First musicians using polyphony and homophony in their compositions can be seen during the 19th century in Turkey. These talented amateur composers, who worked in simple forms, such as marches or educational music, were not actually professional composers but either orchestral or choral directors. Later, during the Republic period (after 1923),…

This essay explores the role of music composition within the curriculum of a typical small liberal arts college and the faculty composer's role(s) in facilitating the study of composition. The relationship between composition and campus performance is discussed, particularly in light of the increased emphasis on performance in formerly all-male…

The Listening Walk by Paul Showers and illustrated by Aliki, and "It's My City: A Singing Map" by April Pulley Sayre with pictures by Denis Roche, provide two examples of texts that aid in building children's phonological awareness for reading and music. The author describes each narrative and discusses its function as a springboard to composition…

One computer, one class, and one educator can be an effective combination to engage students as a group in music composition, performance, and analysis. Having one desktop computer and a television monitor in the music classroom is not an uncommon or new scenario, especially in a time when many school budgets are being cut. This article…

This article, based on my PhD empirical study, was conducted in a qualitative and holistic approach. It had examined how students had used formal and informal strategies, styles and situations while improvising and composing for the research task. Eighteen research groups made up of a total of 40 males and nine females had participated in…

Building on an apposition of the theories of neurobiologist Antonio Damasio and music theorist Heinrich Schenker, we posit a new model for developing composition instruction based upon the organic connections between humans and music. Parallels are drawn between Damasio's theory of consciousness in which meaning arises from the relationships…

If one asks many small-town band directors, most will say that working and performing with a small band can be just as satisfying and musically robust as directing a larger one. There are a lot of advantages as well; smaller class sizes, fewer extracurricular activities, and more time to work one on one with students are just a few of the benefits…

This paper explores secondary school music teachers' current practice with regard to the organisation and assessment of composing at Key Stage 4. It draws on research undertaken on a nation-wide basis in England, via the use of two online surveys and face-to-face interviews. In terms of the organisation of classroom composition, the study found…

This qualitative case study explores how students' perceptions of sexual identity affect how they participate in popular music processes used in school. Seventeen high school students were invited to form five single-gendered and mixed-gendered rock bands. The data collected included fieldnotes and audio recordings of observed rehearsals and…

It seems each generation of young people finds new ways to express life's complex emotions and experiences through music. As a favored outlet for self-expression, music also provides future generations with a fascinating historical record. Sound recordings and sheet music of once popular songs offer unique opportunities for students to analyze…

The field of creative music education is described as complex, unpredictable and versatile. The aim of this article is to explore this complexity and diversity on the basis of the continental "didaktik" tradition and Robin Alexander's generic model of teaching. The educational practice and orientation of the teacher are investigated in relation to…

This work explores the study of interaction through discourse as a means for analysing and understanding the process of teaching and learning music. Over the course of a didactic sequence, we assess classroom conversations dealing with the analysis of a music score constituted as the reference for the process of creating a joint music composition.…

In this paper, I suggest that it is perhaps time to consider the pedagogy of popular music in more extensive terms than conventional rock band practices have to offer. One direction in which this might lead is the expansion of the informal pedagogy based on a "garage band" model to encompass various modes of digital artistry wherever this artistry…

The body of research examining deliberate practice and self-regulation in musical instruction has grown extensively over the past decade. Compelling evidence indicates that students with higher levels of self-regulation develop superior performance skills and experience more fulfillment as musicians. But in order to develop the self-regulatory…

This article reports a case study of an experienced teacher of composing working with secondary school students in a large urban centre in Ontario, Canada. Results suggest authentic assignments connect student composing to the "real world", and so have meaning and life beyond the music classroom. Teachers can facilitate the development…