Tiina1. This is pretty obvious: Composing unleashes creativity. There are no rules when composing, and the student can produce any kind of music he or she likes.
2. Composing helps the student understand how music is created: The process of creating it, developing and finishing it, acquiring ideas and working on them.
3. Composing brings the great composers of music closer to the player. The experience of being a self-creative musician with something to give to the world of music creates value for your own work and narrows the gap between the great masters and your own playing.
4. Composing is really empowering. In it, you create something that would not exist without you.
5. Composing gives the student decision-making power to study their own music. We teachers can give ideas, but the student decides what his or her music sounds like and how it goes on.
6. Composing helps get rid of fear of mistakes. The student must feel free to try different options for how his or her music should continue. It’s important to understand that nothing breaks or dies, even if you play something unpleasant. It can only be forgotten
7. Restrictive perfectionism prevents the flow of free creativity. Composing is a great way to get rid of the excessive pursuit of perfection.
8. Composing increases the courage to improvise and play freely. A student who is accustomed to composing is more inclined to play piano more than just for homework from piano lessons.
9. When composing, it is reasonably easy to enter to the flow mode. It is the teacher’s job to provide an appropriately level composition assignment, clear milestones, and ongoing feedback to enable the students to find their flow.
10. Composing brings variety to students’ music studies and a new fun and inspiring way to express themselves.
11. Composition develops the student’s interpretation. Since no one can say how a composer should interpret his or her own music, it gives more freedom to interpret the music and encourages the student to throw him- or herself into the stream of music.
12. As a student dares to compose atonal and / or alternating rhythmic music as well, his or her understanding of the contemporary music will increase.
13. Your best student may not be the one with the boldest ideas when composing. Composing also highlights students who may have been less successful in their music studies in the past.
14. For all of the above, composing increases a students’ motivation to all of their music studies.
15. Composing with a student brings a new inspiring addition to a teacher’s work. You will be amazed at how great musical ideas your students have!
And one more: Composing is also perfect for online teaching.
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