Types of musical creativity

To be creative means to create something, to create something. In music, huge spaces are open for creativity. The types of musical creativity are diverse, first of all, because music is closely intertwined with human life, coupled with all its manifestations and creative veins.

In general, in literature, types of musical (and not only musical) creativity usually mean: professional, folk and amateur creativity. Sometimes they are divided in other ways: for example, secular art, religious art and popular music. We will try to dig deeper and describe something more specific.

Here are the main types of musical creativity that can be defined:

Music Creation, that is, composer creativity – the composition of new works: operas, symphonies, plays, songs, and so on.

There are many paths in this area of ​​creativity: some write music for the theater, some for cinema, some try to convey their ideas in the sounds of purely instrumental music, some draw apt musical portraits, some want to express tragedy in a musical work or farce, sometimes authors manage to write a historical chronicle with music. As you can see, the composer is a true creator! The truth is different.

For example, some write just to prove that they can write, and there are also composers who write nonsense so that enthusiastic listeners try to discover meaning where there is none! We hope that you have nothing to do with the latest “throwers of dust in the eyes”? You agree that music shouldn’t be meaningless, right?

Reworking someone else’s music – arrangement. This is also creativity! What is the arranger’s goal? Change format! Make sure that the music can be shown to as many people as possible, so that changes do not diminish its meaning. This is a worthy goal of a true artist. But to deprive music with meaning of its meaning – for example, to vulgarize classical music – is not a creative method. Such “well done” people, alas, are not real creators.

Musical and poetic creativity – creation of texts of musical works. Yes! This can also be attributed to the types of musical creativity. Moreover, we are not necessarily talking only about folk songs and poems for romances. Strong text is needed in the theater too! Creating a libretto for an opera is not halam-balam. You can read something about the rules for writing lyrics for songs here.

Sound engineering – another type of musical creativity. Very in demand and very exciting. Without the work of a music director, the film may not receive its laurels at the festival. Although, what are we? Sound engineering can be not only a profession, but also an excellent home hobby.

Performing arts (playing musical instruments and singing). Also creativity! Someone will ask, what are they doing? What are they creating? You can answer this philosophically – they create sound streams. In fact, performers – vocalists and instrumentalists, as well as their various ensembles – create unique things – artistic, musical and semantic canvases.

Sometimes what they create is recorded in video or audio format. So, it is unfair to deprive performers of their creative crowns – they are creators, we listen to their products.

Performers also have different goals – some want their playing to be consistent with performing traditions in everything, or, perhaps, to accurately express exactly what, in their opinion, the author put into the work. Others play cover versions.

By the way, the cool thing is these covers are a form of reviving half-forgotten melodies, updating them. Needless to say, now there is so much variety of music that even with a great desire, it’s not that you can’t retain it all in your memory, but you just can’t do it. And here you are – you’re driving in a car or minibus and you hear another cover hit on the radio, and you think: “Damn, this song was popular a hundred years ago… But it’s good music, it’s great that they remembered it.”

Improvisation – this is composing music directly during its performance. Just like in performance, a creative product is unique and inimitable if this product is not recorded in any way (notes, audio, video).

Producer work. In the old days (so to speak conventionally) producers were called impresarios. Producers are the kind of people who stew in the general creative “mess of an axe” and there they look out for original personalities, involve them in some interesting project, and then, having promoted this project beyond childishness, make huge money.

Yes, a producer is both a prudent businessman and a creator rolled into one. These are the peculiarities of producer work, but producing itself can quite easily be classified as a type of musical creativity, because without creativity there is no way here.

Music writing, criticism and journalism – another area of ​​musical creativity. Well, there’s nothing to say here – those who write smart and funny books about music, articles in newspapers and encyclopedias, scientific works and feuilletons are undoubtedly the real creators!

Musical and visual arts. But you thought that this wouldn’t happen? Here you go. Firstly, sometimes a composer not only composes music, but also paints pictures about his music. This was done, for example, by the Lithuanian composer Mikalojus Ciurlionis and the Russian composer Nikolai Roslavets. Secondly, many people are now engaged in visualization – a very interesting and fashionable direction.

By the way, do you know about the phenomenon of color hearing? This is when a person associates certain sounds or tones with a color. Maybe some of you, dear readers, have color hearing?

Listening to music – this is also one of the types of musical creativity. What do listeners create, besides applause, of course? And they, perceiving music, create artistic images, ideas, associations in their imagination – and this is also real creativity.

Selecting music by ear – yes and yes again! This is a skill that is highly valued in the wider community. Usually people who can select any melodies by ear are considered craftsmen.

Anyone can make music!

The most important thing is that absolutely anyone can realize themselves in creativity. To be a creator, you don’t have to become a professional, you don’t have to go through some kind of serious school. Creativity comes from the heart, its main working tool is imagination.

Types of musical creativity should not be confused with musical professions, which you can read about here – “What are musical professions?”