The arts (music, visual art, dance, drama) encourage the use of our imaginations to look at things in many ways and help us understand the views of others, enabling us to break away from our familiar views. Creativity comes out in those moments when your perspective shifts. The ability to look at something with a different view may help you create something new. Through exposure to the diverse cultures in the Magic Tree of Music programs, children understand different ways of expression and may then re-evaluate and re-create their own ways.

Unfamiliar situations that require creative thinking often involve a certain amount of ambiguity or uncertainty. People who have higher levels of tolerance to face this uncertainty will be more likely to act creatively. Magic Tree of Music programs develop this tolerance of uncertainty through exposure to various world cultures' different sounds and rhythms. Trying to improvise in the other artistic mediums of a culture may be a challenge for students at first. Still, this experience of trying something unfamiliar brings confidence to explore the new and results in enhanced creativity all around.

During our programs, children are encouraged to make several creative decisions, such as what musical material they may want to vary, what different dance steps they may want to do or what sounds may help them develop their story-telling. These types of decisions enhance their ability to problem-solve creatively.

Individuals can be inspired by being part of a bigger picture, heightening their creativity and contribution to the group. Children participating in the programs can play their musical instruments as part of a group, in the case of the gamelan, and collaboration with the world music teachers.

Many believe that participation in the arts involves a release of our imagination. Our programs employ storytelling, which helps children invoke their imagination and helps them to create new musical, artistic and dance improvisations. Children can use their ability for imaginative play to great benefit, which is particularly encouraged through the arts at Magic Tree of Music.

The artistic cultures featured in our programs emphasise improvisation and are based on research that has found positive links with these three characteristics of creativity. Greater fluency helps children generate many ideas. Greater flexibility enables them to consider ideas in different ways.