Songwriting/composition in lesson

[keyofc]

Does anyone teach songwriting and composition in their lesson?
If so, I would be interested in hearing how you do it and how successful you are at being able to still teach piano in the timeframe that you have for your lesson.

[mattgreenecomposer]

One question, do you mean songwriting in the traditional sense like with a vocal part, or just song as in any piece of music (solo piano for example)?

Yes, I teach composition lessons  to any one who is interested which is about 50% of my students.  I think it is imperative to compose atleast somewhat in order to be good at your instrument-especially piano.  Alot of it includes the standard tonal theory at first, forming chords, inversions, Roman numerals, resolving leading tones for example, what chords sound good in certain circumstances with other chords and why.  Of course if your dealing with 20th c techniques, this goes out the window but most people don't take piano to learn how to write like Schoenburg.
In a way, basic improve is composition, so if you can get them improvising off some easy chord changes then they will take more of an interest I think.
I know I will get in trouble for saying this on this forum but a person does not know what goes into a Sonata  until they have taken the time to write one.  Playing and writing are two different things.  To really fully appreciate it, you have to go through the painstaking process of learning all the formal functions (Caplin for example) and what purpose every nook and cranny serves.  Then the piece will make more sense and it will show in the performers playing.

[keyofc]

Thanks Matt,
I guess I was thinking more along the lines of solo piano type of songwriting.

I have never written a sonata - here's a crazy question maybe..
does a sonata have to be classical?

Or is that like asking if the rose has to be a flower?

If you have written one - would you care to share it -  or how you did it?  How long it took you?  Was it mostly a creative feeling when you were doing it - or was it mostly theoretical at first - trying to make sure you were following all the rules of composition?