foundation in the arts should be part of any well-rounded quality education.
It would be a shame for one kid to lose interest in school, perhaps even to the point of dropping out, as a result of budget cuts. Somewhere out there, there’s a child—a first grader, a middle schooler, a junior in high school—whose growing passion for dance or painting or graphic design or music is what keeps her motivated to show up.
That day in Congress, a furry red monster helped to get the attention of our policy makers and urge them to think of the important role that art and music play in the education of a child.
MY PARENTS NEVER sat me down and had what I’ve come to refer to as “the talk.