‘Learning to create, play or improvise with others marks the beginning of becoming a future creative. We ask: “How can our students be confident in the creative industry of today?”’
These are the words of Samuel Wright, the composer, author and teacher at the International School of The Hague (ISH), who had invited me to visit the music department for a comparative study. As part of my Innovate UK Creative Catalyst award, I had the opportunity to experience the music lessons through which he and his colleague Rebecca Wade-Chung deliver an ‘innovative and creative’ curriculum. At ISH, students follow the IB (International Baccalaureate) curriculum, which comprises the Middle Years (MYP) and Diploma (DP) programmes that correspond to Key Stages 3–4 (MYP) and 5 (DP) in the UK.
A portfolio approach
DP students choose four ‘Areas of Inquiry’ that relate to the musical genres and examples they wish to study. While this approach offers students individualised ownership over their studies, the administrative aspect for the teachers is significant. But they are able to explore music from the perspective of creating and learning about it themselves – Wright and Wade-Chung compose, create resources, perform with the students, and analyse works – from Schoenberg to Hans Zimmer – alongside the students.
Throughout the programme, students must pursue three roles (researcher, creator and performer) and engage with three processes (exploration, experimentation and presentation). Upon completion of the programme, students submit a portfolio of work that includes the final submission and a demonstration of the creative processes leading to it. This contrasts with the UK experience at GCSE and A Level, where the entire emphasis is placed on the final submission of coursework, with no credit awarded for the processes pursued in order to reach the finished composition. Of course, composing represents so much more than the submission of a completed work. It involves the initial inspiration, listening and trialling new ideas. For these reasons, I like how the IB programmes encourage a creative approach to studying music, but I was curious to find out how the IB portfolio works in practice and how students ‘log’ their creativity and understanding in a way that satisfies the curriculum.
Creativity is integral to the curriculum. It is embedded into every lesson, and this was immediately apparent in the classes I observed. For example, in one Year 10 lesson focussing on improvisation and graphic scores, the classroom was prepared with colourful wooden blocks, packs of cards and sets of dice as tools intended to facilitate student creativity. I saw how small groups of students created a 3D graphic score from the wooden blocks and made decisions about what each aspect could represent. I observed the students considering whether they would relate an ascending pitch or changing dynamics to a rising tower. It was fascinating to watch their discussions and ‘score’ interpretations. As they were working, students took photos as evidence of the process and activity. Meanwhile, in a Year 11 class, participants explored string-writing with a focus on Bernard Herrmann's score for North by Northwest, and Danny Elfman's music for Catwoman from his Batman Returns soundtrack. After an in-depth analysis, students applied what they had learned through a group string-writing task (representing a cat!), which was again evidenced through note-taking and video recordings. This process can take time to develop. To address this, the music department uses a similar approach with earlier year groups, so that the students can transition into the Middle Years curriculum with ease.
Engaging topics
Given the title of his book MYP Music by Concept (Hodder, 2020), Samuel and his colleagues, unsurprisingly, teach by concept rather than by topic. While some lesson content may overlap with a topic-based curriculum, the difference here lies in its focus. This was best illustrated by a Year 7 class learning melody-writing through video game music. After an enthusiastic starter game of melodic interval bingo, students began to analyse aspects of the video game ‘Raji: An Ancient Epic’ and were asked to compose a theme for two characters using either Raag Kafi or Raag Bhairavi. They were encouraged to build on their previous learning of ‘secrets to writing a good melody’, such as incorporating step-wise movement and starting and ending on the same note. Discussions arose around the gaming industry and how different skillsets are required to work in this area. The students were clearly engaged and excited to be taking on the role of video game composers for their summative assessments.
Year 9 students were tasked with writing a jingle for a company of their choice, and started this process by experimenting with four chord types – major, minor, diminished and augmented – to signal different customer actions. One group demonstrated how an app intended for a retail setting could work through the use of major and diminished broken chords to signify when items were either added to a shopping basket or deleted from it. By linking the chords to everyday situations such as shopping or walking through a railway station, students were able to recognise them aurally and apply this knowledge to real-world practical tasks. The relationship between learning in the classroom and the world outside was to be reinforced in the following week, as they were going to visit local businesses and offer to create advertising jingles for the companies.
Department culture
At the forefront of my reflections on my experience at the ISH was the creative and innovative culture of its music department. The flexible classroom layout allowed various activities to take place. There were no desks or chairs – instead, students collected a cube to sit on from the side of the classroom. These cubes could also be used as a work surface. iPads allowed classes to work on digital tasks using software such as GarageBand and Symphony Pro, and the collection of Orff instruments, keyboards and percussion was regularly used in group work. However, these factors are only as good as the lessons delivered by the teachers, who embody the desired culture. Both teachers spoke of the importance of allowing students to take risks, make mistakes and have an open mind when pursuing their chosen inquiries. This was illustrated by one of Wright's students analysing Stockhausen's role in the rise of music technology. Some teachers may have steered the student towards a more conventional or ‘comfortable’ topic. That student then convinced everyone how vital Stockhausen was and, eventually, turned the lesson into a Stockhausen TedTalk!
For many, this type of departmental culture may seem a distant dream, perhaps due to managerial constraints or being a single-person department. That said, it was refreshing to be immersed in such an environment. The experience has inspired me to continue my own journey of creativity and innovation.
