Nurturing collaborative creativity through group playing by ear from recordings in formal music education

Abstract

This chapter discusses research on informal learning (Green in How popular musicians learn. Ashgate Publishers, Aldershot, 2002) with a particular focus on playing by ear from recordings in groups and how it contributes to the development of music learners’ personal and collaborative creativity. Sawyer’s work (Group genius—The creative power of collaboration. Basic Books, New York, 2007) on collaborative creativity was used as a lens through which to examine and discuss four music programmes in the secondary school classroom and one in Higher Education that have adopted the approach. These programmes illustrate how group playing by ear from recordings in formal music education can nurture personal and collaborative creativity, enabling lifelong creative artists and advocating for arts centrality in educational policies globally. The chapter concludes with recommendations on the role of the music educator and the contribution of technology in facilitating music learners’ development of personal and collaborative creativity through group playing by ear from recordings.