Application Question

Chua argues that there is a “…dawning realization in the government that the arts do have an important role to play, beyond the economic” What roles do the arts play in Singapore? How important are these roles?

Music is a form of art and almost everyone listens to music. The young listens to the upbeat pop or rhythm and blues (R&B), while the old prefer the soothing classical. However, not many see music beyond being just another form of entertainment. People do not realize that music does much more then entertain, such as aid in growth. The invention of the Mozart effect for instance, is a well-known example of how music aids in growth. According to Wikipedia, The Mozart effect is “a set of research results that indicate that listening to Mozart's music may induce a short-term improvement on the performance of certain kinds of mental tasks known as "spatio-temporal reasoning" Popularized versions of the theory, which suggest that "listening to Mozart makes you smarter", or that early childhood exposure to classical music has a beneficial effect on mental development.” This explains why pregnant mothers often listen to soothing classical music for the healthier growth of their to-be-born babies.
Arts, encompassing music, painting, literature, drama, play many roles in Singapore today. However, many just see arts as a form of entertainment. Not only does arts the many economic benefits arts bring such as the creation of jobs, as mentioned in the passage 8 by Chua, what many people are unaware of is that more importantly, “the value that the arts contribute to social bonding is ‘priceless’.”

Drama is one form of art today that has started to make a statement. There are an increasing number of playwrights and directors who make plays or movies depicting what they see the world as, often including many social values into their movies. For example, the movie “I Not Stupid” by the very popular local director Jack Neo has reflected the competitive society of Singapore today. He showed the high amount of pressure students today as well as businesses in Singapore face, as well as gave his perception on what would happen if nothing is done by the government to salvage the situation. Movies as such not only entertain the masses, they more importantly serve to educate the public on societal issues. By watching the movie, audiences can relate with the protagonists and hence reflect upon their daily lives.

In conclusion, the arts do play an important role in our society that helps us in one way or another, often subtly, in a way that we take it for granted. Hence, I feel that more should be done to enhance the many benefits arts can bring and so that more people see arts as something more significant than just merely entertainment.