The start of Yo-Yo Ma was when his article was first published in January 2014 in Switzerland. From context clues and annotating, I have been able to learn a lot about Yo-Yo Ma. He was a cellist and songwriter, very interested in art since he was very young. Reading his short biography, I noticed that he contributed to positive influencers: Elon Musk and Tony Blair. One concept I enjoyed reading about in his article was his piece on STEM and STEAM. I enjoyed how he talked about education, and how art should be added to the curriculum. His idea is to be able to incorporate the idea of creativity into education, in the form of art for all ages. I believe it is important to continue teaching art, as it it’s complexity is beneficial to students. There is more than just STEM: science, technology, engineering, and math. Art as stated in the article art focuses on concepts such as “integration, collaboration, flexible thinking, and disciplined imagination” that add to a student’s learning. Understanding the STEAM model, I never really realized the impact that art could have on a student’s learning. I am in favor with Yo-Yo Ma’s ideas and concepts, as they are only beneficial to one’s education, and do not hinder their overall learning. His ideas are elaborated nicely in his essay, and get the reader like me really thinking about what art could bring to society if it was accepted and appreciated more. The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate the positive effects that art can have on society, varying from education to everyday life. The scope is greatly expanded, as the author mentions lots of aspects that add to art. The purpose of the scope is to integrate art in the educational system, possibly changing STEM to STEAM. I believe if we had more art in everyday life, it would improve our futures and the world. The question that Yo-Yo Ma presents is whether art should be introduced and focused on in the educational system. The author is trying to convey the message of art, and the benefits it had. This new way of thinking provided by Yo-Yo Ma, will enhance our minds and get student’s and educators believing in the power of art.

The three words I glossed and discovered in the text were:

Interdependence: The dependence of two or more people or things on each other

Empirically: By means of observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic

Tandem: Having two things arranged one in front of the other

(Definitions obtained from Google Dictionary)