This article, which reviews key research in, and practices of, creativity in music education in order to assist the reader to better understand what is known about musical creativity in teaching, learning, and development between ages 12 and 18, aims to support teachers in promoting musical creativity in their classrooms. The choice of studies reviewed focuses on key research-based publications, mostly centered on formal education settings, and embracing all types of methodological approach. The first part of the article examines some of the meanings attached to the word “creativity,” drawing...

This article, which reviews key research in, and practices of, creativity in music education in order to assist the reader to better understand what is known about musical creativity in teaching, learning, and development between ages 12 and 18, aims to support teachers in promoting musical creativity in their classrooms. The choice of studies reviewed focuses on key research-based publications, mostly centered on formal education settings, and embracing all types of methodological approach. The first part of the article examines some of the meanings attached to the word “creativity,” drawing on aesthetics, musicology, psychology, and education; and the second focuses on a conceptualization of musical creativity for the secondary classroom, incorporating a cross-cultural perspective. The article concludes with a discussion of promising practices and some final considerations.