This article explores the impact of the 2020 Melbourne lockdown on the creative experiences of pre-service teachers in an arts education course. It focuses specifically on the music compositions of three students. The face-to-face course was delivered in online mode due to the lockdown restrictions in Victoria imposed by the government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 10-week course was the only arts component of an undergraduate teaching degree at a major Melbourne university. Three music compositions and creative process narrations of the pre-service teachers are described from a teacher-educator viewpoint. A reflective lens is applied to render impressions of the works and processes. The commentary provides a springboard for discussion about four key impacts of lockdown on pre-service teacher creative works: circumstance, experience, motivation and creative process narration. The discussion could inform creative process teaching online and support the inclusion of creative work in online courses in the arts in non-pandemic times.