Inventing songs, inventing worlds: the 'genesis' of creative thought and activity in young children's lives

This article draws on systems views of creativity and their application in music education, to argue that young children’s independent invented song making evolves from their early musico-communicative interaction with others, is evidential of their capacity for ‘elaboration’, and is foundational in the development of creative thought and activity in music. The argument is explored through the analysis of data generated in a longitudinal study of young children’s (aged four to six years) early music making as composers, song makers, and notators. Focusing specifically on children’s invented song, the article provides case study analysis of the song making of a four-year-old girl that explores the musical and lyric content, and the environmental features (context) that support and shape her song making (process) and invented songs (product). The implications of such a view for early childhood theory and practice are discussed.