Simpedia

Cindy B., Illinois

I eventually begin to assign small compositions, after asking for 5 or so weeks. My experience is that students aren’t usually resistant so much as they have misgivings about their ability to compose anything that’s “good”, and I always and often reassure students that every composition is good, no matter what. Set up an environment of permission in other words.

Beth S., Tennessee

I require my students to compose something, even if just a sequence of five notes. I make it a requirement in their lesson along with playlist, foundation songs, etc. Several of my students who were adamant against it, were only holding their opinion because they were insecure about their ability to launch out on their own.

Once they brought in a few notes and I directed them in a few more, etc., and we came up with an original song, then their opinion changed. I wouldn’t stop asking. If my swimming teacher hadn’t insisted I jump off the high dive in 6th grade, I would still be afraid of it.

Terri P., Michigan

I would keep encouraging them. I have found that if I just give them stricter parameters, they can come up with something. Tell them to use the left hand of Dreams, and mix up the order of the notes, with the right hand. Each time you assign them a composition project, give them less parameters.

Sheri R., California

I would keep encouraging–it’s one of the components of being self-generative, which is one of the stated goals of Simply Music. And one of our jobs as teachers, I think, is to gently nudge people where they don’t want to go. After all, how many kids resist all sorts of things they have to learn in school that they have no interest in? You never know whose interest will be sparked unless everyone gets involved with it. Some will take to it more readily and enthusiastically and will spend more time with it but it’s for EVERYONE! (I think everything in this program is intended to be taught to everyone, even though at a later stage some will choose to focus on classical, or blues, or fake books, or improvisation, etc.  just as some will play in a band, some will play at church, some will play at home solely for their pleasure, and some will become famous for a much loved composition, maybe even the student who was resistant!)

For young kids sometimes I just have them point to 4 or 5 random fingers, say them aloud, and then put them on the piano (say in Night Storm position). I ask if they like the way it sounds. If not, we have another go at it. I encourage them to play with rhythms too.

Another simple and easy thing to ask them to do is play around using only black notes.

The idea is to early on not let them think they are only going to receive information from you. My students who I waited with on introducing composing projects have a harder time getting out of their box. I now start new students with simple composition projects very soon, early in level one usually.