ABSTRACT
The chapter begins by offering some ideas on terminology and definitions used in the context of composing with children and adolescents. It then discusses the current situation of composition in the context of classroom music education in Austria. The main focus is on describing formal and informal pathways of learning for composers working as composition teachers, which are part of the specific Austrian project ‘Klangnetze’ (‘Webs of Sound’).
In Austria, the newly established university program of composition pedagogy at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz employs formal learning. Other types of projects which are predominantly run by the project hub OeAD (Agency for Education and Internationalization Austria) use informal learning. In addition to the description of formal and informal learning pathways, the chapter offers a discussion of school-curricular guidelines in Austria with respect to composing in the classroom. Furthermore, the chapter elaborates on the role of composition teachers in the context of composing in public schools, where composers’ natural competences, importance, and necessity are often questioned. At the end of the chapter, future perspectives for this field of practice and research are discussed.
