Less Glamorous but Essential: Australian Composers’ Perspectives on Writing Art Music for Children’s Performance

Abstract

In Australia, writing art music for children to perform has often been viewed as existing at the less glamorous end of the composition business. Yet, for those who compose music for young performers, it is an essential part of their role as creative practitioners. Many notable Australian composers, in addition to their writing for professional musicians, have written music for this age group. This article seeks to show, for the first time, the aims of Australian composers in writing music for children’s performance. The results of quantitative and qualitative surveys with 77 Australian contemporary  composers divulge the complexities of writing music for this genre: the reasons that Australian composers write music for young performers, the process of composing for this genre and the specialised skill set required. This study shows that many Australian composers aim to offer children an experience that transcends musical ideas and  connects them to a wider world of learning, which is significant when considering the development of music education at both pre-tertiary and tertiary levels. Ultimately, it is anticipated that the current research will help to give due recognition to the value of the genre and highlight its potential benefits to composers and children alike.