Joel Krosnick, a top performer of avante-garde music, urges students to recreate the fantasy that the composer visualized in creating the music through gestures, expression, and coloration. (AM)

Describes the structural similarities inherent in musical and linguistic compositions and how they reflect basic human impulses and principles of effective composition. Uses Bach's "Passacaglia" to illustrate the characteristics of good composition. (JMF)

Discusses how Holst's composition can be used in high school band classes. Background information on the composer and his work is included. The themes of each movement in the Suite are analyzed for problems they might pose for student musicians. (AM)

The author explores some of the possibilities and problems involved in teaching musical composition, describes three approaches to songwriting, and offers suggestions for ways teachers can reinforce efforts of student songwriters. (KC)

Asserting that children are particularly open to novelty in music, the author analyzes four examples of twentieth-century avante-garde music and suggests how they can be presented in a children's music class. (SJL)

This article presents a rationale for using songwriting in the elementary grades and outlines a plan by which a whole class of fifth- or sixth-graders can work together to write a song. (SJL)

Describes how a student teacher used the Comprehensive Musicianship approach to introduce high school choruses to contemporary music. Choir students participated in the entire composition process from text selection to musical analysis of a choral work. Student discussion of the completed work reinforced their understanding of musical principles.…

Provides a selected list of contemporary performance literature suitable for middle school and junior high bands. Considers both quality and consistency, as well as the ability of a composition to remain interesting and challenging throughout rehearsal, as selection standards. Groups the 100 works according to difficulty level. (LS)

The author states that in a melody/harmony/rhythm sense, improvising on a synthesizer is no different from improvising on any other instrument. The capabilities of synthesizers are described, and exercises and methods to be used with synthesizers are outlined. (KC)

Presents activities for discovering and exploring sound in the environment and for creating a "musical" composition from everyday sounds. (SJL)

Three teaching units are presented as models for integrating the guitar in a comprehensive musicianship program. Designed for high school or college level, each emphasizes composition and improvisation. The units deal with the use of tremolo, quartal harmonic structure, and variation technique. Selected readings, music, and recordings are listed.…

The past, present and future of music improvisation is discussed. Resources for piano, guitar, elementary general music materials, and electronic music materials are included, along with addresses of publishers. The emphasis is on jazz. (KC)

The author suggests that instruction in musical improvisation can serve any student interested in music. Improvisation is defined, teaching suggestions are presented, and selected resources for teaching with improvisation are included. The emphasis is on jazz, though most information is applicable to other kinds of improvisation. (KC)

This discussion of copyright law on music focuses on the special problems of the band director who wishes to make a special arrangement or alteration of a copyrighted work. Guidelines and a sample form are provided for securing the publisher's permission to arrange a musical work. (SJL)

Offers suggestions for students and teachers for learning jazz improvisation. Discusses listening, practicing scales, chords, phrasing, developing a sense of swing, and shaping creative ideas through structural features. Emphasizes the relationship between chords and scales as a critical key to improvisation. Recommends educational materials to…