Composition with students on the elementary level sparks imagination and creativity while engaging students in an experience that can demonstrate personal musical growth. Traditionally, music educators have not been taught how to compose music, let alone lead their students in composing experiences. As music educators take the beginning steps of guiding students to a well-modeled, successful composition experience, the process can yield great success for students. By combining elementary recorder instruction and the beginnings of written composition, students experience a new avenue for creativity and personal expression. This article provides a practical way in which music educators can incorporate composition into their classrooms. Students experience composition through independent and cooperative learning, performance, and assessment by both teacher and peers. The result is a positive, motivating experience that strengthens the experience of composition and performance.

The excitement of playing an instrument is one of the greatest motivating forces in teaching general music to students. The autoharp, which may be long forgotten in the general music classrooms of the 21st century, is an ideal instrument to “re-introduce” to students. The teaching of a traditional folk instrument provides advantages for connecting students with music and fostering performance-based music making. The author explores beginning instruction of the autoharp for general music, emphasizing the simplicity of use and the benefits of immediate success. The connection to American culture and folk song repertoire is advocated in addition to recommendations for purchase, care, and tuning of the instrument specifically for student use. Teaching strategies are given, including references to the standards and informal, formal, and peer assessments. A recommended resource list comprising online references, instruction books, and beginning folk song repertoire is included, with a listing of suggested two- and three-chord songs.