Emphasizing divergent thinking in music education can lead to more creative problem-solving and the ability to generate multiple unique solutions to a given prompt or task. It can also help students to think more critically and flexibly, which can be beneficial in many areas of life beyond music. Additionally, incorporating divergent thinking into music education can help students to develop their own unique musical voice and style. A recent article titled “The Application of Synesthetic Principles to Foster Musical Creativity” explores how synesthetic principles can be used to enhance musical creativity in the classroom.
Synesthesia is a neurological condition in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. In other words, synesthetes experience a blending of their senses, such as seeing colors when they hear music or tasting flavors when they read words. This might be called “multi-modal” sensation.
By incorporating multi-modal synesthetic principles, music teachers can help students to develop their creativity and unique musical voice. In this way, students make cross-modal associations between sound and other senses, such as color or taste, developing a not only a unique musical style and voice but also developing important life skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking.
One strategy uses composition activities. By assigning or having students choose a color to depict in a composition, teachers can encourage students to think creatively about how to use musical elements to represent their vision. This activity can help students to develop their own unique musical style and voice, while also developing important life skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking.
Throughout the article, the importance of emphasizing divergent thinking in music education is emphasized. By encouraging students to think critically and flexibly, teachers can help students to develop their problem-solving skills and generate multiple unique solutions to a given prompt or task. This can be beneficial in many areas of life beyond music.
The article also discusses the importance of incorporating creativity into music education. The National Association for Music Education released music standards in 2014 that strongly emphasized creativity, encouraging teachers to find new ways to implement creative activities into their classrooms. By incorporating synesthetic principles and emphasizing divergent thinking, teachers can help students to become more creative music makers.
Overall, this article provides practical ideas and strategies for fostering musical creativity in the classroom. By incorporating synesthetic principles and emphasizing divergent thinking, teachers can help students to develop their own unique musical voice and style, while also developing important life skills. Music education is an essential part of a well-rounded education, and it can be a powerful tool for fostering creativity in students.
| Source: Guarriello, M. (2023). The Application of Synesthetic Principles to Foster Musical Creativity. Music Educators Journal, 109(4), 27–34. https://doi.org/10.1177/00274321231177242 |