After working in a number of schools and following the growing body of research about how young people learn and what makes for effective teaching, I have come to believe that the ideal learning environment is one where students have the opportunity to pursue intensive artistic training along with challenging academic studies.

Often perceived as two different worlds, it is important to understand that not only do both of these areas have individual importance but they enrich and strengthen each other. Together they create a comprehensive learning environment. At the most profound level, they require students to make important intellectual connections which lead to true learning. Students who have the chance to immerse themselves in these two worlds emerge as stronger artists and academicians as a result of the experience. Academic study ultimately enriches and deepens artistic performance, and by the same token, artistic training strengthens and broadens the overall academic experience.

The arts have been an integral part of my life throughout my own education and my career as an educator. When I reflect on my own high school experience, I often think that I should have gone to a place like Interlochen, although I think there is a good chance my musical talents were not on a high enough level to gain admission! But music was an extremely important part of my life from studying piano and viola to singing in the school chorus and playing in the school orchestra.

As a student, I was lucky to attend a school that valued the arts and made them an integral part of the educational program. I have been equally fortunate as an educator to work in schools where the arts were valued. In many schools the arts are the first thing to be reduced or even dropped when finances are tight. Certainly we have seen this in public schools across the country over the years. I believe this is a mistake that reflects a fundamental misunderstanding about how people learn, grow and develop.

What so many people fail to recognize is that the arts provide an important and multilayered educational experience. Music, dance, theatre, film, creative writing and all forms of two and three-dimensional art require students to learn new languages, analyze structures, sharpen physical skills and develop their interpretive and creative potential. At the same time, the arts play an important role in helping students understand the world, its cultures, its history and the major forces that have driven change over the centuries. Artistic endeavor also fosters personal growth on cognitive, social and emotional levels. Today there is increasing proof from educational studies, particularly those focused on the relationship between learning and the intricate workings of the brain, that the arts play a significant role in intellectual development. They are crucial to the creation of any strong educational program.

It is my hope that Interlochen can serve as a national model and ultimately help reverse the national trends that undermine the potential of this generation of young people. Interlochen students have a total educational experience that is as meaningful as it is rare. They grow as artists, as learners, and most importantly, as complete individuals. In the end, I believe education is about truth and beauty. If we give students experiences that focus on these two ideals and the tools, both intellectual and artistic, to pursue them, then we have done our job. They are prepared as human beings to face the challenges of the world and make it a better place.

Meet Edward Farrday

Edward "Ted" Farraday began his educational career as a French teacher. For the past ten years he served as director of the Upper School at Miami Country Day School. Previously, he served as academic dean at Walnut Hill School in Massachusetts and as director of academic affairs at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans. Despite his administrative duties, Farraday’s interest in teaching has often led him back to the classroom. Farraday graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University with degrees in French and Romance Languages and earned a master’s degree in French from New York University.

Farraday’s new role at Interlochen will focus on curriculum and admission, complementing the responsibilities of vice president Timothy Wade, who will now concentrate on campus and residential life. Farraday will begin his duties at Interlochen in June.

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