Going "Beyond Art for Art's Sake"

I was recently sent a newsletter from the McKay School of Education at BYU about a workshop they hosted.  View the article HERE.  I once upon a time was in the Art Education program at BYU and loved the little exposure I had in the classroom.  I really do want to teach art someday.

I LOVE that the article talks about how important it is to integrate the arts into our classrooms.  In a country where everything is about passing a standardized test, it's great to know that there are still many teachers who want to produce well-rounded, cultured students.  I do believe that integrating arts with academia can be very enlightening and helpful to the learning process.  Participating in a drum circle, learning a dance, dressing up in costumes, creating pottery, or acting out a scene brings the past (and the present) to LIFE.  In the article it said:
     

...groups of participants demonstrated what they learned at the conference through performances using creative techniques such as dance, music, or theater. These performances helped educators understand how students in classes of all disciplines can do the same. “It’s important for students to demonstrate learning in a variety of ways, not just in written tests, so they can internalize the information and show the personal meaning of what they learned,” Flox explained.  

I know that if something is put to a tune it is often easier to remember.  If I view a live performance I remember the EXPERIENCE of it forever.  Knowledge is most often brought to life through the arts.  Isn't that amazing? 

How do you feel about the arts?  Does it help you learn other academia?