SB25 HA The art of collaborative composing

Collaborative Musical Improvisation – Exploring Creativity through Sound

In this interdisciplinary workshop, students explored the fundamentals of musical creativity and collaboration by engaging in a group improvisation exercise. The session began with a brief introduction to the basic elements of music—rhythm, melody, and dynamics—providing students with a foundational understanding to inform their creative work.

Participants were divided into OCTOgroups, each consisting of 4 Serbian, 2 Romanian, and 2 Polish students, fostering an intercultural and cooperative learning environment. Each group was provided with one standard instrument (two guitars, a bass guitar, or a piano) and encouraged to experiment with everyday objects (such as paper, playing cards, cardboard boxes, tables, chairs, and metal plates) to produce a variety of sounds.

Over the course of 30 minutes, the groups collaborated to improvise and structure their own original musical compositions, combining traditional and unconventional sound sources. This creative process allowed students to explore the relationship between sound and expression, encouraging open-ended experimentation and mutual listening.

Once the compositions were complete, each group recorded their musical piece. All participants then reconvened to listen to the recordings collectively. A reflection session followed, in which students discussed:

• Their individual and group contributions

• The creative choices they made

• The challenges of blending different sounds and instruments

• Their insights into musical collaboration and personal expression

This workshop promoted creativity, active listening, teamwork, and cultural exchange, while also helping students to develop a deeper appreciation for the artistic process and the ways in which music can emerge from both structure and spontaneity.