ArtSmart Students Perform in Jersey City’s District-Wide Showcase, April 25, 6PM

Music Mentorship Builds Community and Increases School Attendance

ArtSmart Students Perform “True Colors” at Jersey City Public School’s District-Wide Showcase on April 25, 6PM

“…it’s my hope that [the students] absorb the lyrics and really understand that they are not alone and that they are beautiful,”
–Carmen Cancél, ArtSmart mentor

“There are students who were failing because of attendance, who are now coming to school in order to participate; and applying themselves in class so that their teachers allow them to attend the ArtSmart program.”
–Crissa Dragotti, Lincoln High School music teacher

When funding is low, extracurricular activities like choir and band are often the first to get cut. But the arts are, for many, the passion that drives school attendance and academic success. A relationship with an adult mentor only further increases student engagement.

Enter ArtSmart.

At Lincoln High School, Crissa Dragotti is the sole music instructor. She teaches keyboard and guitar classes, music exploration, and drum line. There are no official choir or band programs. “My supervisor brought ArtSmart to me asking if I would help implement it. This is the first year of the program at Lincoln High School,” recounted Dragotti.

ArtSmart is a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to serving students in under-resourced communities with arts education by paid, professional mentors. 15 students participate in the ArtSmart program at Lincoln High, receiving, at no cost, weekly private voice lessons and mentorship from ArtSmart mentor Carmen Cancél.

Cancél, who has taught for ArtSmart for three years and piloted the program at Lincoln High School, teaches all of the private voice lessons, and recently started group rehearsals to provide the students a chance to come together.

She said, “It’s incredibly beneficial for the students to learn to collaborate and listen to one another. It’s been fun to watch them take ownership of their vocal parts (three-part harmony) as they memorize and rehearse together. The camaraderie and encouragement they gain from working together is a huge plus.”

Dragotti has seen ArtSmart’s impact as well. “I have seen students who had low confidence blossom over the last few months. There are students who were failing because of attendance, who are now coming to school in order to participate; and applying themselves in class so that their teachers allow them to attend the ArtSmart program.”

The ArtSmart group’s collaboration led to an invitation to represent Lincoln High School at Jersey City Public Schools District-Wide Showcase “Watch Them Bloom.” 

“It will be a great performance opportunity for the students, and a chance for the district to see what ArtSmart can create at a school, even if there is no music program already established there,” said Cancél.

“I think it’s a wonderful way to show off to the students’ peers, parents, and community. They have worked hard and come so far in just a few months,” continued Dragotti.

The ArtSmart students at Lincoln High, where 63% of the school’s students are Black and 29% of students are Hispanic, have to keep their coursework up-to-date in order to attend any extra rehearsals for the District Wide Showcase.[1] “They’ve done a good job of that so far,” recounted Cancél.

The students, conducted by Cancél, will perform the song “True Colors.”

“I’ve always loved the lyrics of ‘True Colors’ (song by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, originally sung by Cyndi Lauper), and I find it especially meaningful for young people who are developing their own identity while dealing with the stress and angst that comes with being a teen in this current world. It’s powerful hearing these lyrics sung by young people – and it’s my hope that they absorb the lyrics and really understand that they are not alone, and they are beautiful,” said Cancél.

ArtSmart is founded on the belief that arts education is a necessary and critical part of cognitive, emotional, and academic development— and where the curriculum-based U.S. education system often falls short. This most notably impacts students in under-resourced communities who often lack access to arts-based classes.

Overwhelming research and ArtSmart’s collective data show that students who have access to arts education, especially when delivered one-to-one or in small-group settings, have improved mental health, self-confidence, and academic success.[2] All of which paves the way to a bright and vibrant future.

As for the future, Cancél is already making plans. “It is my hope that we have enough students audition for the ArtSmart program at Lincoln High next year, so we can begin a vocal theatre program, where they’ll have this kind of collaborative interaction every week.”

[1]  https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3407830&ID=340783002776

[2] https://www.evidencebasedmentoring.org/artsmart-investigates-the-effectiveness-of-a-school-based-arts-mentorship-intervention-on-students-learning-outcomes/