Exploring

Creativity in the Domain of Music

Percentage of overall grade: 7.5% (everyone in the group gets the same grade regardless of whether
they presented on the actual day or not)

What you need to do:

1. Explore your groups chosen music piece by relating them to the topics and themes covered in class
from weeks 1-5.
3. From your group members exploration of the selected music piece, see if there are any common
threads or interesting angles that surface. Build your content around 2 or 3 key points. Think of a creative
way to deliver your content. (Refer to the grading components in the course brief.)
4. Deliver a 5mins presentation on the outcome(s) of your exploration to your class in week 6. Please refer
to the course brief on the grading components of this project.

Select your music piece from one of the following:

1. Gustav Holsts Jupiter, Bringer of Jollity (from The Planets suite)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0Fx24Xzc3U

2. Ryuichi Sakamotos Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktIqxSGYhgM

3. Tushar Lalls Game of Thrones Theme Song Cover https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__gpOOt3qJo
4. BTs Flaming June https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfG-GSwUhSU

How to begin:
Here is a list of questions to guide you in exploring the various dimensions of your selected music
piece. Not all the questions will be relevant for your selected music piece and the presentation that you
do. You need not address all the questions in your presentation. The questions serve simply as a guide to
get you started on your exploration. Key is to build your presentation content around your most
impactful/insightful points. Do think of a creative way to deliver your content.
1. Who typically makes up the field of your selected music piece? What can you say about the response of
the field to the selected piece?
2. Was the selected music piece considered to be novel, refreshing, radical etc? What aspects of the
domain were adhered to; what were exploited? If relevant, how does it relate to its zeitgeist?
3. How does your selected music piece compare to other similar ones in its genre? How does it compare
over time?

4. Would knowing more about the life and background of the artiste/composer help you/the field in
exploring the creative dimensions of this music piece? If so, how and to what extent?
5. What creative techniques or perspectives are applied in the creation of your selected music piece?
6. How could one go about using conceptual blending or other creative techniques to elevate the level of
creativity in the selected music piece, or to create a new creative output?
7. What interpretations/impressions/feelings does your selected music piece stir up in you? How do you
connect with it? How does this compare with the rest of the field?
8. How has this exercise influenced your perspective of creativity in music? How similar/different would
your view be when compared to the rest of the field?
9. What could you say about the state of creativity in music using your selected music piece as a
springboard for this discussion?
10. How has this exercise influenced your perspective of creativity in general?

Other aims associated with this class project:

- Kick-start the team development process, this being the first group project
- Learn to deal with ambiguity and open-ended problems/requirements (refer to Week 1)
- Surface opportunities for students to practice (and struggle with) the behaviors and mindsets of creative
individuals (refer to Week 3)