Perceiving Creativity in Novel Musical Sequences: An EEG Study

Creativity in music perception arises from the interplay between expectation, prediction error, and neural entrainment. This study investigates how neural tracking of musical sequences relates to perceived creativity using a novel, accessible assessment tool, the Bohlen–Pierce (BP) Sequencer. Unlike traditional measures of musical creativity that require extensive training, the BP Sequencer allows participants with minimal musical background to generate and evaluate novel sequences, lowering the barrier of entry for creativity research. Nineteen participants rated BP melodies for creativity while their electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded. Power spectral density analyses revealed that highly creative sequences elicited stronger neural entrainment at stimulus-driven frequencies, particularly at the note rate (6.76 Hz) and its harmonics. Medium-rated sequences showed the highest beta-band activity, supporting the role of prediction in creativity perception. These findings demonstrate that perceived creativity is reflected in neural entrainment mechanisms, offering a scalable approach to studying musical creativity across diverse populations.