Brinkman, D. J. (2010). Teaching creatively and teaching for creativity.

Arts Education
Policy Review, 111(2), 48-50.

Brinkman writes an interesting article full of thought-provoking points on the importance

of creativity in music education. He refers to creativity as being the glue that holds musical
artistry and the art of teaching together, and that teachers must both teach creatively and teach
the students how to be creative on their own.
In his article, he provides many possibilities for how to achieve this. He gives the
scenario of a middle school band with an imbalance of instruments. He then goes on to provide
solutions for this particular case, and how teaching creatively comes into play. For example, the
music teacher could rewrite parts so other instruments could substitute for the lines in the
missing sections, or choose new repertoire that might be more suitable for the ensemble. Both of
these solutions are better than simply sticking to the predetermined repertoire if it doesnt suit the
needs of the group, and this shows how educators not only need to teach students how to be
creative, but also be creative in their own teaching methods.
It was interesting the way Brinkman viewed different levels of creativity. He was
explaining how it can be intimidating to young musicians who want to compose to be compared
to musical icons such as Beethoven or Bach, but explains that there is more than just one level or
type of creativity. I really liked this because I dont think creativity should be something that is
competitive. Creating different levels allows musicians to be creative in their own unique way
and be able to express themselves without having to be as good as that person.
I also agree with the idea that educators can structure work in a way that includes
opportunities for creativity. Teachers, even in non-music subjects, can always leave room for
creativity while teaching their curriculum in simple ways such as giving the students choices
when it comes to assignments. Maybe they are given two options for an essay topic and they can
choose which one they want to write about. This not only gives the student more opportunity to
learn in a way that best suits their learning style, but they also become more motivated because
they are more excited by the fact they have been given a choice.
It surprised me how accurate I found his description of most ensemble teachers to be. He
points out that most conductors focus on teaching students how to be the same, as opposed to
unique individuals. For example, how choirs want the same vowel sound and bands want the
same tone quality from the brass section. Although this is essential for performance groups,
Brinkman stresses that it is also essential to teach students how to be different. Thus, he writes
his paper on why it is important to teach creativity to students and to incorporate it into
curriculums.

I really like how his article ends with a call to action. He specifies exactly what he wants
music educators to do, and why he thinks it will be effective. I think that Brinkman is really on to
something, and Im curious to see how creativity in music curriculums will unfold in the future.