Music holds a mysterious power that we have not yet been able to explain. It can change our moods, energy levels, even motivation and ability to focus.

According to psychologies.co.uk, a 2013 study of 1,000 participants who took choir classes reported higher levels of enjoyment in school in nearly every other subject.

So why is it, if music is so important to our emotional and psychological health, that attendance to musical performances has decreased so sharply?

It’s not just here at UW-Whitewater that attendance to performances is slacking, but all over the United States people seem to take less and less interest in the arts overall. The New York Times conducted a study that found that attendance to ballets, dances, theatre and music performances have all declined in the past 25 years.

Not only is participation to performances important for the continuation of the arts, but also the morale of the students who put a lot of work and effort into their music.

Xiomara Diaz, a freshman involved in the choir program, explains how hard it is for student musicians when performances have a low turnout rate.

“I would say attendance is only average. It is disappointing when you don’t see the people you want to see out in the crowd, but you just have to move forward with it,” Diaz said.

Diaz says that the arts matter to everyone, and that in order to preserve them everyone needs to take part in supporting creative expression, especially when it comes to music.

“If you don’t support the arts there will be

no art programs,” Diaz said.

Music is more than just the ‘name brand’ artists, and as a campus community it is important to support fellow students who are working hard to achieve their dreams.   

“Then people who want to get involved can’t,” Diaz said.

“Art is a safe haven for a lot of people. Everyone loves some sort of art, everyone does, whether they know it or not.”