It used to be I’d take road trips to Omaha to see Guided by Voices or Bob Mould. Nowadays I drive up there to see Sir Ken Robinson, he of possibly the all-time best TED presentation, lecture on his newest book The Element.

Here’s his presentation from TED a few years ago. If you’re frustrated with what happens in schools–and will continue to happen without real reform–give it a watch. It’s about 20 minutes long, give or take, per the TED norms.

To me, this seems like a no-brainer. We don’t need rote memorization in an age when any fact in the world can be found in a matter of seconds. We need thinkers and problem-solvers who are wiling to express themselves and take chances–and a solid background in the arts nurtures these traits.