There has been a lot of argument regarding music classes in schools and whether or not they provide any real benefit to students. However, several studies have proven that students can learn a lot from the Arts, including discipline, persistence, an appreciation for "The Finer Things," an appreciation for and how to tap into their own creativity, and much more. Of course, the materials for such classes can be expensive - palettes and paintbrushes, pencil sets and inking pens, orchestra instruments, and are only sometimes provided by the educational institutions that teach them.
While funding for these programs has dropped dramatically over the last few decades, it has been repeatedly proven that the benefits to being a student of the Arts outweigh the financial burden to the state or family (really just the family, as their taxes are used to fund programs regarding Art and creativity).
A rambling melange of pop-culture.
