ABSTRACT
The analytical curriculum for the teaching of music in compulsory elementary education in Greece, which is addressed to pupils aged 6-12, also anticipates the teaching of improvisation and composition. This area has in reality been neglected for various reasons, which include
1 The nature of the subject: the main orientation is towards singing and learning how to play a musical instrument rather than creating music;
2 The technical difficulties: creating music in the conventional way relies a lot on pre-existing knowledge of musical reading and writing;
3 The teacher him/herself: music teachers usually have not studied improvisation and composition. As a result, they often feel intimidated due to self-perceived lack of scientific efficiency on these matters.
