The Monthly Roll - Tampa Bay November 2013 - v1i1 | Page 2

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The Importance of Art!

By: Emma

Something important to me as a young person is art. Any form of art really. I feel like by attending a
performing arts program for singing, I have been honored with the opportunity to not just be around
music, but all sorts of art. Right now in my life, the presence of art is so extremely important for me.
It is my escape. I am a college freshman. I have to go to something called SMARTlab for my PreCalculus class. We need to spend three hours there a week, and it is nothing but quiet clicks on the
computer and tutors running around spewing out math.
One day I was in there for an hour, maybe a little bit more. I was about three-fourths of the way
through with my homework and I suddenly couldn't concentrate. I was shaking. That never
happened to me before. The first thing I had to do was leave and get the heck out of there. As soon
as I left the only thing I could think to do was to grab my headphones and play music. I put on the
station on Pandora for Ola Gjeilo. I listened to beautiful piano improvisations. Almost instantly
though I felt a billion times better. I think for me, growing up with so much art around me all the
time, in my middle school, in my high school, the lack of it now constantly becomes overwhelming.
To me, art being around me was always a way to feel connected to people. Through visual arts,
theater, dance, or music I always feel connected to them. That connection for feelings, and that
relief to me is something so important. It is something that I need. At this transitioning point in my
life, the forms of art are always there for me to go to and I know it always will be.