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Arts & Communication Ethnographic study of creative dynamics in music

(read the interview with José Nunes Fernandes at the Hotel to a surprising experience when they hear their
Ambassador, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1992). These premises improvisations as background music for the videos.
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indicate that the pedagogical and experimental approach The goal is to create a specific sound ambiance, using
of the musical creation laboratory, aligned with the creative learned resources to generate an atmosphere based on
spaces described by Turner, demonstrates that freedom and meanings internalized by the group. 18
openness to experimentation are fundamental to fostering Data collection was conducted through semi-structured
creativity and developing reflective individuals, connected interviews, and the interpretation follows the principles
to both themselves and the world around them. The of qualitative research. The participants were singers and
laboratory focuses on promoting open and collaborative musicians playing instruments such as the saxophone,
creative processes, encouraging personal exploration and guitar, drums, piano, bass, and percussion. The volunteers
musical innovation through specific activities coordinated were informed about the objectives of the research
and facilitated by the researcher in the field of music. In and signed a consent form that had been previously
each session, participants sit in a circle to promote equality approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of
and the direct exchange of ideas without hierarchies. Rio Grande (No. 70890823.5.0000.5324). All activities
This arrangement allows everyone to see and hear one were documented through video and audio recordings.
another equally, fostering open and collaborative dialog. Personal names were omitted to preserve the anonymity
Within this context, specific activities were designed to of the participants.
stimulate creativity and individual expression among the
participants. These activities include: 2.2. Exploring creativity in music: An ethnographic
(a) Improvisation on pre-established harmony. This marks approach
the participants’ first encounter with the researchers. Ethnography, a practice of detailed observation and
The activity allows for the assessment of their musical description of cultures, stands out for offering deep insight
knowledge by observing how they develop creations 19
using pre-established material – a shared musical into cultural and social dynamics. Geertz describes
element. Participants are encouraged to improvise ethnography as a “dense description,” where ethnographers
who immerse themselves in the complexity of cultural
both individually and in pairs
(b) Creative stimulation. Creative stimulation is explored meanings, aiming to interpret and translate often intricate
practices and behaviors. Moreover, ethnography is more
through musical duets between the researcher and
each participant. Both researcher and participant than just data collection; it represents theory in action,
improvise together, resulting in a spontaneous and where theory and empirical evidence are inextricably
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collective work, where the researcher seeks to integrate intertwined. This concept is extended into the field of music
by Anthony Seeger, who argues that musical ethnography
into the participant’s musical discourse, engaging in a
musical dialog. A unique feature of this activity is that goes beyond superficial documentation to investigate
it is performed in complete darkness how music is conceived, created, and experienced within
(c) Inventive genesis. This activity focuses on rediscovering a specific cultural context. Musical ethnography involves
sounds and tapping into the participants’ “inner detailed writing about the various ways of making music,
based on transcriptions and detailed descriptions, and
child.” They are encouraged to explore collective 6
vocal improvisation, percussion instruments, body often draws on personal experience or fieldwork.
percussion, and household items, allowing for The musical creation laboratory, held at the Federal
rhythmic and timbral exploration that transcends University of Rio Grande (FURG) in the State of Rio
conventional musical instruments Grande do Sul, Brazil, from October to December 2023,
(d) Free expression. An improvisational activity in in the musical practice rooms of the Musical Extension
which participants respond sonically to each other’s Nucleus (NEMUS), offered an ideal setting for applying
suggestions, similar to a sonic conversation. The goal this ethnographic approach. With 10 participants from
is to develop dynamic interactions until they reach a various instrumental backgrounds, the laboratory aimed
consensus on the piece’s conclusion to explore musical creativity through a series of group
(e) Sound situations. In this activity, participants explore activities. This creative environment was structured to
various soundscapes by improvising soundtracks for foster artistic expression and experimentation, aligning
genres such as drama or suspense, without seeing with Geertz’s view of art as a complex and multifaceted
the corresponding videos. Their performances cultural manifestation. The ethnographic approach in
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are recorded, manipulated by the researcher, and the laboratory enabled the observation of how emotions
integrated into the original soundtracks, leading and social interactions influence creative perception and

Volume 3 Issue 2 (2025) 3 doi: 10.36922/ac.4782