Philosophers in ancient Greece established a hierarchy among musical activities, with composition and cognitive knowledge being superior to performance and listening. Music's status was further solidified as an object during the Enlightenment, when the doctrine of aesthetic contemplation emerged. Eventually, a concept of universality evolved, which (the author argues) was proffered as an artistic analogue for universal "truth." Today, some recognize that musical creativity can be "manifested in performance," that most concepts of composition are Western and elitist, and that these concepts run counter to avowed goals in multicultural music education as well as to most forms of musical practice throughout the world.
Details
- Toward a Reconstruction of "Creativity" in Music Education [Chinese Translation]
- Humphreys, Jere Thomas (Author)
- Wang, Jui-Ching (Translator)
- Originally published as a “Points for Debate” article (invited) in the British Journal of Music Education 23 (November 2006): 351-61. Originally presented as a Keynote speech for the Greek Society for Music Education biennial convention in Lamia, Greece in July 2005.
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Humphreys, Jere T. “Toward a Reconstruction of ‘Creativity’ in Music Education,” trans. Jui-Ching Wang, Journal of Aesthetic Education 158 (2007): 4-13. Focus Issue: Arts, Culture, and Creativity: Perspectives from Music, Design, and Visual Art Education. (In Chinese, published in Taipei, Taiwan)