Drawing on recent research, Dr. Brandt will illustrate how brain science has established that creativity is not a specialized "gift" but rather an essential feature of human intelligence.  He will then explore a unified model of creativity based on the concepts of "bending, breaking and blending" that could provide a new basis for integrating the arts into the curriculum.  He will close by arguing that young minds need art because human thinking itself is an art-form and that our inherent creativity needs to be nurtured and encouraged in every child.   A question and answer segment will be included.Dr. Brandt is co-founder and artistic director of the contemporary music ensemble Musiqa.  Recipient of five awards from National Endowment for the Arts and the 2012 Chamber Music America/ASCAP Adventurous Programming Award, Musiqa provides innovative interdisciplinary concert and educational programs free to schools, and has served more than 35,000 public school students and teachers over the past eight years.     This event is presented in support of the development of a proposed charter school for the Houston area.                                                     SPECIAL GUEST