Creating Meaningful Improvisation In and Out of the Classroom
Clinician(s): Dr. David Hart
Improvisation is essential to music; it has also been an important means of musical expression throughout history. Musicians such as J.S. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Miles Davis were avid improvisers throughout their careers. Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778-1837) recommended “free improvisation in general and in every respectable form to all those for whom [music] is not merely a matter of entertainment and practical ability, but rather principally one of inspiration and meaning in their art” (Goertzen, 1996, p. 305). Jazz educator Bill Dobbins (1980) posits, “Full proficiency in a verbal language must include the ability to command a considerable vocabulary with equal facility at the reading, conversational, and intuitive levels. The development of proficiency in a music ‘language’ involves the same general process.” Despite its vital role in developing musicianship, improving music literacy, and assessing student progress, it can be difficult to find ways to prioritize improvisation in the classroom. This interactive session will explore the essential links between music listening, improvising, reading, and composing, providing a comprehensive view of how these skills interconnect. Based on the “Seven Skills for improvisation from Developing Musicianship Through Improvisation (Azzara & Grunow, 2007, 2010, 2019), the clinician will introduce methods and techniques for learning repertoire. Participants will sing the melody, bass line, voice-leading, and related harmonic and rhythmic patterns by ear, providing context for meaningful improvisation and ways to incorporate improvisation into various curricula.
Session Handouts