Composing - creativity in music
During the first year of teacher training almost every music lesson has contained an element of composition, even if this was altering a clap rhythm. And this has been the part I have found most difficult and challenging. I am comfortable with reading and even performing music, creating it is a different matter.
Young children are hard wired for creative achievement
Jones and Robson, 2008
I'm not so sure that all children find the creativity easy. It is true that children learn via play (Rogers and Rose, 2014), however as children move up the school this learning through play is systematically removed from their learning experience. This could quite possibly lead to children struggling with such an out of control context.
So what?
If I struggled with the composition elements of music it is quite possible that children will too, though I am very eager to be proven wrong. However, for any child who likes control and possibly needs it, creating music could be challenging. It therefore is necessary to be aware during the composing parts of lessons that children may become frustrated that they cannot get the music to 'work'.
References:
JONES, P. and ROBSON, C., 2008. Teaching music in primary schools (achieving QTS). United Kingdom: Learning Matters.
ROGERS, S and ROSE, J., 2014. Building on firm foundations. In: J. ARTHUR and T. CREMIN, eds. Learning to teach in the primary school. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis.