what is creativity?

.forum - week two.

Anyone studying the creative arts finds themselves looking inward. We look into ourselves, perhaps into the subconscious as Jungian philosophy would suggest, to merge what we know and then, to create. Ultimately the burning, philosophical question of this field stands: What is creativity?

Enter Stephen Whittington (director of the Electronic Music Unit) and his forum discussion topic. Just as I am sure that around the campus scientists struggle to define exactly what is the atom, in our humble Music Technology forum Stephen mused the similarly mystifying stump of our study. As one would expect there was no simple answer, no real answer at all. I did overhear masters student Tristan Louth-Robins offer one interesting answer; creativity likened to ‘happy accidents.’

When one asks such a question as what is creativity, perhaps we consider too deeply the process of our actions in the world around us. Ethnomusicologists certainly, carefully consider our actions, how we have made use of the instruments around us. It is here I think, that we come abruptly against the wall of our understanding of art. Surely we can study the body, its relationship with a musical instrument, a paintbrush, or perhaps just a pen on paper. ‘Mastery’ of a musical instrument is certainly an attainable goal for an aspiring musician, particularly one who studies at a conservatorium. When we look into the mind, however, we start to loose a grip on the understanding our actions. Where we can now say, in this day and age, how a young musician may learn to play the instrument well, we do not or cannot say how he should look into himself and utilise his or her imagination. Such is our society; obsessively focused on the outer self rather than the inner self.

Mentioned above was the aspiring musician who can endeavour to master an instrument through a higher education. A musician / composer who could not be further from this hackneyed stereotype is Erik Satie. Stephen’s interest in the late 1800s, early 1900s musician has got me interested to. I read about piece he composed, “Vexations” (1893), titled his “most enigmatic and abstract work.” It’s a one page score (180 notes) and only score note is:


‘To play this motif 840 times in succession, it would be advisable to prepare oneself beforehand, in the deepest silence, by serious immobilities.’

Its premiere performance was done over half a century later, by who else, but John Cage (and a team of 10 pianists). It took them over 18 hours. After the mammoth event apparently Cage woke up feeling different about himself and the world. Later the 10 pianists reported that they had undergone a similar experience.

Well, if you have made it this far, thanks for reading my rather self-indulged update.

.sources.

Holmes, Thom, 2002. "Electronic and Experimental Music." New York: Routledge. 34 - 35.

Whittington, Stephen. 08.03.07. "What is Creativity?" Seminar Presented in the Schulz Building, 5th floor, EMU space, University of Adelaide.