Professional Documents
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MYL-535 Improvisation 1
MDP-651 Studies in Improvised Musics-1
MIAM, Spring 2015
Doent Dr. Robert Reigle
rreigle@gmail.com
Two sessions per week: 1) performance, 90 minutes; 2) seminar, 90 minutes.
Class Times: Mondays 20:30-22:00 (performance), Tuesdays 20:00-21:30 (seminar).
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
A free-improvisation ensemble combined with weekly seminars. During the first half of the
semester, we will examine the history of free jazz, the idiom that revolutionized improvisational
practice. In the second half of the semester we will study the genre referred to as improvised
music, which emerged during the 1960s and has become the global beacon of syncretic improvised
musics. We will look at perspectives from ethnomusicology, cognitive studies, and gesture
research. Each week one class will be devoted to performance, and at the second session we will
discuss the assigned listening and reading for the week. We will produce a concert near the end of
the semester.
This course combines critical readings/listenings/viewings with weekly performances of
improvised music. Students write papers based on the combination of those two musical
perspectives. Students participate in a variety of musical styles brought by the individual musicians
enrolled in the class. Group and dialogic concepts are developed through the practical experience
of musical creation in real-time.
COURSE MATERIALS:
Weekly listening assignments, including liner notes or commentary.
Sources for sounds:
ITU Library: compact discs (listen in the library)
ITU Library: Music Online (Internet streaming)
Spotify.com (Internet streaming)
Inconstant Sol. (downloads) http://inconstantsol.blogspot.com.tr/
Avax Home. (downloads) http://avaxhm.com/
YouTube. (Internet streaming) https://www.youtube.com/
Google. (Internet search) google.com
Mazzola, Guerino, and Paul B. Cherlin. 2009. Flow, Gesture, and Spaces in Free Jazz. Berlin,
Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag. [at Elif Kitap Krtasiye (#761) or
http://avaxhm.com/ebooks/music/354092194X.html]
Prevost, Edwin. 2004. Minute Particulars. Matching Tye, near Harlow, Essex: Copula. [Elif #758]
Course Reader, Studies in Improvisation-1. [Elif #759]
[The print materials are available at Elif Kitap Krtasiye, Eski Yldz Cad., Frat Han No. 1/1,
Beikta. Please call them one day in advance to place your order. (0212) 259-0839.]
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Play in the weekly rehearsals.
Compose an improvisation structure.
Assignment about your influences.
Masters students: present a brief analysis of an improvised music excerpt; 4,000-word paper and
presentation, during finals week.
Doctoral students: write a 5,000-word paper on a topic concerning improvisation, and present it to
the class during finals week.
Concert performance, including preparation, promotion, and production.
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Prepare the listening (listen to the recordings and read the liner notes) and readings (approximately
50 pages per week) before class; the videos (only excerpts), however, will be shown during
class, except where noted.
ATTENDANCE:
Plan to arrive at class five or ten minutes before the scheduled starting time, so you can set up your
equipment or organize your materials before class begins. If you arrive late, but less than 15
minutes after starting time, you will be marked late; three late marks count as one absence. If you
arrive more than 15 minutes late, you will be marked absent. Your grade will be lowered if you
miss five sessions, and six absences result in automatic failure. Medical, rehearsal, performance,
class preparation, and other excuses will not be accepted. Do not use your allowed absences just for
pleasure, as you may need them for a medical emergency.
COURSE OUTLINE (14 weeks plus final presentations)
Numbers in brackets refer to the order printed in the course reader.
Week One: February 2, 6
Session 1:
Rehearsal #1. Individuals and group.
Session 2:
Introduction to the course; group listening.
History of free improvisation.
Angeles Sancho-Velazquez. 1999. Improvisation after the Baroque.
Mazzola 2009. Preface, Chapters 1, 2.
