Accessible Composing in the General Music Classroom

• Elise Hackl-Blumstein
• Posted 9/7/21
• 0 comments

Promoting Independent Composition for Neurodivergent Students

Music is self-expression. To perform music, we share the most vulnerable version of ourselves, opening up to criticism, subjectivity, and the like. Yet, music was born in culture — shared in ceremonies, life events, and familial gatherings worldwide.  

Music was once accessible to all, yet most current teaching methods center around shared elements such as standard notation and structured composition. What happens when we take a step back to include all students and incorporate their strengths into composition? We make music!

Incorporating Universal Design for Learning (UDL) focuses on three central tenets: (a) provide options through multiple means of engagement; (b) provide options for content representation; (c) provides various options for students to demonstrate understanding (Basham et al., 2020). By embedding UDL in lessons, multiple options for student engagement, participation, and response are in place. 

Let’s start by looking at one of our NCAS standards under the umbrella of creation (Cr):

MuCr1.1.1a. With limited guidance, create musical ideas
(such as answering a musical question) for a specific purpose. 

This standard promotes the creation of musical ideas for a specific idea. Echo songs, call and response patterns, and improvisation are all useful ways to demonstrate creating musical ideas and how they impact a piece.   

Let’s look at the song “Down by the Bay.” This echo song has a call and response pattern and a fun ending before the “Down by the Bay” motive ends the phrase. Students love to create the ending to the phrase after the call and response portion in this activity. 

Students can access this activity using multiple modes by incorporating UDL, ensuring access for all students. These 4 options explore different ways to fill in the ending phrase in the song “Down by the Bay.”   

After the teacher models the song, students can have the opportunity to create their own ending, demonstrating understanding of the structure of the piece as well as creating a musical idea that fits the purpose — finding a creative way to end the song. Each option provides student choice, various levels of guidance, and individualized support specific to student needs. 

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1) Students improvise independently for what may come next.

“Did you ever see a _______, wearing a _______?”  

The first example is what we would typically see in a classroom.  A teacher sings the first part of the phrase and asks a student to create a creative way to end the song. This option is excellent for students who have strong aural skills or can focus on what the teacher has stated.  

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2) Students get a sentence starter and fill in the blanks.

Did you ever see a ______________________ wearing a ________________________ ?

The second example is helpful for students who struggle with organizing sentence structure or need a quick redirection for how the song goes. You can also add a word bank below if students need help deciding on which animal to choose for students who need more assistance making choices or seeing the ending sound of the word to create a rhyme: 

Did you ever see a _____________________ wearing a ______________________ ?

bear

tiger

dog

cat

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3) Students receive a visual chart with choices for animals and rhyming words.

The third option works for students who understand the structure of the phrase but who have trouble making choices or who use alternative communication methods such as iPads, visual aids, and more. Use fewer options or more options to individualize even further. 

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4) Students use a switch or button to choose which response they would like to incorporate into the song.

This final option is effective for students who communicate with alternative communication methods such as iPads, switches, and eye gaze machines. It is also great for students who may be anxious or shy in taking a turn, using the teacher’s voice to support their musical choice.  

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The wonderful thing about utilizing UDL in lesson plans is that there are many options for student participation. UDL ensures access for all students, and each option may serve the needs of many students. Each option used alone or combined provides different ways for students to engage with a song, re-teach, or further engage with the piece.  

Although the processes involved in each option are unique, all of these options still achieve the lesson objective: create an ending for the phrase. Keeping our goal in mind, we can design steps with the individual needs of all of our students at the center. Re-thinking the process in which our students participate provides equitable access to music education; when we give students the ability to contribute in a way that is relevant to them, we can see them flourish. Then, we can ensure that all students can achieve the goal and engage in music in meaningful ways. 

References

Basham, J.. D., Gardner, J.. E., & Smith, S. J. (2020). Measuring the implementation of UDL in classrooms and schools: Initial field test results. Remedial and Special Education, 41(4),  231-243. DOI: 10.1177/0741932520908015 

Mayer-Johnson, Inc. Boardmaker. Solana Beach, Calif.:Mayer-Johnson, Inc., 2002. 

State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education. (2014). National Core Arts Standards.  

Dover, DE: State Education Agency, Directors of Arts Education. 

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