Despite national initiatives in the UK such as Creative Partnerships, an organization formed in 2002 for exploring creative approaches to learning in the classroom, there is still a gap between aspiration and practice. This is especially evident in the teaching of musical composition in primary schools, partly because there seems to be a profound…

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of teaching beginning wind instrumentalists using a sound-before-sight (aural) approach, designed to foster the connections between eyes, ears, and fingers; and capitalize on students' musical intuitions. Participants received one hour of weekly instruction for 15 weeks. One group (n = 10)…

Padula, J. (2005) described how mathematics teachers can channel the passion of students interested in electronic music by teaching the mathematics that has been used to create it. She hypothesised that the study and enjoyment of music may help the study of mathematics since both mathematics and music are symbol systems and pattern (and its…

The many connections between music and mathematics are well known. The length of a plucked string determines its tone, the time signature of a piece of music is a ratio, and note durations are measured in fractions. One connection commonly overlooked is that between music and geometry--specifically, geometric transformations, including…

The purposes of this content analysis of action research studies on teaching composition are two-fold: to examine action research studies on teaching classroom compositions to learn more about classroom composition pedagogy, including the values and beliefs that shaped the instruction and findings; and secondly, to demonstrate how narrative…

Musical scores are some of the most important learning tools for musicians' acquisition of musical knowledge. However, despite their educational relevance, very little is known about how music students "conceive" of these cultural external representations. Given that these conceptions might act as mediators of students' learning…

There are several possible ways for investigating the creative process in musical composition in order to induce certain assumptions about the nature of the compositional experience that may provide a certain philosophical framework for shaping compositional experiences in music educational settings at all levels. By taking an approach mainly…

The search for Nigerian-based content and methodology for music education has been one of the primary concerns of music educators in contemporary Nigeria. Debates and criticisms surrounding the existing curriculum are ongoing. A natural response to these criticisms is the suggestion of alternative solutions that aim to develop a Nigerian-based…

National Standard 4 calls for "composing and arranging music within specified guidelines." Composing requires teacher and students to work with a piece of music before they know its final form. Compared to performing, listening, and responding to music, the outcome of composition activities is less predictable. These activities may seem less…

Classroom composing is a lot of work, but it is tremendously rewarding for students and for teachers. The learning and skill development that attends composing efforts can make the addition of composing activities to a music classroom both useful and enjoyable. In this article, the author provides five steps for leading students in classroom…

This study draws on ethnographic data from a year-long multimodal media production (MMP) course and the experience of an African American female adolescent who used the production of multimodal Hip Hop texts to express her creativity and growing socially conscious view of the world. The study demonstrates how students made meaning multimodally and…

As a support worker for adolescents with special needs, I have found that they have few opportunities to play music. While previous research emphasizes that students with special needs can enjoy music in multiple capacities, little has been written about their ability to play, improvise, or compose. I employed a qualitative approach for this case…

Joel Krosnick, a top performer of avante-garde music, urges students to recreate the fantasy that the composer visualized in creating the music through gestures, expression, and coloration. (AM)

Helps students to get into music by exploring the role of the conductor-teacher and suggesting ways to make a "music" experience a "musical" experience. (Editor/RK)

The purpose of the study is to teach urban young children music concepts and English by composing creative music and songs with contrast elements. The subjects were seven urban young children aged from three to four in a Taiwan kindergarten. The duration was twenty-four weeks, with two sessions per week. The teaching contents included Hello Song,…