Landesman is 10th to head NEA

On August 7, Broadway producer Rocco Landesman became 10th chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. Perhaps it's the momentousness of the task at hand, or maybe it's trepidation in a new environment, but Landesman -- somewhat uncharacteristically -- is proceeding cautiously. "I think the worst thing in the world would be going around with the message, 'I'm going to shake things up.' That would be a huge mistake," he said yesterday in the NEA conference room, even as his office was being painted and spruced up for a new era, one that arts supporters have eagerly anticipated for years. As he moves into his third week on the job, Landesman's talking points are firm: The arts are central to the American identity; they define the pulse of many cities, towns and individuals. In short, the arts are indispensable. As for schools, they should encourage young people to soar, not just study for a test. He sneers at the goals of No Child Left Behind, which seem to have little use for arts education. "All the tests don't take into account personal creativity. There is something very American about individualism," he said.