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“Imagination creates reality.” —Richard Wagner

Every musical masterpiece begins in the imagination of a composer. Every pitch sung begins in the mind of the singer. Every rhythm is counted conceptually before it is heard.

Imagination is key to originality and creativity, so it is imperative that we water the imaginations of the children in our lives. Children have all the raw materials to build fantastic imaginations, but many times they start to wane in their ability to continue the construction of a creative imagination as they grow into adolescence. Our modern sensibility of reality has become an opponent of imagination instead of a product of it, but I would argue as Wagner stated that imagination can give birth to a better, future reality. Our cultivation of imagination in our children has a direct relationship to the creative efforts they will accomplish in their adulthood.

So how do we water this little sapling in our children? Their imaginations are nothing we have created—they were born with their very own unique creative seedlings. However, there are definite ways we can nurture this sprout into a fully bloomed plant, complete with fruit production.

One way to water is to introduce an idea but leave it unfinished for our children to then complete. Musically, this can look a lot of different ways. Challenging students to fill in a rhyming word in some lyrics can be a quick, fun activity to get minds thinking. Playing an instrumental piece and asking students to write a story to express the song helps young students to notice and adapt musical expression into a more tangible form. Encouraging older students to create a harmony to accompany a familiar melody illumines the path for future composing.

Another way to water this imaginative interaction with music is to spend significant time on ear training. All singing begins with hearing, and all good singing begins with converting listening into quality sound production. Good listening in music involves not only the hearing of the original sound but then the hearing and adapting of the sound being sung back. You might be surprised at how profound this approach can affect the sound of your choir. Children know they should listen to learn a part, but they fail to continue listening as closely to their own voices when they are singing themselves. Holding rehearsal in a very live acoustic room or hall can be really fun for students as well as help them listen more carefully to themselves. Singing rounds also helps children to listen carefully to their own voices as they fit their part within a bigger setting. Round singing produces quite a bit of giggles at the start as kids realize what a mess it can become before they really pick it up, so have fun and allow time for a few times though the exercise. 🙂

One last idea to help children develop their imagination and creativity in music is to make it a multi-sensory experience. Although we perceive music primarily through our ears, I propose that all five senses can either directly experience music or connect to music through associative experiences. When our senses interact with music, we connect more deeply with it and become more able to mold and shape it in an organic and creative way.

For example, I can listen to a song and pull my visual muscles into the experience by assigning a color to the song. If you’ve seen Fantasia, you have seen one artist’s visual impression of a song. We should be encouraging our kids to explore music in this way. Once you do this with kids a few times, they will start offering colors or pictures before you even ask. How fun is that?!

Our family has also seen an associative experience of music through smell and taste. Certain music we have heard at restaurants automatically makes our taste buds crave that cuisine. We are almost able to conjure the smell just from hearing that style of music. So why not help your kids start making this fun association in a very intentional way? Why not bake brownies and have a listening party? The smell of warm chocolate and the decadent taste might just stick to the song, creating a warmth and familiarity the children will want to revisit. At the very least, your children will remember the event and get excited for the next listening party!

Sensing touch through music can be both physical and emotional in nature. Vibrations from live instruments can be felt throughout the body. Beethoven certainly yielded some of his most creative works after he lost his sense of hearing by using vibrations to guide him. It makes me wonder if he had already experienced music in such a multi-sensory way that he had full confidence in this method of composition. Emotionally, music can also be felt profoundly in the heart. I personally respond to moving pieces or even certain musical intervals with a prompt display of goosebumps. Sometimes tears will flood my eyes as well. Responding to music by the sense of touch can actually reveal a deeper interaction with the piece than merely sensing it through sound. Can you imagine what kind of creativity could come from children who are being encouraged to dig into music in this way? Marvelous!

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to inspiring creativity and imaginative growth in our children, but I hope it has inspired your creativity in leading them down this road. The sweet privilege we have to shape little minds is such an honor to hold. We must keep our children singing and growing. Water these precious ones for a future generation of creatives who can lead the charge for years to come.