In a different state, I didn’t really know who else taught elementary music in other schools, there was no collaboration really or connection. But as part of the BTS program, I’ve been able to collaborate, share resources, learn from other educators across the state of Utah and especially in the region I’m in. The relationships that I’ve made and the friendships that I’ve made with these people who speak a similar language to me and the things I’ve learned from them have been more valuable than anything.

I think (BTS Arts is) hugely important in the public school system because you have a wide variety of kids. You have a wide variety of family backgrounds, where they come from, how they learn individually, how their families teach them at home, what additional resources they have. And so the more the public education system can do to give kids varied ways to learn and retain information, the better off we’re going to be as a society.

Art can create joy for both the person creating it and those who see it.... These lessons were enjoyed by the students and helped them to process some of the emotions they are experiencing during these difficult times. We love having the BTS Arts program in our school and see many benefits.

BTS Arts has been a powerful motivator at the schools I have worked at. I have had many parents personally tell me that the only way they could get their students to school that day was because it was 'art day'.

It was the best time of the school day, the best day of my life.

During the past 7 years of teaching in the BTS program, I have witnessed miraculous growth amongst our students with special needs. I have observed great progress in the areas of gross motor and fine motor skills, communication skills, cognitive development, following directions, and their overall understanding of core concepts through art forms. I have found that many of the students who do not perform well on regular academic rigors, perform surprising well in the creative realm. I have witnessed students who struggle with communication, light up and share profound and meaningful and intensely creative messages through visual and written artforms.

We work side by side with the classroom teachers, we look at the year-long plan, we see what they’re teaching and see how we can augment that. I see the fruits of that. [Students] remember certain concepts in class because of the way you taught it using music. That is rewarding to me.

Yesterday we were doing follow-up in organizing beats into twos and threes and fours. I just had a whole string of beats and asked [the students], ‘do you know if this is in twos, threes, or fours? They finally figured out, you don’t know unless somehow you show it, you divide it, or you symbolize it in some way. Finally, this kid said, ‘Oh my gosh! Music is so mathematical’ and I responded, ‘yes, it is!’

I feel like I've had students who are excited to go to school. They look forward to when the school year starts again after summer break. They're excited to see, and it's not just to see their friends. They have teachers that they know are supporting them. They get to explore things that maybe we don't do on a day-to-day basis in my own house. They get to have those kinds of experiences that I think have really benefited them and also they love it, and that brings so much joy to them and to our family.

BTS Arts has been wildly helpful for 'em. Just, I'm trying to put it into words. So especially my oldest, when they did in fourth grade, they did a play. That's when they were able to do the play for her. And she, best way I can describe it, she came alive. It just like she, I saw her on stage and it was like, oh my gosh. She's just like, she's alive. And it brought this passion out in her that I had never seen before. And it was like this, I don't know, it was just like she came into herself.

My goal for my children with their elementary educational experience was just that they maintained a love of learning. That was my main goal. And Edith Bowen has accomplished that goal for my children beautifully. And a lot of that is because they focus on so many different aspects of the child and being creative and being able to be artistic and have that factor into their day in lots of different ways, I think has just helped them be a more complete human, which helps them succeed academically in other ways.

Well, at first I thought, oh, that'll be fun. I didn't think about the academic intentions and things. But after last year, and then especially seeing this year, I've seen a lot of amazing impacts on student reading and listening and speaking skills and just overall confidence and motivation.

It's important to understand that the arts are very healing, especially to families that need that social and emotional connection. There could be traumatic events or just children that are having difficulty learning how to control their emotions. And the arts really lend themselves to healing in ways that I feel like are physical, mental, even spiritual in some ways. The families need to know that drama and these special classes are an outlet for children. And by having these experiences now, I think they'll have more opportunities in middle school and high school.

I think this program should be in every school. I think what I would say, and I have friends who don't have it in their school and have asked me questions. They've said, how do I get this? You're so lucky. You're lucky to be who you are that your kids get these experiences. But for me, what I would say is it's not just dance. It's not just art, right? It is about integrated learning and meeting the kids where they are and giving them a different way to learn. And so it's crucial to bring it on to fund it.

I think that it's super important that we have the arts integration and the history integration because like I said, if not it’s just boring. If we're just drilling kill with reading and math and we're adding depth to the curriculum, we're helping the kids become more well-rounded. Kids who don't like reading in math, it gives them a chance to find something that they love that makes them want to come to school. So it makes our school awesome. We love it.