Bridges of Inspiration

Abstract

Abstract Music and art are found in school settings as common curricular offerings available to students. Their interrelationships, however, are seldom examined in curricular experiences. After briefly tracing ways that the music curriculum has embraced art in the past, this chapter delves into the prodigious output and artistic curiosity of one artist, Paul Klee, who integrated music into his art making as well as his teaching. A three-part encounter with two of his works, Rose Garden and Highway and Byways, establishes this fertile melding. Klee’s paintings have also inspired many composers to create music for various types of musical groups. The pedagogical possibilities for crossing these bridges of inspiration are exemplified through one painting in particular, The Twittering Machine. A panoramic curriculum project provides multiple entry points for teachers to consider, including strategies for developing, expanding, reflecting, synthesizing, and assessing students’ responses. Flexibility is key here, as the curricular imagination and flexibility of teachers are encouraged.