ABSTRACT
As student performances of diverse musical repertoires become increasingly fluent and expressive, a desire to develop original musical ideas within these traditions naturally develops among students. Indeed, the art of composition and improvisation is very much alive in many musical practices around the globe, supporting the idea that learning to create music in addition to reproducing it is a necessary goal of the musical education of instrumental musicians in school ensembles. In this chapter, strategies for improvising, composing, and arranging within specific musical practices are discussed that consider the suitability and maintain the integrity of original creation within particular musical contexts. Both beginner and advanced strategies for approaching original musical creations are discussed, and a holistic view of world music creation is presented in which transcultural musical efforts are made possible.
