There has been an increase of interest in research about composition-based music making for K-12 music programs. During the 1960s and 70s, there was a call for composition-based programs to be implemented and made available for students in K-12 programs (Mark, 1996).  In response to the call, significant players provided financial and teaching support, while the Music Educators National Conference met the call with a variety of symposia (e.g., Tanglewood and GO) (Mark, 1996).  While the push to incorporate composition experiences in school programs during this time, the ability to sustain such activities remained problematic for various reasons, including resources, methods of evaluation, and guidance for expanding thinking about what constitutes a public-based school music program (Reimer, 2003).

Over the last 17-20 years, there has been a revival of research focusing on composition-based music making.  Areas of focus include the composition process, definitions of composition, strategies used when composing, the role of creative thinking in composition, and pedagogical and curricular issues, to name a few.  Examples of specific research includes: (a) revision (Fautley, 2004; Wiggins 1992, 2003; Younker, 2003); (b) exploration (Burnard and Younker, 2002; Kratus, 1989; Wiggins, 2001); and (c) evaluation (Reese, 2003; Webster, 2001).

Several definitions have been offered for composition, including; creating an original work that is meaningful to the composer (Burnard and Younker, 2002; Wiggins, 2001), a process of brainstorming, revising and evaluating (Burnard and Younker, 2002; Fautley, 2005; Younker, 2003), and an opportunity for a person, or persons, to be creative, expressive, and original with musical concepts (Kratus, 1989; Hickey, 1995, 2003; Younker, 2003).

Specific strategies that have been identified as students composed (Barrett, 1996; Bunting, 1987; Burnard, 2000a/b; Christensen, 1993; Citron, 1992; Daignault, 1996; Hickey, 1995; Levi, 1991; Sundin, McPherson, and Folkestad, 1998; Wiggins, 1992; Younker, 2000a/b) include exploring, developing, evaluating, practicing, and performing.  Some research has focused on identifying strategical processes within a developmental progression as exhibited by “novice” and “expert” composers (Colley, Banton, Down, and Pither, 1992; Davidson and Welsh, 1988; Younker and Smith, 1992, 1996).  How much time students spend on these various composing strategies has been investigating by various researchers including) and Kratus (1989).

Creative thinking has been linked with many ways to engage with music, including composition.  Webster (2003) has developed a measurement for creative thinking, and others have utilized this measurement when identifying the role creative thinking plays in composition (Burnard and Younker, 2002; Younker and Burnard 2002).

Finally, research has investigated and continues to investigated the various pedagogical and curricular issues related to composition (e.g., Hickey, 2003; Paynter and Aston, 1970; Schafer, 1975; Wiggins, 2003; Younker, 2003).

Another aspect of composition in schools has focused on the nature of collaboration.  Due to size and numbers, group composition as part of the music programs has received attention (e.g., Younker, 2006). Specifically research has focused on (a) collaboration, communication, and interpersonal interaction in children’s group composition (Morgan, Hargreaves, Joiner, 2000; Young, 2004; Seddon & O’Neill, 2001; Dillon, 2004); (b) gender, musical and social interaction (MacDonald and Miell, 2000a/b); (c) peer interaction, roles, and relationships (Burnard, 2002; Macdonald & Miell, 2000a/b; Wiggins, 2003); (d) the role of exploratory play in collaborative learning (Morgan, Hargreaves, Joiner, 2000); learning from each other–defining roles (Wiggins, 2003); and

This body of research, while not complete and continues to grow, informs us about students’ experiences in composition, including group composition (Wiggins, 2001) students’ perceptions about composing (Younker, 2005); and effective ways to respond to students’ compositions (e.g., see Hickey, 2003; Reese, 2003).  Within the area of students’ experiences in group composition, there has been evidence that listening to students’ talk and musical gestures, and observing their action and interaction can provide insights about what is meaningful to the students (Burnard and Younker, 2002; Dillon, 2004; Morgan, Hargreaves, Joiner, 2000; Seddon & O’Neill, 2001; Young, 2003), and how musical meaning, at the individual and group level, is constructed and negotiated (Macdonald & Miell, 2000a/b; Wiggins, 2003).  These opportunities provide the profession with knowledge about mediating factors that contribute to constructions of understanding through composition, insights about the level of musical meaning students can acquire through composition (Swanwick & Franca, 1999), and the role critical thinking can play throughout the process.  Through observing and hearing students as they compose, and describing, analyzing and synthesizing the stories told as reflected in the students’ verbal and non-verbal gestures that occurred at the individual level and group level during interactions, we can infer the power of composition and the requirement to think critically while composing  (Younker, 2006) .