Confucian creatio in situ: Philosophical resource for a theory of creativity in instrumental music education

Abstract

In this philosophical essay, I propose a theory of creativity for instrumental music education inspired by Confucian creatio in situ ("situational creativity"). Through an analysis of three major texts from classical Confucianism – the Analects, the Zhongyong ("Doctrine of the Mean"), and the Daxue ("The Great Learning") – I posit a theoretical model of creativity for instrumental music education that comprises the following pairs of facets: situation and sincerity, tradition and training, and circumscription and collaboration. I then highlight how several ideas in this model bear striking similarities to those of the American pragmatists, in particular, John Dewey, and conclude by sketching a sample application of this theory. This study grounds creativity in performance in bands and orchestras by appeal to a major Asian philosophical tradition, and also serves as an initial step towards a transcultural theory of creativity for music education relevant to the present globalised world.