Anton Arensky 1892R. Improvisation in E flat
Coleman Hawkins 1948R. Picasso. [3:14]
Lennie Tristano 1949R. Intuition and Digression
Chico Hamilton Quintet 1955R. Free Form
Cecil Taylor 1956R. Song. Jazz Advance. [5:15]
Ornette Coleman 1959R. The Face of the Bass Don Cherrys solo + transcription from Jost
Roach/Lincoln 1960R. Triptych: Prayer/Protest/Peace. Freedom Now Suite. [7:58]
Bill Evans 1959R. Autumn Leaves.
Cecil Taylor 1960 or 1961. Air, take 28.
John Coltrane. 1964R. Acknowledgment. A Love Supreme.
Week Two: February 9, 10
Session 1:
Attend MIAM Percussion Ensemble concert at MIAM. February 9, 8 p.m.
Session 2:
John Coltrane. Om. MIAM Library: M1366 .C65 M3 1992.
Art Ensemble of Chicago. Message to Our Folks (Mazzola incorrectly lists album as A Jackson
in Your House). https://play.spotify.com/album/7yoFNxYnaLXd6uoN820Vh1
Mazzola 2009: 20-37. Chapters 3, 4. (17 pp.)
[8] Smith, Hazel, and Roger Dean. 1997. Improvisation, Hypermedia, and the Arts Since 1945.
Amsterdam: Harwood Academic Publishers. N.b., we will look at Figures 2-4, 6-10, 12, and 1618, without reading the relevant sections in the book; their page numbers are integrated with the
reading list below.
Contents; List of Figures. v-viii; xi. (5 pp.)
A Brief Quick-time Movie of Improvisation since 1945. 12-16, 155-58, 307-08. (11 pp.)
Transcriptions and recordings of oral improvising. 102-03, 159-65, 308-09. (10 pp.)
Roscoe Mitchell. 1968. Congliptious. Art Ensemble reissue. Nessa. Track 504 [8].
Borgo, David, ed. 2005. CD accompanying Sync or Swarm. (track list in course reader [7].)
Prevost 2004: 40-59, 121-126. (26 pp.)
[17]Kernfeld,Barry.2001.ImprovisedMusic.GroveMusicOnline,ed.LauraMacy.(Jazz).
(Accessed19March2007),<http://www.grovemusic.com>(1p.)
[24] Borgo, David. 2006. Sync or Swarm: Musical Improvisation and the Complex Dynamics of
Group Creativity. In Goguen Festschrift, eds. K. Futatsugi et al. Lecture Notes in Computer
Science 4060: 1-24. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag. (24 pp.)
Phil Minton. Four Walls
Week Eleven: April 13, 14
Session 1:
Rehearsal #9. composition #8.
Session 2:
Parker, Evan. 1999. Electro-Acoustic Ensemble. Drawn Inward. ECM. [Liner notes in course
reader, #3.]
Internet sounds with Wilmoth article [please listen from website as you read]
Rainey, Doneda, Bosetti. Places dans lair.
Prevost 2004: 60-72, 127-140. (27 pp.)
[3]Parker,Evan.1999.ElectroAcousticEnsemble.DrawnInward.Munich:ECMRecords,ECM
1693.DrawnInwardSoundandImprovisation,bySimonEmmerson.(8pp.)
[16] Wilmoth, Charlie. 2006. Scrapes and Hisses: Extended Techniques in Improvised Music.
Dusted Magazine. http://dustedmagazine.com/features/468 (14 pp. + sounds. All links working
on 2015-02-08, except: Listen: Bhob Rainey, Michel Doneda, and Alessandro Bosetti, Placs
dans lair).
Week Twelve: April 20, 21
Session 1:
Rehearsal #10. Composition #9.
Session 2:
Joe Harriott. 1960. Free Form.
Tilbury & MIMEO. The Hands of Caravaggio.
Prevost 2004: 73-86, 141-146, 157-159. (23 pp.)
