Issues in conceptions of creativity and creativity assessment in music education

Descriptions of 'creativity' are not unfamiliar to many educators today. At some point in their careers, educators in most countries will have to face the daunting task of assessing the creativity of a student essay, a poem, a composition, an improvisation or some kind of performance. The answers to the questions 'why assess creativity?' and 'how to assess creativity?' are dependent upon the nature of the assessment practice and the value ascribed to it; furthermore, the needs of the various interested parties will determine the nature of the assessment, its value and the conceptions and definitions that underpin the term 'creativity'. Of these parties, in educational contexts, the students themselves have the greatest interest. They need to know their strengths and weaknesses and what they must do to improve their creative and practical skills, their technical understanding and the quality of their ideas, and also how to acquire the ability to research and realize their creative intentions. Teachers, on the other hand, need to assess the effectiveness of their teaching and use this to inform their planning; and the students' parents need to know the progress of their children and support their children's learning and creativity practices. Yet, creativity assessment, often in its crudest form and particularly in music, continues to characterize the educational zeitgeist.