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Art and Music programs should be mandatory for students in Grade School

You misunderstand my argument; I'm not saying there shouldn't be any music and art programs, I'm just saying students shouldn't be forced to take them. You stated that "If they don't like it then they don't have to continue the next Quarter." In Elementary School, they take music and art year round; they can't just try it, and if they dislike it drop it in a month or two. They're forced to take music and art lessons for the duration of the school year. And it's not typically just one school year; it's 1st- 5th grade. That's up to 5 years of doing something they dislike! In most of the Middle Schools I've visited, art and music is completely optional, and students only have to enroll in them if they chose to. But I've yet to find an Elementary school that doesn't make it mandatory for students to take these courses year-long. It's a waste of schools funding, to have to provide for so many unwilling students. It'd be much better for schools at an economic standpoint, to only provide musical education for the children who want it. Also, you say that "if they need money/a job they have a talent to fall back on." Have you ever heard of the term "starving artist"?Statistically speaking, becoming a musician or an artist is one of the lowest paying jobs in America, and you have to be extraordinarily gifted to make a decent living. Unfortunately, most people aren't extraordinarily gifted. You can't master an instrument at school anyhow, it takes hours upon hours of practice to get into a school of The Arts such as Julliard; spending a mere hour each day won't get you there. Many Julliard students practice over 5 hours each day.