The Journal of Popular Music Education Volume 8, Issue 3, published in September 2024, featured two significant contributions from researchers involved in the CreaTeME project. The first article (read here), “Putting the Ego Aside: A Case Study of the Peer-to-Peer Feedback Dialogue Among Electronic Popular Music Makers Within Higher Education,” by Andreas Waaler Røshol, explores the nuanced dynamics of peer feedback within music education. The second article, authored by Eirik Sørbø and Andreas Waaler Røshol, is the primary focus of this article. It complements the topic by investigating new teaching methods emphasizing creative freedom.

 

Fostering creativity and collaboration in music education is more than a teaching exercise; it’s a balance of guidance and autonomy. A recent project explored this by pairing electronic music students with other students, singers and songwriters, to create vocal-driven electronic popular music. This initiative stood out by blending clear procedural guidelines with artistic freedom. Students followed a structured collaboration framework while having complete control over the creative outcome. 

Based on findings from this project, a model of aesthetic dialogue was developed, framing the negotiation of musical ideas within a group. This model emphasizes that aesthetic dialogue is a dynamic process, continuously shaped by the interplay of individual contributions and group interactions. By addressing collaborative music-making from the perspectives of students, teachers, and curricula, the model offers a practical framework for nurturing co-writing skills.

Research into collaborative methods provides valuable insights. Understanding the balance between structured guidance and creative freedom helps educators refine their teaching strategies, ensuring programs address diverse student needs. This nuanced approach fosters environments where students can grow both artistically and professionally.

By emphasizing collaboration and creativity, these initiatives highlight an evolving educational model that equips students with essential skills for modern music-making and beyond.

Read the article here:

https://intellectdiscover.com/content/journals/10.1386/jpme_00137_1

 

Read the full journal, volume 8 issue 3 here:

https://intellectdiscover.com/content/journals/jpme/8/3

 

 

About Eirik Sørbø:

Eirik Sørbø is Associated Professor at the University of Agder, Norway. Sørbø’s areas of interests revolve around pedagogical development and research, emphasizing technology, democracy and subjectivation in higher music education. These are also the topics of his doctoral thesis “Developing practices and approaches to electronic popular music in education.”

About Andreas Waaler Røshol:

Andreas Waaler Røshol is a full-time assistant professor and a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Popular Music at the University of Agder. Røshol is a programme leader for the bachelor in electronic music at UiA and teaches performance and theoretical-based subjects. He is also an accomplished tracker–topliner–artist.