Your Personal Connection 

When I was a child I took piano lessons and violin lessons as well as music classes in Middle School as part of the educational curriculum. I believe that education and training in these areas provides an overall framework to help define a young persons younger years and make them better citizens later in life. This is what it did for me, and should for others as well. 

Arts and Culture in Your District 

According to their own description, the Cape Cod Conservatory has been a vibrant part of the Cape Cod community for over half a century. They state that they offer instruction in all major instrument groups, vocal instruction and classes in art, dance and photography. They also say that the cater to all ages, all stages. Moreover, they help to provide a personalized pathway to the Arts. 

Arts Education and Programs for our Youth

I would champion arts education for our youth both in our schools and in our communities via annual review of existing programs and visiting schools and other venues during such a review process. I will strive for a proper balance between importance of arts education with the constant pull to “teach to the test” by formally requesting State Education officials to be cognizant of this during their various official curriculum review processes. I would support joining ten other states to make one year of arts education in high school a requirement for admission to the state university system. Furthermore, I support adding ‘arts’ into the Commonwealth’s STEM program to transform it to STEAM.  

Economic Development

The legislature will foster an ecosystem which supports the creative community and industry across the Commonwealth by providing adequate opportunities for the Arts and Culture community to give informed feedback and suggestions to help bring this goal to fruition.

Addressing the Commonwealth’s Socioeconomic Issues

I would utilize the arts, cultural, and creative community to address the Commonwealth’s social and economic challenges via enlisting them in volunteer outreach efforts aimed at deprived groups, venues and populations within Massachusetts.

The Commonwealth’s Support and Role in the Creative Community

At this stage, I would level fund the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) with a recommendation toward incremental 1% annual budgetary increases for five years, if fiscally viable to do so.

At this point, I suggest that the Commonwealth level fund the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund to support the maintenance, repair, and rebuilding of the Commonwealth’s cultural facilities, if fiscally viable to do so.

If after appropriate study and review, I would consider developing or dedicating a revenue stream from existing resources to provide a sustainable and stable funding stream for the arts, cultural, and creative community, if fiscally viable to do so.

Conclusion

In summary, all of the aforementioned replies must be understood to be contingent upon the requirement that no new taxes should be required to implement any of the criteria or details contained within the respective responses.