Composition in Music Education

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of current college programs on contemporary composition. This project highlights the influence education has on composition, specific to the profession of a composer. The curricula in various schools in the United States and the standards set by the National Association for Music Educators were studied in order to understand what the requirements are for students in composition programs. The research in this study showed that music composition is beneficial to every aspect of a music education. It also showed that composers will find greater success with a composition degree, even though there are various music technologies designed to create music without any formal training. This project proved that practicing music composition throughout all music degrees improves the quality of education in future composition students, and that embracing music technology can allow music educators to promote learning outside the classroom.