Letter: Please fight against the cuts to music and the arts

To the editor:

The article entitled "Residents question cuts to Barrington sports" (as well as the earlier "Barrington residents: Don't cut our sports") outlines the overwhelming response to the proposed elimination of middle school sports, due to budget cuts sought by the committee on appropriations. 

Amidst the (understandable) outcry, it's easy to miss that, once again, music and the arts are on the chopping block. 

In the past ten years, the Barrington music department has lost one full position, and another was reduced to part-time. Sadly, the last cut was also not noticed by most, as it happened during the outcry over the proposed elimination of wood shop at the middle school. 

We now face the possibility that another music position may be eliminated. With it will go everything that music provides: creativity, improvisational thinking, math, ELA, and social studies support, not to mention the pure enjoyment that comes with an appreciation for the arts. 

I urge my fellow residents to fight these cuts, as well as those to home economics, foreign language, art and library. In the end, these are the places that the budget ax usually falls. 

David J. Lauria

Barrington

Mr. Lauria is choral director at Mt. Hope High School.