One of my greatest guilty pleasures is the arts. Whether it’s attending concerts, theatrical performances, or community showcases, I find joy in watching people express their passion, especially when they’re my own friends and peers.
Unfortunately, my first semester surprisingly lacked community engagement with the arts. I expected opportunities to attend and support events, showcases, fundraisers, but I was disappointed. The arts scene here has felt almost non-existent, and that needs to be fixed.
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It’s important to get involved, explore your passions and find a community with others who have the same interests. As a freshman, I’m always looking for extracurriculars or activities to fill my free time but I struggled to find performances, clubs, or ways to support art showcases, dance or theatrical shows, even those connected to the Frost School of Music. As a political science student in the College of Arts and Sciences, I don’t get much exposure to the arts, so finding events to watch and participate in is very difficult.
My First Year Fellow, Ainsley Nelson, agreed with me, saying that “The promotion for the arts is extremely minimal and rarely expands beyond those already involved in those communities.”
There should be more wide-spread advertising and readily-available opportunities for students to appreciate the talent of others. Creative expressions in the form of music, visual arts, literature, and performance can lead to various opportunities and branch new interests for people. The arts provide a creative pathway for students to be unique in their own profession, and it should be advertised more.
Invitations
Many of my friends major in the arts, and I know firsthand how incredibly talented they are. I would love to watch them perform and share their skills with the wider student body. Students in the arts should take the initiative to invite their peers, whether they’re in Frost or not, to support their performances. These personal invitations can build community support for the arts and help bridge the gap between different academic disciplines.
Melika, a junior and music industry major in the Frost School of Music, gave her insight on this subject. “As a classical pianist, we have so many entertaining events such as jazz showcases. I don’t think there’s been enough done to invite others to performances. I would love to see some familiar faces in the audience of a show though, that would truly make my day.”
Both UM and students majoring in these disciplines should promote more events to all students so that they can explore a subject outside of their field of study.
For All
The arts shouldn’t be limited to students who are majoring in performance or visual arts. Anyone with an interest should have the opportunity to participate, whether that’s through watching a performance or joining in on creative projects.
Both the College of Arts and Sciences and the Frost School of Music could play a major role in fostering this inclusivity by offering workshops, clubs, and collaborative events that are open to all students, regardless of their major.
I couldn’t agree more with cross-disciplinary involvement. It’s important for college students to keep their mind open to creativity while enjoying entertainment, learning from it and supporting their fellow students. Not only does this create a space where the arts can thrive but it can bring people together, enriching University of Miami’s culture as a whole.