MUSIC 379
CREATIVITY UP CLOSE
Spring 2017
Anthony K. Brandt
Tuesday, Thursday 1 – 2:15 p.m.
Room 103, the Moody Center for the Arts
Office: Room 1601
Phone: 713: 348-2192
E-mail: [email protected]
Office Hours: by appointment
Teaching assistant: Ben Morris
[email protected]
Guest faculty: Dr. Anne Chao, History
Dr. Matthew Wettergreen, OEDK
Allison Hunter, VADA
Course description: This inter-disciplinary course explores creativity as a universal feature
of human cognition and examines its role in human behavior and society. Each week,
Tuesday lecture/seminars will focus on the neuroscience, psychology, sociology and
economics of creativity. Then, on Thursdays, there will be hands-on workshops in which
students will develop creative projects in oral history, musical composition, industrial
design and video. The coursework culminates in a final project of the student’s choosing.
Texts:
Arne Dietrich, How Creativity Happens in the Brain
ISBN: 978-1137501790
Keith Sawyer, Explaining Creativity: The Science of Human Innovation
ISBN: 978-0199737574
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: The Systems Model of Creativity
Available for free online from Fondren Library
http://ezproxy.rice.edu/login?url=http://rice.eblib.com/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=1973782
The Dietrich and Sawyer are available at the campus bookstore.
Attendance: Attendance is mandatory at all classes, workshops and evening lectures. Class
preparation and participation are crucial components of the course. In the rare event that
you must miss a class, you must be excused in advance by Dr. Brandt. In case of illness,
please provide a doctor’s note.
Coursework: Your main coursework consists of four creative projects, one team oral
presentation, and a final project of your choice.
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The oral history and music composition projects are individual works. For the engineering
and video projects, the class will be divided into four groups of 4. The team oral
presentations will also involve groups of 4, on topics to be discussed in class.
The final project may be either an individual or group project. Brief written proposals for
the final project are due on Tuesday, April 11th.
There will also be assigned readings, for which you will be asked to write a short reading
log.
Grading:
Your final grade will be computed as follows:
Four creative projects: 40%
Oral presentation: 20%
Final project: 20%
Attendance and class participation: 20%
COURSE SCHEDULE
1/10, 12
Introduction: Creativity in Theory and Practice
UNIT 1: Oral history with guest faculty Dr. Anne Chao, History
1/17
Everything Emerges from its History
1/19
Oral history creative project: introduction
1/24
Guest lecture: Dr. Robert Bilder
Tennenbaum Center for the Biology of Creativity, UCLA
“The Neuroscience of Creativity”
7 p.m. Public lecture by Dr. Bilder
“The Creative Brain”
1/26
Oral history project: workshop
1/31
The Social Nature of Creativity
2/2
Oral history project: presentations
2/7
Guest lecture: Pepe Contreras-Vidal
Professor of Computer and Electrical Engineering,
University of Houston
“Using mobile brain imaging to study creativity”
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UNIT 2: Musical composition
2/14
Exploring the Creative Mentality
2/16
Musical composition project: introduction
2/21
Exploring the Creative Mentality, continued
2/23
Music composition project: workshop
2/28
Guest lecture: Dr. Keith Sawyer
Professor in Educational Innovations, UNC-Chapel Hill
“Group creativity”
7 p.m. Public lecture by Dr. Sawyer
“The Surprising Path to Greater Creativity”
3/2
Music composition project: presentations
UNIT 3: Engineering with guest faculty Dr. Matthew Wettergreen, OEDK
3/7
Student Presentations
3/9
Engineering project: introduction
SPRING BREAK
3/21
Guest lecture: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Professor of Psychology and Management, Claremont College
“Creativity and Flow”
7 p.m. Public lecture by Dr. Csikszentmihalyi
“Evolution towards a Planetary Consciousness”
3/23
Engineering project: workshop
3/28
Guest lecture: Ben Morris
“Improvisation”
3/30
Engineering project: presentations
UNIT 4: Video with guest faculty Allison Hunter, VADA
4/4
Student Presentations
4/6
Video project: introduction
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4/11
Guest lecture: Abby Larson, Director of the Entrepreneurship
Initiative, Rice University
“Creativity and Entrepreneurship”
Final project proposals due
4/13
Video project: workshop
4/18
Final lecture
4/20
Video project: presentations
5/2
Final project: presentations
If you have a documented disability that will impact your work in this class, please contact
me to discuss your needs. Additionally, you will need to register with the Disability Support
Services Office in the Ley Student Center.
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