The most exciting and rewarding aspects of life at SMPAA are the students. Observing them in lessons and classes and attending Showcases and other performances each term reinforces my belief in the importance of arts education in the life of every child. In an age where the arts are often pushed to the side or under supported, we overlook the value they hold not only in helping students succeed in all their school work but also in preparing them for the challenges they will face in the world at large. The arts are not an “extra”; they are an “essential”.

Knowing the value of my own training in the arts throughout my school years and beyond and having been an administrator in arts schools for almost 20 years, I am even more convinced of the importance of arts education. Time spent with music or dance or any of the many varieties of performing or fine art is not just about the development of specific skills but about a very complex and important self-growth and self-realization process. This is why students often refer to their work in the arts as “transformative”. They grow and change due to their interaction with the arts. In fact, we all do.

All who come to this campus will feel the intensity and power of the work that is going on here. We are committed to making sure that we offer the best arts training possible for the students as well as the opportunity to discover the beauty and power of the arts. Be it a lesson, a dance class, a rehearsal or a guest performance in the Soul Complex, each part enriches the other and helps us create the community of young artists who will go forth to carry the love for the arts to whatever they do in the future. At this campus situated on a busy street in Ho Chi Minh city we can help create the people who will make changes in the world and who will understand that future generations must have the opportunity to learn through the arts just as they did.