We made it up ourselves! In praise of children as composers

Whilst there is clear intention that children should have opportunities for practical experience, this seems to be limited to performance skills, rather than composing skills. Whilst performing is an important aspect of music education, it is just one parameter of what I would argue should be a much more all-embracing framework. I want to consider the importance of composing within the music curriculum, in the context of national policy and its impact on local practice. Take any piece of music, and the making of it will have involved at least three different roles: the composer, the performer and the listener (see Figure 1). Involvement in these roles is supported by developing understanding of key musical concepts such as melody, rhythm and dynamics, and know-how in the form of musical skills, e.g. being able to keep a steady beat or sing in tune. The three roles of composer, performer and listener may sometimes be separated by geography – for example, a British band perform an a