How Nurturing Creativity Builds Healthy Communities

[Chris Brown]

http://philanthropy.com/article/How-Nurturing-Creativity/125336/

How does teaching orchestral music to children from troubled neighborhoods advance social change?

In this edition of Making Change, Hildy Gottlieb, the host, talks with Margaret Martin, founder of Harmony Project, a Los Angeles organization that teaches children the study, practice and performance of music.

Ms. Martin shares her observations, rooted in both research and practice, that visionary community leadership of the future will come from encouraging creative thinking in young people today.

[DANDARA]

I think such out-come Ms Martin foresees (visionary community leadership) has much to do with American culture, which encourages ambition in various ways. Here, it feels more like a healing experience. Cultural values, in samba school crowds for example, pass on to younger generations as part of a collective "fun" experience. In this context, it's quite a challenge to associate ideas like creative thinking and empowerment.