For decades theorists have opined that the lines between creative writing and composition need to be lifted, yet little has been written about the pedagogical methods that allow a cohesive approach between the disciplines. This book brings together contemporary authors and well-respected creative writing instructors and theorists to explore ways creativity in composition may be encouraged in student writers. The question in this anthology is not ‘Can writing be taught?’ but ‘How can we inspire students to embrace the creative process no matter what they write?’ This book offers multiple strategies to merge the best practices of teaching writing, regardless of the genre.

This accessible yet authoritative book considers and encourages flexible, playful and innovative practices in the teaching of writing, and shows how certain practices can develop children's creative and linguistic potential and their overall skill

(Educational Piano Library). This book is meant to assist teachers who wish to introduce their students to creative composition but have limited lesson time available and feel the need for some direction in starting and continuing the process successfully. The process involves devoting as little as five minutes of lesson time to composition, but at every lesson over a period of, for example, six to eight weeks. Suggestions in the concise Lesson Plans help bring about gradual changes or improvements from week to week that are enough to keep the piece developing, and, more importantly, to keep the student immersed and motivated in the process.

This book is a full multimedia curriculum that contains over 60 Lesson Plans in 29 Units of Study, Student Assignments Sheets, Worksheets, Handouts, Audio and MIDI files to teach a wide array of musical topics, including: general/basic music theory, music appreciation and analysis, keyboarding, composing/arranging, even ear-training (aural theory) using technology.

This textbook enhances preservice and practicing music educators' understanding of ways to successfully engage children in music composition. It offers both a rationale for the presence of composition in the music education program and a thorough review of what we know of children's compositional practices to date. Minds On Music offers a solid foundation for planning and implementing composition lessons with students in grades PreK-12.

Music Outside the Lines is an informative and practical resource for all who are invested in making music composition an integral part of curriculum. Author Maud Hickey offers both a well-grounded justification for teaching music composition and also a compendium of useful instructional ideas and classroom activities. Hickey begins with a rationale for teachers to begin composition activities in their own classrooms, with a thoughtful argument that demonstrates that all music teachers possess the skills and training needed to take children along the path toward composing satisfying musical compositions even if they themselves have never taken formal composition lessons. She also addresses some of the stickier issues that affect teaching music composition in schools such as assessment, notation, and technology. Most importantly, she introduces a curricular model for teaching composition, a model which provides an array of composition activities to try in both the music classrooms and studio. These activities encourage musical and creative growth through music composition; while they are organized in logical units corresponding to well-known teaching modules, they also offer jumping off points for music teachers to exercise their own creative thinking and create music composition activities that are customized to their classes and needs. As a whole, Music Outside the Lines both successfully reasons that music composition should be at the core of school music curriculum and also provides inservice and preservice educators with an essential resource and compendium of practical tips and plans for fulfilling this goal.