Being creative is a profoundly rewarding experience, but it is also a skill that needs attention before its benefits can be unlocked. Musical creativity with others is a great way to get started with this. The immediacy of music encourages spontaneous decisions, rather than methodical ones. It teaches some of the most important life lessons through listening, sharing, openness, and vulnerability.
I use circle games to introduce basic musical concepts, establish the ground rules, and foster an appreciation for working within a creative framework. After that, it is experimentation and exploration time. Students are given a chance to explore their creative voice, to hear what others do, bounce ideas off one another, and experience the energy and excitement of group music-making.
| Grade Suitability | 1-12 |
| Maximum Class Size | 20 |
| Time Required | 1+ hours, 1 hour prep |
| Material Required | School provides instruments |
| Language of Instruction | English |
| Communities | All |
Logan grew up traveling the world and absorbing the sounds of many cultures. His passion for music began with his self-taught piano studies of swing jazz and the blues, inspired by recordings of Ellington and Oscar Peterson. He went on to study orchestral trumpet at the University of British Columbia, completing his master's degree in 2014. He has performed with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Kamloops Symphony Orchestra, Westben Festival Orchestra, Vancouver Brass Project, and Qatar Philharmonic Brass Ensemble. During all this, Logan continued to study piano, seeking lessons from local jazz masters throughout his travels. After a few years spent in Halifax amidst the thriving jazz scene, Logan began working up his piano chops and confronting the nagging creative itch to create original music. Since moving to the Yukon, he has led various musical undertakings including The BLANK Project, a month of multi-disciplinary collaborations with improvised music, and Muster Point, a new collective playing jazz-infused instrumental music. Logan has been teaching for over ten years; private lessons, group classes in Fredonia, New York and at The Heart of Riverdale in Whitehorse, and workshops from Vancouver to the All-City Band here in Whitehorse.