Promoting Creativity in Music Class with Adrian Gordon

Fueling Creativity in Education

How does music education promote creativity in children? How can we inspire kids to be creative through music? In this episode of Fueling Creativity in Education, Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood welcome their first music-focused guest, Adrian Gordon, a composer, author, performer, and music educator. Adrian is the founder of Leap Year Music Publishing, which publishes string music for elementary, middle, and high school ensembles. He is also the author of Note to Self; A Music Director’s Guide for Transitioning to a New School and Building a Thriving Music Program.

Tune in to learn how kids of any age can develop skills through music education and composition, how music classrooms can be used as maker spaces, and how to develop a great music program in your school. Adrian sheds light on a fun educational app kids can use to make music, his own creative process for composing music, and how you can integrate compositional mind mapping into your curriculum.

At the end of this episode, Adrian offers a few valuable tips for music teachers on staying organized and managing mental health throughout the school year.

“The music classroom is, in and of itself, a maker space where there’s nothing but creativity going on, if you let it be.” – Adrian Gordon

Adrian’s Tips for Teachers and Parents:

1. Share your personal creative endeavors with your kids.

2. Ask probing questions to start the creative process.

3. Experiment! Don’t be afraid to dive in and get things rolling. It’s not about failure, it’s about being able to try again with more information.

About Adrian Gordon:

Adrian Gordon is an internationally performed composer and seasoned music educator.

In addition to teaching, Mr. Gordon is a composer with Alfred Music as well as the founder of Leap Year Music Publishing, which publishes string music for elementary, middle, and high school ensembles. His compositions appear on the California, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, and Texas Orchestra Association Music Performance Reading Lists. He is also the author of the book Note to Self; A Music Director’s Guide for Transitioning to a New School and Building a Thriving Music Program.

Adrian received his B.A. in music from the University of Miami, and his master’s degree in music education at Florida International University. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Adrian currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and their two sons and serves as the Director of Orchestras at Providence Day School.

Visit Adrian’s website

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Recommended Resources:

Note to Self by Adrian Gordon

Adrian’s Compositional Mind Map

Adrian’s Video on How to Compose a Piece from Start to Finish

Leap Year Music Publishing

Listen to the episode with Michael Mino

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Eager to bring more creativity into your home or classroom?

Access various creativity resources and tools & listen to more episodes of The Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast by visiting www.CreativityandEducation.com.

What to learn more about Design Thinking in Education?

Do you want to build a sustained culture of innovation and creativity at your school? Visit WorwoodClassroom.com to learn how Design Thinking can promote teacher creativity and support professional growth in the classroom.

Have a question? Email Dr. Burnett and Dr. Worwood at [email protected]!

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