Music Composition 4 Kids was a project that I launched in November 2021 through the sponsorship of the Dragon Kim Foundation Fellowship. I wanted to be able to share my passion for composing music and writing digital scores with underserved students, aiming to ignite their creative spirit and give them the knowledge and tools to share their musical voices. Musical instruments are expensive, as are lessons to learn how to play them. But, with knowledge of foundational music theory and an understanding of the music-writing process, students can work at their own pace to innovate and collaborate.
Outreach
The intention is to spark a lifelong connection with music that directly engages students in critical thinking and problem-solving in an encouraging, fun environment. Beyond musical composition, students also improve their ability to utilize online resources, leveraging free digital tools that, with just a laptop, would unlock every sound at their fingertips from grand pianos to drum sets. The program also builds self-confidence as students share their work and their process, while also encouraging team-building through group projects that give each student a chance to lead and meaningfully contribute.
While I had already taught musical composition on a smaller scale, I recognized that I needed mentorship and coaching to transform this idea into a broader, more targeted program that I can actually implement this summer. The Dragon Kim Foundation provided the necessary funding, resources, and support to guide me in further developing this program and getting it off the ground.
With their mentorship, I developed a fun, interactive curriculum that would combine beginner’s music theory with hands-on sheet-writing, teaming up with two of my classmates to reach more young musicians.
