Some four decades ago, a pair of fraternal twins was born locally. The boy was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. The girl was not afflicted. The parents took both children home and raised them together in their family for nine years. The boy was so profoundly retarded that he needed 24/7 training and went to live in the excellent Coastal Center in Ladson.
The girl had difficulty in school and was not doing well. It was discovered that she had a vision problem and in the first grade, she needed “bottle cap” glasses. This helped her eyesight, not her self esteem. She struggled for a couple of years until she displayed musical talent and got into the elementary school band. Her saxophone tone was sweet. She stood out. Her music teacher noted and nurtured her ability. As time went on she got contact lenses and more things continued to improve.
The boy, who was multi-handicapped, being blind, legally deaf, autistic and hyperactive, was introduced to special classes and was able to learn through music. His teachers got his best responses using melody, rhythm and song. He couldn’t absorb in the “regular way,” but he could be trained, helped by a cultural art – specifically music. Although he functions at only 11 months mentally, he was able to be taught, using music, to feed himself, dress himself and respond to sheltered classes.
The girl not only progressed in music, but the confidence gained from her ability in that same cultural art enabled her to improve academic scores so vastly, that she not only graduated from Summerville High School with honors, but made the McDonald’s All American Band and won a music conservatory scholarship.
Today, the boy continues to learn through music prompts. The girl has married and she and her musician husband play swing and jazz gigs by night. She teaches elementary school music and chorus and he works in the computer industry by day. Their two boys play various instruments and sing; their daughter studies art and sings. They all do well in school, and might help pay their college tuitions through cultural arts.
Without cultural arts, neither twin would have been able to so fully reach their potential – whether those potentials were one inch or one mile high. The arts not only encourage inspiration in creative fields, but academic achievement as well. Music is a precise art and craft, just like math and science. Fine art begins with classical training, just like the clear-cut traditional backgrounds in subjects such as history, English and writing. They interrelate and help each other. All should be encouraged.
Summerville has Rollings School of the Arts for our arts inclined students; we have dozens of cultural arts organizations in our Flower Town for residents of all ages; and we need a venue where these talents can be more fully nurtured and celebrated.
Through The Cultural Arts Alliance and the Arts, Business and Civic Coalition, there has been much local discussion recently regarding efforts to obtain an arts, business and civic center for Summerville. This center would help boost our economy, enhance our lifestyle and I’d be willing to wager, elevate our already excellent academic scores.
I well know how the cultural arts helped these twins.
I’m their mother.