Collegiate Musicians Learning to Improvise

• Alden H. Snell ^[1] ; Christopher D. Azzara ^[2]
  1. [1] University of Delaware

     University of Delaware

     Estados Unidos

     
  2. [2] Eastman School of Music
• Localización: Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, ISSN 0010-9894, Nº 204, 2015, págs. 63-84
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • To continue our profession's ongoing dialogue about the centrality of improvisation to music learning (State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education, 2014; National Association of Schools of Music, 2013; Task Force on the Undergraduate Music Major, 2014), we documented experiences of collegiate musicians learning to improvise. In this case study, we asked 4 participants enrolled in a 7-week improvisation course to (a) complete a brief demographic survey, (b) describe their experiences learning to improvise during 2 interviews, and (c) perform 2 improvisation course assignments. To establish validity, we triangulated findings from all 3 data sources. Participants (a) recalled few meaningful improvisation experiences prior to this course; (b) felt the process of learning to improvise taught in this course was sequential and logical; (c) perceived a positive effect of improvisation on their personal musicianship; and (d) identified the importance of overcoming fear of improvisation, becoming more open to the creative process and finding ways to improvise on a more regular basis. To improve their ability to improvise, participants identified the need to be less inhibited, less afraid of making mistakes, more willing to take musical chances, and willing to immerse themselves further in the improvisation process. Additional research is recommended to illuminate findings from this study.