
Surrey school children performing at Royal Albert …—surreynews (Flickr.com)
I was already in college when I got introduced to theater and performance arts through an uncle of a cousin who owns a theater and performing arts school in Cebu. During summertime, my cousins who were all younger than me by five to 10 years, enroll in various classes of ballet dancing, piano and voice lessons, martial arts, acting, guitar playing, drawing and painting, and several others.
For them it was always a time to learn new things and meeting new friends in school. It was always an excited and fun time to spend the whole summer.
I am talking about this because there were lessons learned that I value now that I have kids of my own. Despite the absence of formal schooling in theater or performing arts, I was always been inclined to creative work and interests. With what I saw in my cousins then, I realized that being in a formal school has its huge advantage for a growing child especially if this child happens to have great potentials in the field of theater and performing arts.

Children performing, Active Child 9 15 11—thezenderagenda.com (Flickr.com)
Let me share a few of the lessons learned which a few of us could also reflect on if we want our child or children to be better ___ to our society:
1) Discipline – It is always a great advantage for children to learn early about discipline. Once a child becomes an active member of the working class, the character of discipline will give him/her the stamina to deal with life’s challenges and trials. Discipline also teaches kids about knowing how to reach one’s dream and goals in life.
2) Self-confidence – I am a witness as to how my cousins grow up to be self-confident and humble persons. Such confidence started from childhood offers greater possibilities to life and the future.
3) Creativity – Science has proven that creative and artistic people are actually those who are also intelligent, well-adjusted and warm people. Being exposed to so many creative ideas, a child hones his/her intelligence while enrolled in a class that encourages his/her to be creative.
4) Independence – a child taught to show his/her innate talent on creative endeavors learns the value of independence. Learning both discipline and self-confidence will make him/her a stronger and independent human being.
While I may have missed out on that formal schooling in theater arts, I did had my share of learnings as my parents encouraged me to continue with my interests in singing, dancing and drawing.
These had taught me the same values which my cousins learned when they studied at their uncle’s school. I guess what made it largely different was the fact that for every summer that they end their class, a school recital is held to close the more than a month-long study.
What I missed more than ever was the social interaction and the friendship that is built when enrolled in a theater and performing arts school. This is something that we cannot buy or share or teach our children. And this is also one great advantage to being enrolled in one.
Piano prodigy is all about the music The Detroit News
Piano prodigy is all about the music. The Detroit News. Luckily the opportunity is coming sooner than later. The musical prodigy will bring his It’s All About Music tour to the Ford Community Performing Arts Center in Dearborn on Sunday. Opening act is Kidz Bop Kids a music brand that features and more.…