Creative Musical Activities in Undergraduate Music Education Curricula

Abstract

Music education majors report low exposure to creative musical activities (CMAs) despite increased discourse surrounding the inclusion of CMAs in standards, curricula, publications, and practice. The purpose of this study was to compare preservice music teachers’ (PMT) and music teacher educators’ (MTE) experiences with CMAs. We used an anonymous survey instrument to explore definitions, perceived importance and preparedness, and the incorporation of CMAs within undergraduate music education curricula. MTEs and PMTs valued the inclusion of CMAs in preK–12 curricula, PMTs felt most prepared to teach arranging and least prepared to teach composing with their future preK–12 students, and PMTs valued and desired more opportunities to practice CMAs in undergraduate curricula. MTEs should consider integrating these activities as regular components in undergraduate music curricula.

Relationships Between Well-Being and Teaching Adaptability Among Music Teacher Educators: A Snapshot of the 2020–2021 Academic Year

“…We distributed our questionnaire using email lists maintained by national organizations and via Facebook groups, an approach recently taken by other researchers conducting survey research (e.g., Ganschow, 2014; Piazza & Talbot, 2021; Rickels & Brewer, 2017; Silvey et al, 2020; Sims & Cassidy, 2019). The difficulty of calculating a response rate from these kinds of distribution procedures is noted by these and other researchers (e.g., Rickels & Brewer, 2017; Silveira & Hudson, 2015; Silvey, 2011; Silvey et al, 2020; Sims & Cassidy, 2019).…”

"More Than Just Composers": Teachers' Identities as Music Creatives and the Impact on Teaching Composition

“…13 The predominance of WAM also overlooks culturally diverse ways of musicking and "diminishes" creative opportunities and development of skills in analysis, interpretation, performance, and especially creation of music. 14 For these reasons, the perspective that "notational ability"…”

“…3 This has resulted in the reduction of composition to a subsidiary position against performance and listening. 4 Composition is mandatory for all students in earlier years (ages [12][13][14], ideally forming 33 of the "100 indicative hours" of the music classroom learning experiences. 5 Composition should be taught "weekly in all Australian schools" but is not, due to insufficient teacher training.…”

The residue of composition and improvisation activities in a woodwind lab course

“…Inservice teachers in a study by Snell and Stringham (2018) felt similarly unprepared and “generally reported lacking confidence, experience, and previous instruction in how to teach improvisation and composition” (p. 8). Preservice music teachers in research by Piazza and Talbot (2020) noted that most composition and arranging activities happened in their theory and arranging courses, and that these activities were used to better understand a specific style of music instead of as a form of creative expression. This suggests that preservice music teachers are interested in engaging young people in improvisation and composition but lack the experience and education to do so.…”

“…The process of diagenesis takes both time and pressure, which means preservice teachers need to engage in composition and improvisation on a regular basis throughout their coursework, or the residue of those experiences will blow away before it can solidify into anything more permanent. As Piazza and Talbot (2020) discuss, “consistent integration of creative musical activities may (a) increase confidence among preservice music teachers and music teacher educators to generate new musical products, (b) provide additional opportunities for culturally responsive and inclusive teaching practices, and (c) allow MTEs to share accountability for integrating CMAs across the curriculum” (p. 10).…”