The field of creative music education is described as complex, unpredictable and versatile. The aim of this article is to explore this complexity and diversity on the basis of the continental "didaktik" tradition and Robin Alexander's generic model of teaching. The educational practice and orientation of the teacher are investigated in relation to student and subject matter perspectives, by analysing the what, how and why questions of teaching and learning music composition in school settings. Hence, the purpose is analytic and conceptual rather than prescriptive. The data presented in this article consists of observations and interviews of three sets of teachers and their students. The educational orientation of the teacher appears to be important, and consists of both actions and attendant discourses. It seems to shape different practices by directing the teacher's interpretations on curriculum and subject matter, and subsequently effects the ways students work with music improvisation and composition, in particular due to different choices of learning tasks (both concerning structure, matter and meaning). The analysis contributes towards developing an analytic framework for further research on teaching and learning music composition. (Contains 3 figures.)