Composing Music in Special Education

Abstract

Composition is an important and creative part of any child’s music education, yet many music educators feel unprepared to teach composition to students with special needs. This article explores the value of incorporating music composition in a special education classroom and outlines two compositional lessons based on creating a musical scenery. The first lesson took place in a classroom with seven students, ages six to twenty-three, and the follow-up lesson involved fourteen students, ages four to twenty-three, all possessing a wide range of ability levels. By encouraging students to collaborate and freely compose, teachers can guide students with special needs beyond playing precomposed music and into creative thinking and building an overall sense of confidence, community, and musicianship.