The editorial “To build Mass., build the arts’’ was right on in describing the importance the visual and performing arts play in our society. The editorial quoted Senate President Stanley Rosenberg when he correctly said the arts contribute to “a fully operational society.’’

Adults I know fondly remember the school play they were in; some even remember their lines. Every adult can tell you how being on a stage builds confidence, presence, pacing, and poise. With practice, youthful mumbles become a distant memory. After graduating, what client interaction, presentation, or sales pitch isn’t helped by skillful delivery?

Rather than just talking about how the arts are an important economic and cultural engine, the Commonwealth should invest in the arts and in arts education to ensure that the schoolchildren of today are well equipped as adults both to appreciate and participate in all aspects of the arts. Think of this investment as a societal balance to education in the so-called STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math). Investment in the arts is vocational education for the artists, musicians, actors, and dancers of tomorrow.

Peter Dimond

Newton

The writer is the publisher of Plays, The Drama Magazine for Young People.