[19]Cox,Christoph,andDanielWarner,eds.2004.TheOpenWork.InAudioCulture:Readings
inModernMusic,eds.ChristophCoxandDanielWarner.NewYork:Continuum.
A.CoxandWarner.Quotations;Introduction.Pp.16366,412,420421,433,446.(5pp.)
B.UmbertoEco.ThePoeticsoftheOpenWork.Pp.16775.(9pp.)
[21]Turino,Thomas.2009.FormulasandImprovisationinParticipatoryMusic.InMusical
Improvisation:Art,Education,andSociety,eds.GabrielSolisandBrunoNettl.Urbanaand
Chicago:UniversityofIllinoisPress.Pp.103116,347.(14pp.)
[Mats Gustafsson]
Further Resources:
Joe Harriott. 1961-62. Abstract.
Joe Harriott. Documentary. Jazz File. BBC.
Week Thirteen: April 27, 28
Session 1:
Rehearsal #11. Composition #10; Concert rehearsal #1.
Session 2:
Krukowski, Damon, ed. 2006. Music Overheard. Introduction by Krukowski, and notes to CD 1,
curated by Bhob Rainey. Boston: Institute of Contemporary Art. (Liner notes in reader [4].)
Keith Rowe. 1989. A Dimension of Perfectly Ordinary Reality. (Liner notes in reader [2].)
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FURTHER READING
Baraka, Amiri (LeRoi Jones). 1963. Blues People. ML3556 .B37 1980.
Baraka, Amiri (LeRoi Jones). 1963. Black Music. ML3556 .B37 1968.
Bartlett, Andrew. [re Cecil Taylor and the body.] in Perspectives of New Music.
Belgrad, Daniel. 1998. Bebop. The Culture of Spontaneity: Improvisation and the Arts in Postwar
America. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Pp. 179-95, 298-303.
Benson, Bruce Ellis. 2003. The Improvisation of Musical Dialogue. ML3845 .B46.
Berliner, Paul. Thinking in Jazz.
Cardew. Improvisation (10 pp.)
Childs and Hobbs. 1982/3. Forum: Improvisation. PNM 21(1/2): 26-111. (86 pp.)
(Dikeman, John.) 2004. Free as a Bird. Egypt Today. (3 pp.)
Eloy, Jean-Claude. 1970. Improvisation: Refuge, Utopia or Necessity? The World of Music 3.
Gulda, Friedrich. 1971. "Befreiung durch Improvisation /Liberation through
Improvisation/Libration par improvisation." The World of Music. 13:3.
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*Improvisor. www.the-improvisor.com
*International Improvised Music Archive
Permanent archive for texts on improvised music. ... Freeware compositions. Articles and a
large bibliography of (writings on) improvised music and related. ...
www20.brinkster.com/improarchive/contents.htm
*International Society of Improvised Music
promotes performance, education, and research in improvised music, and illuminates
connections between musical improvisation and creativity across fields.
isim.edsarath.com/
*INTUITIVE - mixed site on intuitive music, improvised music and related topics - including
Denmark's Intuitive Music Conference, Quotation of the Month ...
hjem.get2net.dk/intuitive/
Jump Arts Journal
London Musicians Collective is a charity and membership organisation devoted to contemporary
music, including improvised and experimental music.
www.l-m-c.org.uk/
Restructures. Excellent links to sounds and video; has classical composers.
http://www.restructures.net/index.html
Signal to Noise
Links from Destination Out
Jazz Corner
Jerry Jazz Musician
One Final Note
Paris Transatlantic
Perfect Sound Forever
Pitchfork Media
Point of Departure
Stylus
FURTHER LISTENING
David Borgo and Robert Reigle duet, from ISIM Compilation CD-1, Spring 2006
Sun Ra-Black Mass
New York Art Quartet (ESP)
Don Cherry 1965R. Complete Communion + sound guide from Jost [21]
Don Cherry-Swedish Documentary
*Recommended because of full-text content, multimedia links, or breadth of coverage.