Education is such an important part of a child's growth.

An education involves and much more than just the basic academic subjects.

I know what it's like when there's a new kid.

Be kind.

I'm a little scared of that first note.

Stage fright!

Arts are not only a fun thing for children, but they're an essential thing for kids.

Put it back on and then let it flap off again.

I can't.

I have to tell you, when I came in and I saw you guys sing and I said, I want to do that, but it's something I'm no good at at all.

One more time.

Yeah.

I'm just screwing up on purpose.

Just for them to see.

So I ventured back to school to showcase arts and education.

Thank you for this.

The arts give young people all sorts of tools to move on in life, even in the other areas of academia.

And is this actually a silkscreen?

It hasn't been silk for about a couple hundred years.

My God.

- You did it!

How about that!

When you say a couple 100 years, I used silk when I was high school.

No.

So thank you so much for doing so.

Yeah.

I mean, Energizer Bunny, the new battery.

They teach them discipline and hard work and patience and collaboration and cooperation and civility.

They give young people an early sense of empathy.

Our collaboration.

What's the name of the song about boppin?

- Everybodys boppin.

- Everybodys boppin.

If I were just to ask you to do that, would you be able to launch right into it now?

- Right here?

Us?

Yes.

Some cats say that bop is dead But that cat done lost its head.

Tell that square hes been mislead Cus everybody ‘s boppin.

Lets see if we can find a way to show what it's like when a great teacher and an eager student in the arts make a discovery together.

And I decided the best way to put on a show is to be a student again.

To be a kid again.

A big kind of reckless experiment Ba ba di ba ba da da doo doo doo doo doo doo doo.

Oh, yeah.

Bah da ba dah ya ba da ba da ba da.

Hi everybody I'm John Lithgow.

Come along and watch me go back to school.

Printmaking, ceramics, vocal jazz ensemble.

And dance.

And celebrate arts in education with a bunch of incredible kids.

It's called Art Happens Here.

Woo!

[clapping] I think that's the bell.

Let's go.

Let's go to class.