Fostering Creativity In The Music Classroom

Abstract

Creativity is central to the human experience and the evolution of thought and ideas. It must be recognized as an approachable subject and actively pursued in educational settings. Many subjects that are well-suited for fostering creativity are often more influenced by the performance-based atmosphere pervading much of our educational system than they are aware. The focus must shift from the easily assessed product to the process. We must explore the subjective. In the classroom students learn fingerings and perform dynamics, but are rarely invited to make decisions themselves or explore their own possibilities. Through my experiences as a prospective music teacher, active musician, Graduate Student at Peabody College, and recent researcher of creativity, I am offering my considerations and ideas as to how we might identify and strengthen our students' creativity, or ability to think divergently in the music classroom.