Connie Terwilliger and Phil Hoyer may just be names to many, but to me these are the people who poured music into my life as a young girl learning to play the piano. Mrs. Terwilliger pulled me in to help her accompany the junior high and high school choirs while I was still in high school. She provided experience for my insecurities and cover for my mistakes as she built my confidence as a pianist. Mr. Hoyer was my piano teacher as well as my church music director. He gave me opportunities to play in church and the gentle pressure I needed to actually get up on the stage and play.

            For over three decades now I have been a piano instructor and have seen hundreds of children walk into my studio and sit down at the keyboard. They all have different levels of skill, interest, and attention. Each of them, however, represents a wonderful opportunity to pass on the love for music and fine arts that my mentors passed on to me.

            Fine arts is more than just playing a song or painting a picture. It is an opportunity to enjoy and participate in the beauty of God’s creation. All through Scripture God uses art to help us understand who He is and the beauty of His interaction with us. As we create, we have the privilege of reflecting the creative genius of God. As fine arts teachers, we pass that privilege and experience on to our students. Exodus 35 describes two skilled craftsmen, Bezalel and Oholiab. They used their artistic ability to create the amazing beauty of the tabernacle. In Exodus 35:34 we read that God also inspired them to teach others how they could also learn use their fine arts skills to glorify and worship God. They may have been the first fine arts teachers!

God is creative, and part of the way He made us in His image is by giving us the ability to create beauty that reflects His character. So when we are teaching our students to play, or sing, or act, or craft, we are pointing them to God’s unique design in their lives. He is the ultimate Artist, and they are His masterpiece (Eph. 2:10). So a strong fine arts program not only points our students to know God, it also provides them with a path to serve Him. Psalm 29:2 tells us to “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”

Each student in our schools is a fine arts masterpiece. It is our mission to help them find that creativity and use it to better understand and glorify God. I am thankful for the team of coordinators and teachers in our WVCEA. What an opportunity we have! It can be tiring, and sometimes even frustrating, but the rewards of a strong fine arts program in your school and in our state are eternal as our students learn to glorify the God who designed them and loves them.