Sitting behind my piano today thinking about composition pedagogy and specifically motivic development. I was first introduced to the idea in Year 8 however I often find myself reflecting on how the basic concepts of the technique should be introduced earlier in the music curriculum not just for secondary students but middle to upper primary as well. Are the concepts really so difficult that students won’t be able to understand at least the basics until Stage 5 (Year 9/10) or is it that teachers don’t believe that students will grasp the ideas OR are teachers uncertain as to how to introduce these concepts in a younger classroom.
With the advancements in technology and software that lends itself ideal for use in musical creativity surely ‘playing around’ with ideas is a lot easier for students to do in this day and age??? Just a thought worth pondering.
LJS Music Education 