Publisher’s Note: The Importance of Arts and Culture

I recently passed a sign promoting the upcoming “Dreamgirls” musical at Mill Mountain Theatre. I was excited to see that the musical is coming to Roanoke. I also was thrilled to see that other such performances are scheduled to come to the Star City.

The arts are an aspect of our city that often are minimized because many view them as discarded resources. I totally disagree with that assessment. The arts and the cultural community are an important part of all communities. Not only do they provide entertainment and pleasure for citizens, they also work as an economic tool to attract major businesses and corporations. The arts showcase our city as a cultural and creative hub and ad provide outlets for future companies and their employees.

I was heavily involved in music growing up. I learned several brass instruments, but the trumpet was my bread and butter. Music was a foundation in my life that eventually provided an opportunity for me to secure a music scholarship to Hampton University. I’m fortunate to have secured a scholarship that I directly attribute to the arts program that were provided me in my elementary and secondary school years.

Arts provide an avenue for individual creativity and signal to future businesses and corporations that the City of Roanoke is a cultural, first-rate city beaming with substance and quality.