ABSTRACT
Composition and improvisation have important roles in instrumental music education. The thought of playing music without being able to read it is enough to paralyze some folks, and the prospect of teaching it to others is worse. Musical words need not be jazzy or complicated. More sophisticated expressions develop as we expand our vocabulary, develop the ability to manipulate those words, and master more sophisticated transitional material. Improvisation is an excellent vehicle for teaching a host of music fundamentals. The challenge of teaching composition parallels that of teaching improvisation. Composers in the Middle Ages and Renaissance wrote sacred contrapuntal works using other pieces and popular melodies as the starting point. Develop a list of popular tunes the marching band or pep band would like to play at football and basketball games and assign each one to a different student.
