Standard 2: The teacher of PK-12 music has skills in creating, arranging, and improvising.

The ability to compose, arrange, and improvise freely are the creative music skills that give musicians
agency in their art form. Through these skills, musicians become creative artists able to offer valuable
contributions. While reading is often emphasized in music education, as in general education, it is often
overlooked that the ability to write is a core factor of literacy as well. As is true in life, both the ability to
interpret and the ability to compose are required for effective communication to occur. It is for these
reasons that it is important for the teacher of music to be a fully effective communicator using music as
a medium.

As a student, I've composed and arranged formally through coursework. Ive explored ways to teach
improvisation and composition as well in both the elementary and jazz classroom settings. I've further
developed and utilized these skills in my community through participation in drama, school music
ensembles, and worship leadership through a small-ensemble praise team at my church. These
experiences have served to develop my creativity and have broadened my perspective of music and the
teaching of it and have been invaluable to my expressive development.

As a witness of the value of creative experiences in music, in my music classroom students will explore
musical qualities by employing them in composition and improvisation. This will help students to
develop a deep understanding of the music in a way that practices their application of the skills and
makes them engage in performance, instead of simply developing analytical skills in regard to it. In
addition, I believe that the best way to learn anything: a musical skill, a culture, etc. is by doing. There is
by nature a period of observation required, but more importantly, a continued cycle of application and
reflection until the desired result is manifested. In this way, the connections made from the student are
as a practitioner, instead of simply a consumer.