ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on music composition and creativity within the general music education sector in Poland, with a particular focus on classroom practice in primary schools. The authors present an overview of the development of Polish pedagogical thought in music education after the Second World War followed by a brief analysis of recent actions taken by different stakeholders in order to support creativity in the music classroom.
The new Polish National Curriculum for Music in Compulsory Schools, introduced in 2014, emphasizes creativity and improvisation. This significant change of paradigm in the rather conservative Polish classroom reality came with many new challenges for teachers. Although notable attempts at introducing a more practice-based framework for compulsory music education in Poland had already been made in the 1960s, most of the proposed changes did not result in a prevailing change in classroom practice. This chapter analyzes some of the recent educational initiatives in the field of formal and informal music education in the above context. Furthermore, recent policy changes are reviewed to provide a better understanding of the driving forces of music education in Poland. Finally, the chapter discusses possible future directions for composition, improvisation, and creativity in music education in the country.
