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Music Composition and Songwriting

In this course, students explore the elements of music and foundational principles of music theory through composition and songwriting. Students will analyze diverse music to find inspiration in the genres and artists they personally enjoy. They will use music notation technology to write music for a variety of instruments and collaborate with classmates as they listen to peers’ creations. Throughout the course, students will develop and refine several original musical works as they understand more about how memorable music is imagined, created, and presented.

In accordance with the National Core Arts Standards for composition, students will engage with music through creating, performing, and responding to diverse music. They will use notation to represent sound, manipulate the elements of music, and sustain the creative process through planning, refining, and presenting a musical work.

Students will practice applying their knowledge and exploring new creative possibilities through a variety of interactive online resources. They will share inspiring recorded music with classmates in weekly discussions, and they will analyze how compositional techniques add to a song’s success and uncover their own aesthetic preferences. Students will use Noteflight notation software to write and hear their compositions and share their work with classmates.

Acknowledgements

  • Proficiency in reading basic tonal melodies in treble and bass clefs.
  • At least one semester of applied musical instruction is recommended.
  • Students must be 13 years of age or older to participate in this course, due to the terms of service of Noteflight.
  • This course contains an end-of-course proctored exam. Instructions for students to identify an appropriate adult proctor are included in the course lessons.

Course Objectives

Course Essential Questions

  • How do individuals choose music to experience?
  • How do musicians make meaningful connections through creating, performing, and responding to music?
  • How do creators and performers communicate their expressive intent?
  • How does context influence creators, performers, and the audience?

Course Learning Objectives

  • Share live or recorded performances of works and explain how the elements of music are used to convey intent.
  • Analyze, aurally and by reading scores, compositional techniques and procedures, relating them to aesthetic effectiveness, style, mood, and context; and explain how the analysis provides models for personal growth as composer, performer, and/or listener.
  • Describe the given context and performance medium for presenting personal works, and how they impact the final composition and presentation.
  • Describe the technical and expressive aspects of selected music and performances, demonstrating understanding of fundamentals of music theory.
  • Apply personally-developed criteria to select music that expresses personal experiences and interests, moods, visual images, concepts, texts, or storylines in simple or moderately complex forms, and describe and defend the choices as models for composition.
  • Identify and implement strategies for improving the technical and expressive aspects of multiple works.
  • Demonstrate how interests, knowledge, and skills relate to personal choices and intent when creating, performing, and responding to music.
  • Share music through the use of notation, performance, or technology, and demonstrate how the elements of music have been employed to realize expressive intent. (adapted from the National Core Arts Standards)

Additional Requirements

  • Students must create a Noteflight account to complete this course and will be directed to do so during the first week of the course.
  • Students will need internal/external speakers or headphones for music listening
  • Accessibility Note: Although every effort has been made to make this course accessible to all students, some resources or activities in this course, such as audio files, images of visual art pieces, or hands-on activities, may present accessibility challenges.