Aspirations, considerations and processes: Songwriting in and for music education

Abstract

This article examines an undergraduate songwriting course offered at tertiary level. The article begins by providing a contemporary context for the song and songwriting processes. In doing so, it considers various definitions of song and of songwriting. These considerations provide context for the course development and its subsequent implementation. The associated research explores student motivations and objectives for undertaking the course and for engaging in songwriting more broadly. In addition to identifying a range of student aspirations, findings confirmed a diversity of musical abilities, instrumentation choices and songwriting processes among participants. Such diversity in creative modes reflects the need for educators to consider a range of songwriting processes and components. The article concludes by further considering how songwriting accounts for individualized creative expression in music education.