Creating Music

Patricia Riley is an associate professor of music and the coordinator of the music education program at the University of Vermont in Burlington. Previously, she taught at the Crane School of Music, the State University of New York at Potsdam and Green Mountain College in Poultney; and instrumental, general, and choral music for twenty years in the public schools of New Jersey and Vermont.

• Foreword—Peter WebsterPrefacePart I The Why and How of Children’s Music CreationChapter 1: Creating Music is Important Chapter 2: Understanding the Processes of Music Creation Part II Exemplifying the Creating Process Components with Children’s Compositionsand Improvisations From Around the WorldChapter 3: Meeting the Children and Their Surroundings Chapter 4: Imagining MusicChapter 5: Planning and Making MusicChapter 6: Evaluating and Refining MusicChapter 7: Presenting MusicPart III Facilitating Children’s CreatingChapter 8: Crafting Creating Opportunities Chapter 9: Mentoring Student Creations ReferencesAbout the Author

Riley is an experienced music teacher and professor, and the present book arose from her desire to help pre-service and in-service music educators understand and implement the revised standards for music composition. The focus of this fascinating project is articulated in the book's subtitle. The process of communication and collaboration a child uses to create music reflects his/her culture and awareness of other cultures. The author divides the book into three sections: the first looks at applied research and the curriculum used in formulating the project; the second examines components of the creative process and describes the cultures of the five countries represented in the book; the last looks at educators' role as facilitators. The inclusion of lesson plans and examples of projects for teachers to encourage classroom music composition and improvisation makes this an extraordinarily valuable resource. The book is well written and abounds with illustrations, tables, figures, charts, interviews, and curriculum standards.Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates; graduate students; professionals.