by Jan Boner M.Ed.
Director and Owner of Musik to Grow - Marietta, GA

"All the arts are brothers! Each one a light unto the other.' - Voltaire

Teaching holistically

Walking down the sidewalk in front of Symphony Hall toward the entrance of the High Museum of Art in downtown Atlanta, I stood gazing at a striking stainless steel statue with this above inscription. The message sparked the vision of blending all of the arts in the music class to promote development of all multiple intelligences.

A child's world is not neatly divided into subjects such as math or language, nor music or art. They gain knowledge by being actively engaged, interacting with their environment. As music teachers, we know that music readily engages learners as well as all the arts. All children are natural emerging artists, desiring to construct knowledge and demonstrate their…