Sparking Creativity: Composition in Middle School General Music

Abstract

Middle school students are old enough to be capable of abstract thought and critical thinking while still being playful and joyfully goofy! Through music composition in general music classes, middle school students can be challenged to make musical decisions. Composition can be especially exciting in middle school because they will be motivated to think critically through music that is relevant to their lives. Composition activities also afford teachers the flexibility to adapt to various learning levels and styles in our classroom. In this article, I will offer concrete ideas for composing in middle school general music, including thoughts on notation and assessment.

Building 21st Century Skills Through Technology in General Music Classes

“…Specific examples are presented in this map (https://tinyurl.com/5v57ajtx). In music education, scholars have suggested implementing the 21st century skills in general music education (Edmund & Keller, 2020; Munroe, 2021; Ng, 2020; Norman, 2021; Riley, 2016; Vasil, 2020). The National Core Arts Standards (2014) and The Housewright Symposium on the Future of Music Education (2000) have also supported 21st century knowledge and skills—multifaceted processes of learning rather than the basic drilling and recitation of facts.…”