Who comes to mind when you hear the word "composer?"
For most of my students, the answer to that question is someone like Beethoven or Mozart--a composer who lived and worked hundreds of years ago. And while of course those composers make up an important part of our piano study, I think it is also very important for students to learn about the living composers who are producing new music every day.
To this end, this spring I will be doing a semester-long project to help my students learn more about the music of living composers. I have created a series of worksheets that will help my students to think more about who writes the music they enjoy each day. I hope these worksheets will help my students to research and listen to new music, as well.
Feel free to download and use these worksheets with your own students if you like! I am planning on doing one worksheet each month with my students, culminating with each student performing a piece by a living composer at our spring recital in May. However, I tried to make the worksheets flexible enough that you may use them however you like. I will also be blogging later this month about the composers my students have discovered in their research.
Click HERE or on the pictures above to download the living composer project worksheets (#1-4).
What do you think? Do you encourage your students to listen to music by living composers? Who are your favorites? Please share your ideas in the comments!