How Can We Foster Creativity in Young Musicians?
Last month I attended the Portland Creative Conference: a one day conference of creatives from all different fields, that supports the arts in Oregon. Speakers included an art director, a footwear designer, an author, musicians from the group “Portugal.The Man.”, the studio head for the company that produces Halo, and a television writer from the TV show “Scandal.”
It was a wide ranging group but there were common themes that came out between all of these speakers.
One of the main ones was this: creativity comes from the intersection of two disciplines.
Art plus motion
Fashion intersecting with a love for basketball
Art plus gaming
Part of the reason I make time to attend events like this is that I know how much hearing ideas from people outside my field fuels my own creativity and gives me ideas for writing and teaching.
After the event I started thinking:
How do we take this idea and use it, as parents and teachers, who work with children learning music?
How can the other interests our students have tie in, to help them make more artistic choices?
To become expressive players?