PLNW3 Music Composition

Teaching music composition is a music standard that is often overlooked because of the difficulty and complexity of the task. When I first started teaching, my position was elementary general music K-12. Written composition did not start until third grade. In the third grade, students would start leaning about written notation and begin playing the recorder. Student would write short compositions based on the notes they were learning on the recording. Ten years later, many of the schools have upgraded their technology where there are now computer labs in every elementary school and some schools have music rooms with computers in them. Now students start composing on the computer using different music composition programs or notation programs.

Music composition is important for all students to learn regardless if they are in general music or in instrumental music. Through the act of composing, students are allowed to be creative and take creative risks. When the students write out their compositions on paper, they would have to audiate or manually reproduce what they had written on their recorder or another instrument. Now when they use the computers, they receive feedback instantly simply by clicking the playback button. In general music, teachers experiment with notation software and Digital Audio Workstations or DAWs. Depending on what the class is focusing on, depends on what type of program the teacher decides to use. I believe you can learn something from using both types of music composition programs. Using notation programs for composition helps to reinforce the names of pitches, the location on the staff, the rhythms of these notes and more. Using sequencing software, you do not have worry about the note placement, you only need to like what you hear, how to format different sections of a song, layering rhythms and much more.

One important advantage with using computers to compose music is that students do not have to stand in front of their class and perform their composition. Not every student likes to perform in front of their classmates. If they are using a computer, the students only have to click play. This makes those students who are uncomfortable with performing at ease knowing they do not have to sing or play in front of their peers. Even though I make my students play their instruments by themselves when we are working on an orchestra selection, they are still afraid to play their own composition by themselves. I give each student an option of playing the composition themselves or using the playback feature. It is also easier for students to comment on each other’s compositions and make changes instantly. When working in a group, it is much easier quickly input one person’s idea into the program, listen to the segment of music, and make whatever changes are necessary all within a few minutes. If students were handwriting their compositions, they would have to physically play or sing the different parts, which can take a long time to complete.

When using computer software or writing out a composition on manuscript paper, it is important for the teacher to set the parameters or constraints on the project so the students do not get overwhelmed. Start with a small project that is appropriate for the students’ knowledge base, and gradually pass more freedom of choice in composing over to the students (Bauer, p. 61). Giving student’s a little bit more control each time by giving them a different set of instructions for the next class or project. This is the same idea as scaffolding any other type of lesson. By scaffolding composition projects, students learn the basics first and spend time working on the basics. After the student gains a good foundation then they can explore more about composing and not be worried about making a mistake with the basics.

Bauer, W. I. (2014). Music learning today digital pedagogy for creating performing

and responding to music. New York, NY Oxford University Press.