Student creativity without guardrails has the same vibe as a Wikipedia rabbit hole at 2 AM—starts innocent, ends with someone explaining the mating habits of sea cucumbers.
The alternative to full creative freedom isn’t great, either.
Every creative teacher faces the same brutal choice: give students freedom and watch half of them freeze, or give them structure and watch their souls die a little.
Jack Aron refused to pick a side.
When COVID hit and his intimate 20-student music program suddenly became a virtual free-for-all with 100+ kids trying to make everything from death metal to lo-fi hip-hop in the same digital space, most teachers would have either quit or become dictators.
But Jack, an Electives Lead at our virtual school and music production teacher at Culver City High School, decided to get creative with creativity itself.
His students now win record deals and score movies at Sony—not despite the structure he built, but because of it.
Here’s what’s on the dashboard this week:
Today’s Deep Dive: Creative freedom without anarchy
Reading Rainbow: Paper cranes, budget cuts & red carpets
From Our Desk: Giving thanks this holiday season
Watch of the Week: A music drama that actually gets teens right
How to Scale Creative Programs Without Losing Your Mind
Jack's got something figured out that most creative teachers are still wrestling with: how to give students real creative freedom without watching your program collapse under its own weight.
When his music program went virtual and tripled in size overnight, Jack faced the classic scaling nightmare. Some students thrived with complete freedom, others froze up when given too many choices.
Traditional music education works great when everyone's playing the same piece, but falls apart when students want to make everything from hyperpop to video game soundtracks in the same room.
Instead of forcing everyone into the same musical box or letting creative anarchy reign, Jack built what he calls technical constraints that spark creativity. Students get clear challenges about musical concepts—binary song structures, specific time signatures, particular arrangement techniques—but how they solve those challenges is completely up to them. A student can explore binary form through trap beats, jazz piano, or orchestral composition.
The learning stays consistent while the creative expression stays authentic.
Jack's method breaks down into four steps that any creative teacher can steal:
Step 1: Start small with tight constraints that eliminate choice paralysis—his "Ringtone" assignment gives students 30 seconds to grab his attention using any sounds they want
Step 2: Map individual interests through real conversations, not just surveys about favorite genres
Step 3: Build technical scaffolding where the same rubric works across multiple styles and interests
Step 4: Create peer learning networks where advanced students become mentors, making large-scale individual attention actually possible
By taking these four steps, Jack’s students develop both technical skills and unique creative voices because they're motivated by personal interest. His program now spans multiple course levels, with graduates winning Spotify beat battles and scoring films at Sony.
But the real win is watching students grow from novice to professional producer in a single year—because they're learning through their own authentic creative expression, not someone else's idea of what music should sound like.
Student Choice Rules: When students are allowed to say no to an assignment, will they actually do it? It depends! Self-directed learning is different from what a lot of students are used to, but giving them the option is helping to prep them for the real world.
Paper Cranes Meet Petri Dishes: A Dallas teacher is teaching biology through origami, because apparently folding paper into hibiscus flowers and 3D pumpkins helps kids understand plant anatomy better than any textbook diagram ever could. Science class just got a lot more zen.
Music Programs Play Defense Against Budget Cuts: Music teachers are now emphasizing career prep over concert prep, showing students the behind-the-scenes jobs in music—from sound engineering to music business—while federal arts funding gets the axe. A friendly reminder: not everyone needs to be Beyoncé to work in music.
Lights, Camera, Learning: Los Angeles schools are using filmmaking as the ultimate group project, where students write scripts in Spanish, direct their peers, and walk red carpets at the Latino Film Festival. Making these movies taught students everything from time management to problem-solving skills. Nothing teaches conflict resolution like trying to cast two Leos in one student film!
A student thought he was entering a simple giveaway … but he ended up pulling up to Homecoming in a Lamborghini thanks to Subject!
The Subject team shared what they're most grateful for this holiday season.
Subject recently hosted a UT tailgate to show how they’re reshaping learning across Texas.
Our pick of the week: The Runarounds
Why We’re Obsessed: It’s what happens when School of Rock grows up, gets a Spotify account, and actually pays rent. We’re talking real kids chasing real dreams with real consequences, plus actual good music. Perfect for showing students that creative passion isn't just for Disney movies.
Recommended lesson integration:
Music composition and arrangement (Grades 10-12): Students analyze the original songs from the series and create their own band compositions
Creative writing through character development (Grades 11-12): Have students write character arcs for band members dealing with conflict
Economics of the music industry (Grades 9-12): Explore how bands make money, from streaming to touring to merch
Teamwork and collaboration skills (Grades 6-12): Use band dynamics as case studies for group project success and failure
Social-emotional learning through peer relationships (Grades 7-8): Discuss how the characters handle friendship challenges and creative differences
Media literacy and storytelling (Grades 9-12): Compare how the show portrays music industry realities versus typical Hollywood glamorization
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Thank you for joining us for another edition of On The Subject. We’ll see you again in a week, with more stories from the hallways.
The Subject Team
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