ABSTRACT

Composition belongs in every music curriculum. But it tends to be the nost neglected aspect of our music curriculum for a variety of reasons. It should be only one aspect of the total picture. Students view the study of form, harmony, rhythm, melody, or dynamics as a means of acquiring the tools they need to create. In reading and writing programs in the elementary school curriculum, children, with the concepts of main ideas, sequencing, classfying, and categorizing. Music composition also helps students gain control over these intellectual tools. It is especially similar to programs that emphasizes process writing ; when composing, students brainstorm(in groups and as individuals), writs rough drafts, edit, revise, and create finished products. Process is important as content and the composition process makes use of and reinforces what children learn in other subjects. In the process of creating music, higher-level thinking skills make a major role. Students use the knowledge they have, then evaluate it, using analysis, synthesis, problem solving, and classfying. It also necessitates application of musical concepts, and they must deal with all the concepts and components of music and must be able to manipulate them. All music educators and students know that the creative process of writing and performing one`s own music is an experience that motivates, teaches, and provides a pleasure that will last a lifetime. We know this, but we are fearful; that our own lack of skill or talent will make us incapable of creating the proper environment for attempting to teach composition or improvisation. Why compose with the students? First, children are innately creative. Most tremendous pride in and derive great pleasure from their own creation, and you can capitalize on this self-motivation. Second, composing helps students develop a pride in their own musicality: this also motivates further learning. Third, composition is an excellent means of teaching and reinforcing musical concepts, and fourth, teacher analysis of your student` works serves to evaluate student comprehension of these concepts. The propose of this study is to present various techniques that develope through teaching students to use their innate abilities and learned skills to create music. The goal is not to make composers of all students, but to use compositions as another technique in studying and experiencing music. The study has a realistic, practical, and step by step guidelines that provide music teachers with the ideas and suggestions to make them and their students successful in learning through creating. In keeping with the current philosophy of music education, the program described in this study invloves a concept and activities-based approach. Each lesson teaches specific musical concept through various students activities such as singing, playing, listening, moving, improvising, and composing. The program uses two types of lesson plans; whole-class instruction (teacher-guided composition) and small-group composition(7-8 students in group). Techniques such as improvising music, using with learned musical concept , composition with poem , three part form music , rhythm rondo , serial composition , and theme and variations are presemted as ideas that can be used as additionnal elements in this program or independently. Each of the technique in this study serves a different purpose in developing the creativity of the students. Group composition reinforces social skills such as the building of interpersonal relationships and skills in group discussion, organization, listening and valuing the ideas of others. The process of described in this study also serves as an excellent way to address individual ablities and needs. Small group exercises in particular provide the teacher with the opportunity to give special help and attention to individual students. While working as small group, the teacher can circul ate and work with individuals in a way