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<TITLE>Re: [Smt-talk] Composition pedagogy</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Verdana">Dear David,<BR>
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I think you might be interested to investigate these links:<BR>
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http://www.palatine.ac.uk/files/747.pdf<BR>
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http://www.nigel-morgan.co.uk/index.php?name=News&sid=30&file=article&pageid=1<BR>
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http://www.nigel-morgan.co.uk/objects2007/index.html<BR>
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Composition pedagogy is a particular interest of mine. It informed the research and development of a unique composition environment called Symbolic Composer, and enabled me to collaborate with Professor John Cook (London Metropolitan University) on the MetaMusic project. The PDF above is a resume of this six year period of research. <BR>
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Later this year I hope to complete a book with Professor Cook titled <I>Composing How and Why</I>. You might recognize in the title the reference to the work of educator Malcolm Lipman. Here’s the abstract:<BR>
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</FONT><FONT FACE="Helvetica">Composing: How and Why<BR>
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Technology offers the promise of reinstating composing once more at the heart of musicianship. Just as visual arts practice and creative writing have been demystified by photography, the word processor and the internet, the complex skills and techniques surrounding music making are being redefined and made newly accessible by digital recording, interactive machine musicianship and synthesis. In the light of these new conditions revisiting and reinventing traditional forms of learning and thinking about music can offer us a lively way forward to developing the creative and critical tools to make and understand new music. The authors believe that interactive portals able to foster creative and critical thinking will soon be a part of new technologies that are responsive to a individual' learning needs: to encourage self-explanation, speculation, and reflection about intention. We can even look forward to the machine becoming a kind of knowledge-mentor prompting us to explain our intentions, formulate our plans, recognise areas of weakness and review outcomes as part of the creative process.<BR>
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Composing: How and Why examines the relationship of thinking to composing and how dialogue and self-explanation can mediate between listening and making one's own music. It examines how musical learning has traditionally employed modes of thinking and questioning and how these today might be remodelled and embedded within the technologies and media through which we will increasingly learn and gather information.<BR>
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At a more general level there’s quite a few publications on ‘Composing’ targeted at the UK’s GCSE and A level examinations for 16 –18 year olds. Names like John Paynter and Bruce Cole feature here. But on composition pedagogy, that is another matter altogether . . . You have to approach the subject obliquely I’ afraid.<BR>
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I’m happy to respond to your questions in detail – but you may have to wait a while for this. I’m a busy composer now!<BR>
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Good wishes<BR>
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Nigel Morgan<BR>
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Visiting Research Fellow<BR>
Interdisciplinary Centre for Computer Music Research <BR>
Plymouth University<BR>
UK<BR>
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http://cmr.soc.plymouth.ac.uk/research.htm<BR>
http://www.nigel-morgan.co.uk/index.php<BR>
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On 20/3/09 02:39, "David Stephenson" <davidgstephenson@gmail.com> wrote:<BR>
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</FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT FACE="Verdana">Colleagues:<BR>
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I am a high school music theory/composition teacher and Ph.D. candidate in music education. One of my research interests lies in the training of composition teachers, and I would welcome information and discussion regarding the area of "Composition Pedagogy." <BR>
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Specific questions I have include:<BR>
1) Does formal training exist in the area of composition pedagogy (i.e. techniques, curriculum, etc.)?<BR>
2) If so, in what format is this area taught?<BR>
3) Are there specific people who specialize in this area?<BR>
4) What are your experiences regarding the process of how you learned to teach composition?<BR>
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Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you!<BR>
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