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Less Glamorous but Essential: Australian Composers' Perspectives on Writing Art Music for Children's Performance

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posted on 2025-01-23, 00:45 authored by Carolyn PhilpottCarolyn Philpott, Holly CaldwellHolly Caldwell, Maria Grenfell

In Australia, writing art music for children to perform has often been viewed as existing at the less glamorous end of the composition business. Yet, for those who compose music for young performers, it is an essential part of their role as creative practitioners. Many notable Australian composers, in addition to their writing for professional musicians, have written music for this age group. This article seeks to show, for the first time, the aims of Australian composers in writing music for children’s performance. The results of quantitative and qualitative surveys with 77 Australian contemporary  composers divulge the complexities of writing music for this genre: the reasons that Australian composers write music for young performers, the process of composing for this genre and the specialised skill set required. This study shows that many Australian composers aim to offer children an experience that transcends musical ideas and  connects them to a wider world of learning, which is significant when considering the development of music education at both pre-tertiary and tertiary levels. Ultimately, it is anticipated that the current research will help to give due recognition to the value of the genre and highlight its potential benefits to composers and children alike.

History

Sub-type

  • Article

Publication title

Journal of Music Research Online

Volume

14

eISSN

1836-8336

ISSN

1836-8336

Department/School

Music, Oceans and Cryosphere, Office of the School of Creative Arts and Media, Riawunna

Publisher

The University of Adelaide

Publication status

  • Published

Rights statement

Copyright 2024 the author. First published by University of Adelaide in Journal of Music Research Online https://doi.org/10.20851/AZFO2390.

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