The following articles, books, and websites build on the creativity-boosting concepts presented throughout the book.
Read about “16 Habits of Mind” that are characteristic of creative thinking and problem-solving.
"What Makes a Musician?" An article by John Sloboda, Ph.D., in which the author describes five mechanisms through which people attain musical proficiency.
Read "The Truth about Grit," an article from the Aug. 2, 2009 Boston Globe, which summarizes how persistent work and a growth mindset - more than talent or IQ - are key to creative accomplishment.
Articles about creativity from The Musician's Way Blog.
Is your creativity hampered by clutter? Take the Clutter & Creativity Quiz.
Watch a 20-minute video of Sir Ken Robinson, Ph.D., speaking about whether schools typically encourage or stifle creativity.
"In Jazz Improv, Large Portion of Brain’s Prefrontal Region ‘Takes Five’ to Let Creativity Flow," by Jennifer Wenger. A 2008 article that summarizes ground-breaking research about how the brain functions when thinking creatively.
“Reducing Procrastination.” An entertaining 35-slide presentation, geared to 1st-year college students, by the Texas Woman’s University Counseling Center.
CriticalThinking.org. Critical thinking skills are essential to productive and creative music practice.
Videos of Edward de Bono, M.D., addressing issues of creativity and human thinking.
Preview The Talent Code, by Daniel Coyle (Random House, 2009). The author describes how deep practice, motivation, and master coaching enable musicians and other creative people to excel.
View PowerPoint presentations about creativity, active learning, motivation, cooperative learning, and more from Curtis J. Bonk, Ph.D., of the Indiana University School of Education.
"Unleashing Talent: A Lecture," by Prof. Ricardo Iznaola of the University of Denver. A keynote address presented at the 2004 national conference of the American String Teachers Associaton. Prof. Iznaola describes ways that students and educators can tap innate talent and fuel musical creativity.
“Problem Generation and Innovation.” An article by Prof. Robert Root-Bernstein, Ph.D. of Michigan State Univ. (click on the “Creativity” button on the linked page.) The author discusses how recognizing and defining problems, not just solving them, is essential to creativity. (Approaches for recognizing and tackling musical problems are discussed on p. 54-70 of The Musician's Way.)
Read about the outcomes of the Learning to Perform project, a study that tracked 100 music students at the Royal College of Music in London over a three-year period.
“Imagine That! Annals of Ordinary and Extraordinary Genius.” A blog by psychologists and creativity scholars Michele and Robert Root-Bernstein.
Preview Creativity for Life, by Eric Maisel, Ph.D. (New World Library, 2007).
Preview The Creative Habit, by Twyla Tharp (Schuster, 2003).
Preview Creativity, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Ph.D. (Harper, 1997).
Preview The Power of Mindful Learning, by Prof. Ellen Langer of Harvard University (Da Capo Press, 1998).
Preview The Art of Possibility, by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander (Penguin, 2000).
Preview The Inner Game of Tennis, by W. Timothy Gallwey (rev. edition; Random House, 1997).
Preview The Inner Game of Music, by Barry Green (Doubleday, 1986).
Preview Free Play: Improvisation in Life and Art, by Stephen Nachmanovitch (Tarcher, 1991).
Preview Intelligent Music Teaching: Essays on the Core Principles of Effective Instruction, by Robert A. Duke, Ph.D. of the University of Texas at Austin (Learning and Behavior Resources, 2005). The principles that Prof. Duke articulates apply to both practice and teaching.
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