Music is sound with purpose. This means that sounds (pitches, timbres, textures, etc.) cannot be music within itself, however sounds rely on the certain arrangement and composition to create music. However, if music is simply sounds used with purpose then multiple problematizing questions arise including; what is the purpose? Is the purpose to evoke emotion? To please an audience? And most importantly does a song have to be appealing to the ear to be considered music? Free improvisation bridges the gap between what some may consider as music and what others may consider to have no musical value.
In Maud Hickeys article on improvisation she made it very clear that there was a lack of improvisation being taught in schools. Hickey major complaint was that there was a lack free improvisation, as she deemed it as crucial aspect of musical, especially improvisational, education.
It was particularly interesting to see how little courses, if any, taught children about improvisation, specifically free improvisation. This is partly because classical schooling is oftentimes ruled by structure, thus not allowing the freedom and unpredictability of improvisation. In a certain light this makes sense because how could one teach improvisation if it is a purely natural thing and therefore cannot be graded. But what would a school be without placing children into little boxes based upon their level of “intelligence”.
It was surprising to see how many interesting ways there are of teaching improvisation, especially considering it is something that is supposedly “natural” and “cannot be taught”. The way that it is taught in schools is very typical of our schooling system and I find it quite frustrating. The teaching process is essentially a question and answer between the teacher and the student, thus further problematizing this learning process. How can something so natural and free like improvising be constricted to only one or a few answers? Nevertheless, it is certainly positive that there is a push for improvisation being taught in schools.
Overall, there is a profound lack of improvisation taught in schools. However, it is something that is difficult in a public educational setting where grades must be given. The way to employ improvisation in schools is a step by step process where learning from a young age offers exceptional advantages.
Questions for the author:
What makes free Improvisation so important? You seem to think its more important than other types of improvisation.
What do we do if we don’t like free improvisation?
What is the point in teaching free improvisation when it is a purely free and natural thing?
Educational institutions need to grade students. How might you grade free improvisatio
In Maud Hickeys article on improvisation she made it very clear that there was a lack of improvisation being taught in schools. Hickey major complaint was that there was a lack free improvisation, as she deemed it as crucial aspect of musical, especially improvisational, education.
It was particularly interesting to see how little courses, if any, taught children about improvisation, specifically free improvisation. This is partly because classical schooling is oftentimes ruled by structure, thus not allowing the freedom and unpredictability of improvisation. In a certain light this makes sense because how could one teach improvisation if it is a purely natural thing and therefore cannot be graded. But what would a school be without placing children into little boxes based upon their level of “intelligence”.
It was surprising to see how many interesting ways there are of teaching improvisation, especially considering it is something that is supposedly “natural” and “cannot be taught”. The way that it is taught in schools is very typical of our schooling system and I find it quite frustrating. The teaching process is essentially a question and answer between the teacher and the student, thus further problematizing this learning process. How can something so natural and free like improvising be constricted to only one or a few answers? Nevertheless, it is certainly positive that there is a push for improvisation being taught in schools.
Overall, there is a profound lack of improvisation taught in schools. However, it is something that is difficult in a public educational setting where grades must be given. The way to employ improvisation in schools is a step by step process where learning from a young age offers exceptional advantages.
Questions for the author:
What makes free Improvisation so important? You seem to think its more important than other types of improvisation.
What do we do if we don’t like free improvisation?
What is the point in teaching free improvisation when it is a purely free and natural thing?
Educational institutions need to grade students. How might you grade free improvisatio