This week’s interview features Matt Clauhs, an associate professor of Music Education at Ithaca College. Matt’s background includes degrees from Penn State University (B.S.), the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (M.M.) and Temple University (Ph.D.), as well as experience teaching band students at both the elementary and high school levels. As a jazz saxophone player, Matt has always been interested in incorporating creativity and improvisation in all areas of music education, not just jazz studies. Not only is it a positive and rewarding experience for students, creativity and artistic literacy are part of our national music standards.
In this interview, Matt talked to us about a variety of topics, including:
- How he starts beginning band students without method books or even music stands
- Some quick, yet effective, creative strategies directors can incorporate in any rehearsal or lesson
- How creativity benefits music students, and why we should work to cultivate amateur musicians
- His advice to teachers looking to include more creativity in their rehearsals
Get students in that mindset of creating something that’s not written on the page, so they learn to be creative as well as re-creative musicians.
Be sure to check out the full interview to learn more about how Matt infuses creativity and improvisation in his ensembles, along with some great anecdotes and inspiration! Creativity in Young Ensembles
Connect with Matt and learn more:
Listen to the full interview on your favorite podcast platform, or here on Anchor!
Looking for more ideas to incorporate creativity in your ensembles? Here are some great interviews!
- Creativity and Improvisation in Ensembles (Part 1) with Marissa Guarriello
- Creativity and Improvisation in Ensembles (Part 2) with Matthew Shaffer
- Creativity and Improvisation in Ensembles (Part 3) with Sarah Gulish
- Creativity Through Music Composition (Part 1) with Sonya Knussen
- Creativity Through Music Composition (Part 2) with Robby Burns
- Creativity Through Music Composition (Part 3) with Theresa Hoover
