This article discusses free improvisation and how it can be applied in general music classrooms. Free improvisation focuses on feeling and experimentation over strict sounds, and forces performers to listen to each other. It can be done by anyone regardless of ability level. The article argues that improvisation promotes skills like flexibility, confidence and innovation, and that teachers should feel comfortable improvising to create a safe space for creativity in the classroom.
This article discusses free improvisation and how it can be applied in general music classrooms. Free improvisation focuses on feeling and experimentation over strict sounds, and forces performers to listen to each other. It can be done by anyone regardless of ability level. The article argues that improvisation promotes skills like flexibility, confidence and innovation, and that teachers should feel comfortable improvising to create a safe space for creativity in the classroom.
This article discusses free improvisation and how it can be applied in general music classrooms. Free improvisation focuses on feeling and experimentation over strict sounds, and forces performers to listen to each other. It can be done by anyone regardless of ability level. The article argues that improvisation promotes skills like flexibility, confidence and innovation, and that teachers should feel comfortable improvising to create a safe space for creativity in the classroom.
Free Improvisation: What It Is, and Why We Should Apply
It in Our General Music Classrooms
Niknaf, N. (2013). Free improvisation: What it is, and why we should apply it in our general music classrooms. National Association for Music Education, 27 (1), 29-34. Niknafs (2013) article focused on the concept of Free Improvisation and how it can be integrated into General music classrooms in a tasteful way. Free Improvisation changes the function of the sounds situated more upon feeling, experimentation. One strong element of this style of improvisation is how it forces the performers to listen to one another. Improvisation can be played by anyone regardless of age and musical capability. Derek Bailey saw diversity as the most consistent characteristic of free improvisation. He said that free improvisation, is open to use by almost anyone beginners, children and non-musicians (Niknafs, 2013 P. 30). The skills used to improvise are whatever is available for that particular performer; there is no good or bad way to improvise. Although free improvisation is generally looked at through the eyes of performance, as music educators, improve can be used in many ways in the classroom. For example, teachers are constantly improvising within the curriculum to fit the students needs or coming up with inventive ideas to assist students. Improvisation is a great skill to use in all aspects of music making and educating. In the late 50s/ early 60s, there was a greater push for a less restrained style of jazz improvisation in contrast to the more restricted styles of music. This movement led to much needed shift in thinking for not only Jazz but Western music as well. It led to an openness to notation, graphic scores and improvisational performances. Some musicians who played a huge role in improvisation were: Cornelius Cardew, Eddie Prevost, Derek Bailey, Gavin Bryars, and Tony Oxley. The significance in music shifted from formal aspects to thematic qualities. Sounds gained from nature grew in importance. Along with this shift in significance, improvisation shifted the way that the composer and performer were looked at. Since improvisation can only happen in the moment, the performer plays just as large of a role in the composition as the composer. This can be looked at from two perspectives: process and product; the composer being the process and the performer being the product. Free Improvisation blurs the lines between the composer and the performer, soloist and the accompanist, the performer and the audience, the performer and the teacher and the student. Improvisation is a very leveled playing field for all involved in the music making process which makes it a very communal event. This is much different than a more traditional performance where the performer plays a piece that they wrote before performing it. Improvisation changes with each differing audience which makes the performer connected to each one that they perform for.
Once musicians get beyond the fear of exposing themselves while
improvising, it is a great skill that promotes flexibility, confidence and innovation. The task for music educators is to be comfortable enough to improvise in order to create a safe environment for creativity inn the classroom. Personal Reflection