The following OC Family article by Kelly St. John was originally published in July 2011 and can be found online by clicking here.

With public schools emphasizing back-to-basic subjects such as math and reading, and budget cuts forcing schools to cut back on music and art, these days it is easy to wonder about the state of arts education.

But Orange County has an abundance of such programs that families can use to fill the in gaps and make sure their children enjoy the benefits of exposure to the arts.

So why should parents invest in arts education?

To some, like Amy Guitierrez, there is no question that her three children’s involvement in an art – in this case, musical theater – is paying off. She says she sees it every day, not only when they are happily singing, dancing or rehearsing on stage.

Guitierrez, a resident of Newport Beach, is a Girl Scout leader for her twin 10-year-old daughters, Ali and Crissy. Recently, the girls’ troop was asked to entertain and read stories with a group of younger children. Ali and Crissy – who are both regular performers in the Musical Theatre Academy of Orange County (MTA) – rose to the challenge.

“My girls were poised and were the funniest,” says Guitierrez. “I know that they wouldn’t have been able to do that – to have the confidence to be in front of people like that – if it were not for their experience in musical theater.”

She’s also seen dividends with her 14-year-old son, Andy, who also performs with MTA. He is not only learning to sing and tap dance; he’s learned social skills and responsibility.

“They learn a work ethic that in a way you’re not even going to get with sports,” says Guitierrez. “They are learning life skills, and they don’t even realize it, like commitment, responsibility and teamwork.”

Even as schools are being forced to cut back on arts education, the body of research is clear: Exposure to the arts – from music to drama to visual media – is important for children. Not only does it bring joy and fun to children’s lives, it can dramatically improve learning.

For example, the National Center for Education Statistics, in Washington, D.C., has found that music performance students receive more academic honors than do non-music students. Studies also show that music and dramatic-arts education improves a child’s ability to comprehend and use pattern- recognition skills in areas such as temporal reasoning, which are vital to success in math and science.

Music performance students scored an average of 53 points higher on their SAT verbal tests, and 39 points higher on SAT math tests, than non-music students, according to a recent study of SAT program test takers.

SAT data from 2005 showed that students involved in drama performance coursework or experience outscored non-arts students by an average of 65 points in verbal and 34 points in math.

While the academic benefits are a bonus, parents such as Guitierrez say they are just as pleased by the life lessons their children are learning.

MTA – located in Newport Beach not far from John Wayne Airport – has been around for 26 years and serves children ages 4 to 18 in a non-competitive environment. The company performs a fun variety of Broadway-style shows and holds intensive Summer on Broadway workshops that end with live performances.

“No role is a small role,” says Michele Trgovac, MTA’s executive director. “What would a show be without the ensemble?”

Trgovac first became involved with the group as a parent. After performing with the MTA for years, her daughter, now 20, recently became one of just 10 students accepted into the musical theater program at Cal State Fullerton.

Trgovac says the company nurtures its young performers through a supportive, rather than competitive, atmosphere. While performers audition for solo and lead roles, everyone who joins the company gets a part in the show.

“No matter how shy anyone is, by the end of the third day, they’re no longer shy,” Trogvac says.

Artistic Director Jimmy Hippenstiel, a musical theater veteran who has been a professional since he was 8, took a break from rehearsals for “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” and “Anything Goes” to reflect on what makes MTA such a special place for its young actors.

One of his favorite stories was hearing from a parent about how her son had changed on the baseball field after completing his first Broadway musical. Hippenstiel related how the mother told him that her son was his team’s weakest batter, but after musical theater instruction, he became a different person at the plate. He had this new confidence and applied his skills of group interaction to his baseball team.

“There’s nothing like the live response from an audience,” says Hippenstiel. “It’s the magic of the spotlight. You can learn about stuff, but when you feel that applause, it is in your blood. I still have memories of shows I did at age 8, age 9. It’s just something about creating that magic as a unit, as a team.”

The Musical Theatre Academy of Orange County has classes, as well as two Summer on Broadway sessions for 2011: July 18-30 for ages 10 to 18; and Aug. 8-19 for ages 7 to 13.