In his book, Serious Creativity, Edward de Bono defines creativity at its simplest level as “bringing into being something that was not there before”
For music, what could this sound like at its very simplest level?
Ask your singers to close their eyes. Become aware of the silence in their own head. When they are ready, ask them to imagine a note to the sound ‘oo’. Ask them to sing the note in their head (inner hearing). On the count of 4, ask them to sing the note out loud.
If the singer was to do this by themselves it would be atomic musical creativity – the smallest musical output – one note brought into being from within. Perhaps with the extra layer of a timbre, tone colour or vowel sound.
Done as a collective of singers, they also can create harmony, tonal variation and dynamic variation. Whatever they bring with that one note from their own being is accepted and of value.
Is this not a perfect example of diversity and inclusiveness?
What if it was more than one note?
What could your choir create?
