Music, imagination and creativity ...

In last week’s blog, we thought about how music impacts our memory. We discovered that one of the key reasons for this is the way that music is able to impact all areas of our brain simultaneously.

This week we’re thinking about the impact of music on our imaginations … and ultimately our creativity.

“Logic will get you from A to Z … Imagination will get you everywhere” – Albert Einstein

We all know from our own experiences that music touches our emotions. Listening to a beautiful rendition of “Amazing Grace” can leave us feeling nostalgic or melancholy; whereas listening to the “Imperial Stormtroopers March” can suddenly make us want to enrol as a Jedi, and head into space!

This emotional response can also affect our energy levels. For example, if you’re wanting to jog faster, you might pop on an up tempo song. Wanting to boost your mood? You might pop on a dance song that reminds you of a fun experience in your past. Wanting to calm an unsettled baby? You might pop on some soothing instrumental music while you cuddle and reassure him / her.

(Image copyright – Calvin and Hobbes)

Is it possible that this connection with our emotions, is also what makes music such a strong catalyst for steering our imaginations?

Author and Editor, Amy Fries thinks so! She’s written a book called “Daydreams at Work: Wake Up Your Creative Powers” where she talks about the power of music to activate our imaginations and spark creativity.

She says, “Some people have auditory daydreams. In other words, instead of primarily visualizing a scene or creation, they hear the “sounds of music.” Both Mozart and Tchaikovsky wrote about how they would “hear” compositions as they took long walks or rides in the countryside.”

This is absolutely fascinating to us … but also makes a lot of sense. Imagine if we could harness the power of music to help children to stimulate their imaginations and ultimately their creativity!

So, that’s exactly one of our goals with Wriggle and Rhyme classes …

Working with babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers, we harness the power of the imagination in our programmes. In fact, our programmes have been intentionally designed to use music as a catalyst for imagination.

For example, in our RHYMERS (18 months – 3 years) programme this term, the children are enjoying a musical adventure around an imaginary garden, meeting all the little creature friends that they find amongst the trees and flowers. While on this adventure, they’re building their own imaginary world, which they can then access during their own free play time.

Our 3-4 year old pre-schoolers are enjoying a musical adventure up to the Kruger National Park this term, where they meet the BIG FIVE and we create an imaginary world for them to explore, always using music as the catalyst.

You can have a listen to one of our original songs, “The Big Five Jive”, here:

We believe that as children grow and develop, we need to create more spaces for them where imagination can flourish.

More spaces for them to express themselves emotionally and creatively.

More spaces for them to ultimately expand their horizons … into worlds that they can only imagine!