How does one teach a subjective art form like music composition in an objective manner?
As someone who has never taken composition lessons, I've always wondered how one teaches composition without straying into the purely subjective. In other words, how does one teach composition in a way that you're giving students *fact-based* suggestions for improvements instead of merely *opinion-based* suggestions?I suspect that good composition teachers offer a mixture of both, and that subjective suggestions are more about teaching students to always think of new approaches. But I'm specifically asking how one teaches fact-based suggestions in a subjective (i.e., opinion-based) art form.And more specifically, what are these particular objective tasks that are taught in composition lessons?If possible, I'm looking for answers that apply to composition of all genres.
More
1 Expert Answer
Stephen C. answered • 03/30/20
Tutor
5
(56)
Emmy Winning Composer of Film and Concert Music
Composition is an area of human endeavor in which the idea of facts (the kind I think you are seeking) do not really exist. In art, there is no right and wrong in the same sense that there is i math and even language. The goal in teaching composition is to encourage the student to develop his/her own sensibility. The right or wrong then is when what's written agrees or contradicts with that sensibility. This is the hardest concept for students of any art to understand and accept.
Now, having said that, it doesn't mean that there is nothing learn in studying composition - on the contrary there is much to be learned. I think of it in two main categories: 1) Theory (studying what has been done and accepted and 2) Creative process - learning to use your mind for creative purposes and both use the technique you've acquired from studying theory and to make your own leaps beyond it (so you are not limited by the past.
Another to say this that you need to develop technique by studying what's been done and then you need develop your own creative pathway.(which often starts with giving up the idea that there are some "facts" that you must adhere to. Keep in mind that many of the most important composers have been heavily criticized for defying traditions - this allowed them to free themselves from past and create new pathways (that later became the theory that the next generation needed to defy in order to make a real contribution.)
Still looking for help? Get the right answer, fast.
Ask a question for free
Get a free answer to a quick problem.
Most questions answered within 4 hours.
OR
Find an Online Tutor Now
Choose an expert and meet online. No packages or subscriptions, pay only for the time you need.
Jared B.
Well, an objective of composition in any medium must certainly be to actually produce something tangible for others to experience whether it be a musical composition, an exhibition in visual media, a meal, or a work of dance/movement. Here's a fact: lots of students need help choosing the path or direction for a work of art. Not all of them do, but many. With so many possibilities, it's easy to sit and look at a blank canvas without knowing where to begin. It's helpful to have some idea of how to limit the possible so that a path toward completion can be undertaken. Imagine starting a musical composition with any given note or chord, or with any particular instrument. What comes next? Or maybe you want to paint an image of a cow on canvas? Great. How and where to begin? Perhaps you're an aspiring filmmaker, or poet, or chef, ad infinitum... Any creative will certainly come to consider the infinite number of choices on how to go from one action in their work to the next. Sometimes, a student simply needs to be guided: "What would happen if you allowed yourself ONLY three spices in this dish? Which three would you choose and why? OK. Let's see what happens... How did that taste? Is that what you want others to experience?" "OK... It's a blank canvas. Let's allow for four colors and two different implements. Where to start? How about the cow's shoulder?... Did that work? Why/why not?" "Let's compose a work for flute, cello, and percussion. That's it. Yes, yes... We're allowing any series of notes and chords, but I want you to write the work utilizing two time-signatures. You'll start off in the tempo you've got. Now ,let's modulate at m. 37 and return between mm. 53-56. And... Go!" Regardless of the "worthiness" of the outcome, the student learns, with every attempt, how to create something. This is a very useful skill for creatives. The hope is they'll create so much content there isn't the chance their own unique voice won't emerge.01/07/20