Encouraging creative composition through use of extra-musical stimuli: A critical evaluation of a Year 7 class making programmatic music on GarageBand

Abstract

Despite its importance in music education, there is a lack of clarity surrounding definitions of creativity and how it can be taught, learnt, and assessed through composition. This investigation follows a case study of Year 7 class at a comprehensive school in Eastern England taking part in virtual and non-virtual lessons. It looks to KS3 to consider how students are creative and compose ahead of their GCSE ventures, and how this is facilitated, with a hope to influence further research and good practice. Findings suggest that the use of extra-musical stimuli is a helpful strategy for encouraging creative composition in the secondary school music classroom, if stimuli are carefully selected and the pedagogical strategies used to help students utilise the stimuli are thoughtfully planned and flexible. Creative process models are evaluated and investigated, with a focus on inspirational moments, but further research is required in this domain