Motivation and Relevance
Traditional music education curricula often focus too much on the theoretical aspects of technical skill learning, underestimating students' deeper potential to understand and engage with music as an art form. For this reason, Fiske (2012, p. 326) argues that music education should prioritize music as an experience, and educators should focus on a student-centered didactic approach to cultivate a sense of ownership among learners.
In the field of music education, numerous studies have emphasized the importance of creative activities (such as composition and improvisation) as tools for promoting this student-centered learning. These activities provide students with the space to explore educational material, make autonomous choices, and, consequently, develop a sense of ownership over their learning (Burnard, 2000; Burnard & Murphy, 2017; Coss, 2019). According to the music educator Hickey, the value of these creative activities lies in the student's thinking process, described by the author as 'the ability to think imaginatively in sound and to create new and interesting musical ideas' (Hickey, 2012, p. 8).
Linking this literature with my personal experience as a clarinet student, I recognized that the most meaningful learning moments of my clarinet training occurred when I was assigned with creative tasks. These tasks, such as creating musical stories, improvising alternative endings for the pieces of repertoire I was studying, and composing cadenzas for my concertos, offered me over the years the chance to showcase the knowledge and skills acquired while becoming aware of my musical playing.
Lastly, Sangiorgio (2020, p. 13) describes how creative activities allow children to use their imagination and discover their 'inner artist’, developing their positive self-image as musicians and creators. Therefore, my motivation as an educator aligns with the hypothesis that through engaging in creative activities, students might be able to cultivate a sense of ownership, achieve academic and behavioral goals, and further develop a sense of self-esteem. (Chan, Graham-Day, Ressa, Peters, & Konrad, 2014; Scott, 2009).
Research Focus
Building on these claims, the research question was formulated as follows: “What creative activities might be integrated into a beginner clarinet curriculum to cultivate a sense of ownership among students aged 9 –11?”
To answer this question, four main objectives were addressed in this study:
- The factors that might cultivate ownership in educational settings were defined and explored.
- Three creative teaching activities were designed based on the previously mentioned ability to “think in sound” alongside identified ownership factors.
- These activities were applied within an existing clarinet curriculum and integrated into the learning process.
- The influence of these creative activities on students’ sense of ownership in their learning journey was investigated.
The ultimate goal is for these activities to be shared with other teachers and integrated into my teaching practices.