Primary Music Magazine
Issue 3.1 Spring 2019
Teaching Composing Challenging the Stereotypes and Myths by Dr Kirsty Devaney During my work as a composer-educator I have faced a number of stereotypes held by teachers and students about composers and the processes of composing. An example of some of the comments I receive on introduction myself as a composer include:
âDonât you have to have a funny name to be a composer?â âAre composers alive?â Although quite amusing, it highlights the otherness of the label of composer. During my PhD research I was keen to explore this further and I discovered that the majority of secondary music teachers and students did not identify as a composer due to feeling the term could only be used for: a) Professional composers who earned money for composing b) Those who were deemed as a creative genius (Adapted, Devaney, 2018) So what are these âmyths (Burnard, 2012), stories and stereotypes that cause young people and teachers to be scared of the label of âcomposerâ? My research with students and teachers identified 3 main beliefs about composing.
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