Writing for Beginners

I recently worked at a kid's instrumental music camp and was thankfully commissioned to write a few pieces for the students involved (string orchestra, chamber). Is it weird that I found myself more initially paralyzed to write music for them then I would for a professional orchestra? I've always had problems coming up with initial melodies, so that affects me for writing for both professional players and beginner players. But in terms of finishing the piece with interesting parts for all the instruments that is engaging for them to play (i.e. what they'd find "cool" music to play), I find myself having to rewrite and ponder things more. Does anyone else have this problem?

I agree, I also find it more difficult to write good "easy" compositions more appropriate for a student level ensemble or performer rather than writing unfettered by considerations of difficulty.  I wrote a set of six piano pieces initially setting out to write them at an intermediate level but after working on a few of them I abandoned that limitation as it was hard for me to write pieces that I thought were both easy but also not overly trite.

A few years ago I managed to write a short ditty for a student string orchestra, and it was promptly performed. Of course it wasn't perfect, but they did a nice job with it. Granted, they weren't exactly beginners, but their level was far from professional - remember, they were high schoolers. So I just went along avoiding the overly complex lines I would normally write in my orchestral pieces (you can check these scores and see what I'm talking about) and hoping they would be able to cope with a fairly difficult work. I have the advantage of having melodies come off rather easily, but a "cool" piece for a beginner should have other attractive features (a bouncy rhythm, for instance, did wonders for me).

Bottom line: don't underestimate a performer, even a beginner.

John Mackey write on his blog a post about this topic (http://ostimusic.com/blog/writing-for-young-band/). I feel that what he has to say about this topic is going to be a little more helpful than i can contribute myself.

You guys of course are in a different league than me, but I always check out what others have done that's in the vein of what I'm aiming to do.  I take stock of which techniques worked well, not so well..  YouTube is my go to source for inspiration..  I'll check out all kinds of groups, bands, ensembles.. When I find them doing something I like, I'll cop it, figure out why it's working and change the idea, motif or notes to suit my needs .. It becomes another writing tool process. 

Since I only  play keyboards and computers, I occasionally get stuck for part ideas..  I go listen to some other source material..  Then go back to my piece and 'jam sing' a part modify it to fit into my piece..  For instance I'll sing horn lines, then figure them out for my fingers..  Sometimes I'll take a scrap of a melody, or even the melody put it into my piece, than transpose the notes to fit the chord structure, alter the phrasing.. (so no one will sue me)..  Works when your stuck..  50 or so years ago as teenager.. I took the chords to the Beatles, "She Loves You".. Reversed them.. and wrote a Beatlesque type melody with my own lyrics..  It came out great, and did sound like a Beatle song you never heard before..  

 I've collected a large amount of MIDI files.  and will sometimes take a part from one of them.. Strip it out, and modify it (notes, timing, phrasing) to fit what I'm working on..

I took a free course at Coursera.org called 'Music as Biology'..  It's a rather dry course.. but had some very valuable information (I found)..  It talked about the totally unique 'trade agreement' our ears, voice and brain have  made to function in creating, listening and dealing with music.. Dealing with music uses more parts of our brain than any other activity.

Sound data comes in, some processing is done, and then chunks of data are sent to other areas of the brain for more detailed processing..  pitch done in one section, rhythm another, locality of sound, is processed.. theres a few more functions.. then all the processed data is sent to a 'master section' where it is 'assembled' into what we hear..  All the time this data is tied into our neural network, and memories, and emotions are pulled in, when there are similarities to the present data, and previous mental work we have done..  

It spoke about the harmonics of different instruments, and the resonant cavities of each instrument (body of violin, trumpet, tuba, etc) modify the sound generation part of instrument to 'color' the sound..  how the harmonics of different instruments have a psychological importance to us..  What intervals of notes have an impression on the brain..  I found it interesting..  There really are some 'primal melodies'..  some of it is passed on as genetic memory..  4th note intervals are a kind of warning sound, as used by animals to warn of danger..  As a result I've started to view music differently than I ever have before.. I think of the collection of sounds to play a part, or to make a 'color'. And the sound color is just as important sometimes as the exact notes played. 

I've been working on easy listening 'middle of the road' pop.. I use traditional instrument sounds, but have started to go back to my love of synthesizers (in the 70's.  So I'm creating a palette of tradition and untraditional sounds..  With an orchestra you do it by unique instrument combinations, and some instruments playing supporting notes here and there. to give weight and movement to the music motif. I've just recently started using synth patches, with chips of colored noise blended in.. odd harmonics coming into the sound with programed, or played by another instrument, very softly faded in and out..  .. make use of deep low tones, with a vague pitch center, and using pitch bends.  to muddy up the clear cut pitch center. Putting in off color passing notes (a fair amount softer and shorter than main notes).. 

What child can ignore the sound of a fife, or tuba? Those unique sound colors, and especially what note intervals it uses in the melody.. can 'catch' a child's interest. 

Children's minds are very pliable.  the 'music sections' of their brains are very active up till 6.. Some 'experts' claim, children can have the ability to develop perfect pitch if encouraged in music.  That ability starts to fade at 6..  Still they can musically grasp things quicker (in all aspects)..  Of course their musical taste aren't that sophisticated yet.. I couldn't listen to jazz until my late 20's,  just to foreign to my ears..  So Austenite is right.. We might be  surprised how quickly children can latch on to some things..

 I was 4 or so,  when I realized how much I loved the song 'The Yellow Rose of Texas'..  When I heard that on the radio, boy would I get excited.. It was then I realized that all the different pieces of music on the radio were 'different'.. Before that it was something generic, like a noise, I kind of dismissed just like a plain wall.  I still hadn't made the connection between  nursery rhymes, and the music on the radio.. they seem so different