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Arts & Communication

ARTICLE
Musical creation laboratory as an environment

for free expression: An ethnographic observation
of creative dynamics

Luciene Mourige Barbosa and Luciano da Costa Nazario*

Department of Art and Culture, Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul,
Brazil

Abstract

This ethnographic study investigates creative dynamics in a musical creation
laboratory at the University of Rio Grande, Brazil. Data collection was obtained
through semi-structured interviews conducted after the accomplishment of free
improvisation activities. The research focused on the testimonies of 10 volunteer
musicians, emphasizing the expectations, transformations, and reflections present
in their narratives. The findings highlight how emotional experiences shape musical
expression, revealing the transformative role of creativity in both individual and
collective artistic practices. The study revealed that the process of creative freedom
was deeply influenced by the participants’ emotions. These emotions, when
experienced and expressed, reflected meanings and reinterpretations in how they
*Corresponding author: perceived and positioned themselves both artistically and socially.
Luciano da Costa Nazario
(lucianonazario@furg.br)
Citation: Barbosa LM, Nazario LC. Keywords: Creativity; Music; Education; Anthropology; Ethnography; Emotion
Musical creation laboratory as an
environment for free expression:
An ethnographic observation
of creative dynamics. Arts &
Communication. 2025;3(2):4782. 1. Introduction
doi: 10.36922/ac.4782
Why do people create? This question leads us to explore the mysteries of human creativity,
Received: September 6, 2024 a phenomenon that transcends cultural, temporal, and disciplinary boundaries.
Revised: October 7, 2024 Creativity can be seen as an act of bringing something new into existence or giving new
Accepted: October 23, 2024 meaning to something. It is a process involving the combination of existing elements,
resulting in new products, ideas, or experiences. However, creativity does not occur
Published online: November 7,
2024 in isolation; it is deeply influenced by cultural, social, psychological, and emotional
factors. Culture is expressed and shaped by language, and creativity reflects the genuine
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s). needs and experiences of individuals. Creation, connected to the concept of bricolage,
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This is an Open-Access article
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distributed under the terms reorganizes existing cultural elements to generate new meanings. The act of creating is
of the Creative Commons closely tied to the state of “flow,” in which a balance between challenge and skill leads
AttributionNoncommercial License, to a sense of pleasure and fulfilment. Moreover, creativity can manifest in various
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permitting all non-commercial use,
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distribution, and reproduction in any ways, depending on different intelligences and individual contexts. Creativity is always
medium, provided the original work emergent, and in a musical context, creation is a process that balances innovation and
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is properly cited. tradition, functioning as a culturally situated practice. Music, as a form of collective
Publisher’s Note: AccScience expression, conveys values, histories, and identities, establishing a continuous dialog
Publishing remains neutral with between a group’s past and present. In addition, musical creation often arises as an
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regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional emotional response to life experiences, serving as a way to process and express not only
affiliations. emotions but also feelings, both individually and collectively. Feelings and emotions
Volume 3 Issue 2 (2025) 1 doi: 10.36922/ac.4782