Musical Creativity: Insights from Music Education Research

by Oscar Odena, Graham Welch

Overview

How do we develop musical creativity? How is musical creativity nurtured in collaborative improvisation? How is it used as a communicative tool in music therapy? This comprehensive volume offers new research on these questions by an international team of experts from the fields of music education, music psychology and music therapy. The book celebrates the rich diversity of ways in which learners of all ages develop and use musical creativity. Contributions focus broadly on the composition/improvisation process, considering its conceptualization and practices in a number of contexts. The authors examine how musical creativity can be fostered in formal settings, drawing examples from primary and secondary schools, studio, conservatoire and university settings, as well as specialist music schools and music therapy sessions. These essays will inspire readers to think deeply about musical creativity and its development. The book will be of crucial interest to music educators, policy makers, researchers and students, as it draws on applied research from across the globe, promoting coherent and symbiotic links between education, music and psychology research.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781409495086
Publisher:	Ashgate Publishing Ltd
Publication date:	01/28/2013
Series:	SEMPRE Studies in The Psychology of Music
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Oscar Odena is Professor of Education at the University of Glasgow, UK. He is past Co-Chair of the Research Commission of the International Society for Music Education (2012-14) and a member of the editorial boards of leading journals including the British Journal of Music Education, Journal of the Musical Arts in Africa and Research Studies in Music Education.

Table of Contents

Contents: Introduction, Oscar Odena; Part I Conceptualising Musical Creativity: Rethinking 'musical creativity' and the notion of multiple creativities in music, Pamela Burnard; Teachers' perceptions of creativity, Oscar Odena and Graham Welch. Part II Examples from Practice: Preparing the mind for musical creativity: early music learning and engagement, Margaret S. Barrett; Music composition as a way of learning: emotions and the situated self, Ana Luísa Veloso and Sara Carvalho; Towards pedagogies of revision: guiding a students' music composition, Peter R. Webster; The nature of the engagement of Brazilian adolescents in composing activities, José Soares; Empathetic creativity in music making, Frederick A. Seddon; Cognition and musical improvisation in individual and group contexts, Su-Ching Hsieh; Music therapy: a resource for creativity, health and well-being across the lifespan, Leslie Bunt. Part III Paths for Further Enquiry: Action-research on collaborative composition: an analysis of research questions and designs, Gabriel Rusinek; Perspectives on musical creativity: where next?, Oscar Odena; Index.

Editorial Reviews

'... [a] useful and informative book.' Music Education Research

'Odena’s reflections on the book as a whole lead him to four main conclusions: in brief, that the increased diversity of contemporary forms of musical expression in the mass media and online have not led to a clearer definition of musical creativity; that there is a great deal of local and international variation in the ways in which musical creativity is expressed; that emotion plays an important part in musical creativity; and that some clear practical implications for music education policy follow from these studies. I think that [...] the abandonment of the term may be the best way of dealing with this [conceptual overgeneralisation] but I wholeheartedly agree with Odena’s second and third conclusions.' British Journal of Music Education

'This collection of reports in the Ashgate SEMPRE series is an excellent example of how cross-discipline research works... If you are looking for examples of how to conduct research on creativity, this volume offers many appropriate designs... Insights reported in this volume clearly contribute to the global importance of creativity and offer valuable suggestions for continuing the search.' American Music Teacher

'[Webster contributes] a remarkable case study about guiding revision in composition.' Journal of Research in Music Education

‘The chapter authors...represent...very experienced thinkers and writers. Barrett’s chapter offers...lovely parallels between young children’s exposure to words and their exposure to music...Seddon...presents an elegant model to use when comparing musicians’ modes of verbal and nonverbal communication. Webster’s chapter...would be an important read for anyone teaching composition...Burnard’s chapter sets the stage very nicely for her later book, Developing Creativities in Higher Music Education...Editor Oscar Odena...provides a great many topics for future exploration as well as things to keep in mind when attempting to develop music creativity.’ Music Educators Journal

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