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Music students, their teachers, composers, and school communities experience deep, long-lasting growth in music-making and artistic perspective when provided with opportunities to engage in the commissioning of new musical works in conjunction with composer residencies. Through consideration of relevant literature and case-study examination, the article defines and articulates possible formats for commissioned works projects with composer residencies. A discussion of the beneficial outcomes of such projects for student musicians, music educators, composers, and constituent communities addresses reasons for coordinating projects of this nature. The article concludes with a step-by-step guide that lays out how educators can organize a commissioned work and composer residency project for their students that is appropriate for their specific educational context