Far too often in America today, modern music and art programs in schools are seen by many as activities extracurricular rather than as important subjects that are vital to student learning and learning. skills development. The truth is that encouraging music and arts education in public schools has a far greater impact on student grades, academic performance, and the economy than most people realize. Over the next year, city school budgets will decrease by twenty-five percent, and despite the fact that music and art programs have shown considerable contribution to student learning, this substantial drop in funding of programs will result in no money dedicated to art. or musical programs (Mezzacappa). There is no doubt that a reduction in funding for art programs will have a significant impact on students' overall grades and test scores. Research has shown that studying music and the arts facilitates learning in other subjects and improves children's skills in other areas (Brown). Additionally, providing students with a creative outlet can prove very helpful in reducing the stress of many other courses and even providing students with insight into possible career paths involving the art field. The art industry today supports 4.1 million full-time jobs (Dorfman). By increasing funding for music and art programs for students in grades K-12, we can see a dramatic increase in children's education across the United States, helping to develop the skills of young students and, at the same time, greatly benefit the economy. In education today, arts studies are not often considered a priority for students and are very often removed from the school curriculum due to a lack of adequate funding. However...... middle of article ......d students. Works Cited “11 Facts About Arts in Education.” Do something. Np, and Web. October 24, 2013. Brown, Laura Lewis. “The Benefits of Music Education.” PBS Parents. Np, ndWeb. October 24, 2013. Burton, David. “Exhibiting student artwork.” Virginia Commonwealth University Journal 57.6 (2004): 41. Electronic Library. Internet. October 30, 2013. Dorfman, Aaron. “Funding the arts sometimes benefits us all.” HuffingtonPost. Huffington, nd Web. October 24, 2013. “Fact Sheet on the Benefits of Arts Education for Children.” » Americans for the Arts. Americans for the Arts, August 2009. Web. October 24, 2013 Mandel, Lauren. “Promoting arts education in libraries.” American Library Association 46.6 (2007): n. page. Electronic library. Internet. October 30, 2013. Mezzacappa, Dale. “High school budgets down 25 percent.” The Notebook. PhiladelphiaSchools, nd Web. November 7. 2013