Creative Practice in Cultural Perspective: The Use and Misuse of Music

The creative arts are often idealized for their ability to enrich and inspire us. But is that all they do? Myths and fiction provide cautionary tales about the power and danger of music, and phenomena such as artificial intelligence, updates of canonical works to match current-day mores, and appropriation (whether for propaganda, film scores, or TikTok tidbits) suggest other possible aims. We consider a wide range of works and approaches to reflect on the purposes art-making might serve: e.g., individual expression, healing, social goals, ideology, myth-making. Topics are partly student-driven and may include participants' own creative work.