Elementary String Teachers' Perceptions of Improvising and Composing in Beginning String Instruction

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine elementary instrumental music teachers’ perceptions of the inclusion of composing and improvising in their instruction with beginning string students. A total of 46 Pennsylvania public-school string teachers participated in this study. Participants filled out a 21-question survey consisting of questions about demographics, their undergraduate experience with improvising and composing, their confidence in both teaching and personally engaging with improvising and composing, the perceived importance of learning both skills, the benefits and challenges of learning how to improvise and compose, and the resources needed to successfully implement further instruction on both skills. Participants were contacted via their school email address and were given a total of 4 weeks to complete the survey. Results from the survey indicate a majority of participants had few opportunities to improvise and compose as well as few opportunities to teach both skills in their undergraduate music programs. Most participants rated themselves slightly to moderately confident in their ability to teach improvising and composing and in their ability to improvise and compose. The most frequently mentioned hurdle to teaching improvising and composing was “time”. Substantive and meaningful curricular changes are needed at all levels of music instruction in order to equip young students and future music teachers with the skills necessary to thrive in the modern, musical world.