The discussion of people creating music with computers and software is taking place among music educators, in internationally read newspapers, and in various online forums. With tools to create music becoming more and more accessible to almost anyone with computer access regardless of their music education, the question of who can and should be composing music seems to be a reoccurring one.
Our field is probably at a point where the majority of music teachers recognize how composing is becoming more accessible to the general public (though in some cultures it probably always has been). We also hopefully recognize the importance of providing music students with opportunities to compose music. The issues surrounding helping students compose original music are too vast to address in this particular post so I am focusing on the idea of providing students opportunities to share their original music.
Whether creating music on a computer, an electronic keyboard, acoustic instrument or voice, students should have an opportunity to share their compositions with their peers and parents/guardians. We can think back to our college experiences and possibly remember student composition recitals where the composition majors had their music performed. Perhaps we created our own music either in a class or for our own enjoyment but
can you remember a concert that was not billed as a “student composition” concert, that included an original work by a student?
Why is it that most of us cannot answer yes?
With popular culture phenomena such as Karaoke, “American Idol” and Open Mic nights already in place for anyone to perform music outside of the traditional concert experience, we probably aren’t too far away from the same type of phenomena for people performing original compositions. Wouldn’t it be nice if our music programs established and promoted the idea of sharing original music before a tv show that comodifies the idea is created. As educators why don’t we value the sharing of original student composed music as much as the performance of music written by professionals in our music programs?
While there are many ways of having students share their music via technology such as through podcasts or burning their own cds, most of our schools already have a system in place for students to “share” what they have been learning. As we try to help our students realize that they too can create music shouldn’t we provide them with opportunities to have their music performed side by side with music by “established” or “professional” composers?
Why not integrate original student compositions into your school concerts?
Why not have your general music students create music for your ensembles to work on and perform?
Why not create opportunities for students to share their music as works in progress to get feedback from other students and maybe even professional musicians or college music majors?
By providing our students with opportunities to compose music and have their music performed we are giving them a sense of what it is to be a composer. Hopefully music education can help them hear, think about and create possibilities in composing that they may choose to continue in whatever capacity throughout their lives. Maybe then, the question of who can and should be composing will be less occurring than the recognition that more people are able to compose and do so well.
I guess there are many talented students around, who might even succeed in the record music industry as professional musicians. One should provide them with more opportunities to access the markets of music industry. After all popularity and recognition will be the best feedbacks to the work that students perform.