Creative pedagogies in the time of pandemic: a case study with conservatory students

The present paper reports data from an original qualitative study that investigates how music students reacted to novel remote teaching strategies that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. A population of twenty learners enrolled at an Italian conservatory responded to an open-ended survey, verbalising their recent learning experiences concerning three complementary aspects of their everyday practice: (i) how efficiently new remote education settings were implemented, (ii) what novel musical activities have been creatively developed with the help of technology, and (iii) how peer interaction was transformed by the lockdown period. By providing concrete examples, our participants offered insights into the benefits, challenges, and transformations this sudden pedagogical change has produced. Our findings show how different approaches to rehearsal and time management have emerged, in turn impacting on how students prioritise short-term and long-term goals, enhance their creative potential, and establish and renew interactions with peers.