So what exactly is composition?

StartFragment x-tinymce/html

One of the challenges which I am going to face in exploring the pedagogies behind teaching composition is to identify what the word 'composition' actually means. There are a number of different interpretations and as pointed out by Kaschub and Smith (2009) "...the word composition is unfortunate as it describes both the process and also the end product." There are also those who include improvisation as composition and others who see it as being a separate skill and process. Some may include exercises and technical development within this framework whereas other practitioners view composition as being the creative process. Within all of this has to be my interpretation of the word which will be drawn from my own experiences as a teacher and a composer, but also drawing on the context of the Scottish education system.

Interestingly enough, in the Experiences and Outcomes(Scottish Government 2009) the word 'compose' does not appear until third level, broadly equating with years 1-3 in Secondary school. Until this point, the framework uses other terms such as "discover and enjoy playing with sound and rhythm," or "I can express and communicate my ideas, thoughts and feelings through musical activities." When third level experiences and outcomes are reached, the distinction is made between composing and improvising. "I can use my voice, musical instruments or music technology to improvise or compose with melody, rhythm, harmony, timbre and structure."

For Webster (1992), composing includes opportunity for revision during the process while in improvising, “the product or process is not reconsidered for change” (p. 270). Wiggins (1992) defined composing as “preplanned performance of original musical ideas” and improvising as “spontaneous performance of original musical ideas within the context of a real time performance” (p. 14).(taken from COMPOSITIONAL PROCESS IN MUSIC Jackie Wiggins - International Handbook of Research in Arts Education 2007)

What is interesting to note is that following on from the use of the Experiences and Outcomes for a Broad General Education and moving into National Qualifications, improvising falls within the unit entitled 'Composing Skills.' This uses the word composing as a broad statement and within learners are free to create pre-planned original music, improvise, or arrange. That being said, the composing skills units across National Qualifications is concerned with the acquisition and development of composing skills. This does lead to, in some circumstances, activity based composition, where emphasis is placed on outcome as opposed to process. In many cases this leads to a series of short exercises which do not embrace creativity and do not develop skills which are transferable into a new composition process. There is also a tendency within music education to confuse composition with notation based/literacy exercises. It is important to provide learners with a pathway through which they can develop their own musical voice. For some young people, notation can be a barrier to compositional development, for others composing through notation is absolutely the best way to express their music. Removing barriers is essential in allowing young people to experiment with ideas and grow in confidence.

It is also difficult to unpick creativity from music composition. However, not all music composition is approached from a creative standpoint(see paragraph above) and also within music and music education, not all creative activities centre around composing. I will explore the importance of creativity in music composition in a subsequent blog post.

For me, composing music encompasses all aspects of music making. From young children spontaneously composing music to soundtrack their play, to the teenage songwriter expressing themselves through their own music. Group composition, improvisation, arranging, beatboxing, are all different strands which fall under the umbrella term, composing. As mentioned at the outset, composition is an unfortunate term as it describes both the process and the final product, but it is how we approach this term as educators which can make a transformative difference to the lives of young people.

EndFragment