The Creations and Creativity of Children in Music and Movement Activities (from the Experience of Working in a Small City Environment)

Abstract

Modern life poses before people various challenges, many of which are associated with the need to be creative. And yet the sphere of amateur musical activity and education conducive to stimulating creativity in the education process of younger children is neglected. Creativity is often just an empty slogan in the core of the curriculum. The article describes a musical project implemented within the framework of extra-curricular activities, that was attended by children living in rural areas. It was based on the assumptions of Dalcroze Eurhythmics (also known as the Dalcroze Method) and one of the adopted strategies was to encourage the chil-dren’s to be more self-reliant and to stimulate their creative behavior through musical activity. The completed project shows how one can develop a child by allowing it to be creative as well as what triggers the emotions within it. Experiencing music and situations associated with it, fosters the development of cognitive, emotional, aesthetic, or social spheres of children. In other words: both teachers and parents should consciously use strategies to encourage musical creativity of children and to develop their creativity. The teacher or instructor can use this to interpret music and movement, which are quite often neglected and undervalued.