ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FUTURES THROUGH CREATIVE MUSIC ENGAGEMENT

Climate change is clearly a global crisis. While popular media often portray dystopian possibilities of continued climate crises, artists and the public can offer more generative, hopeful, and optimistic possible futures through music. Young people can also contribute to imagining possible futures through music. How might creating original music and designing instruments serve as a means for young people to explore their own perspectives on climate change and to imagine possible solar futures? This chapter describes the Weight of Light (WoL), a project that illustrates one way young people can explore and express possible solar futures through creative musical engagement. WoL invites all educators to consider the roles they might play in supporting similar work. We describe our design process and approaches that high school music educators and students pursued to imagine and engage possible solar futures using creative musical engagement. Additionally, we highlight how WoL exemplifies the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO) framework of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). We offer potential strategies, considerations, and lines of inquiry for educators interested in supporting young people in addressing climate change with and through music.