Free improvisation : what is it, can it be taught, and what are the benefits?

Research output: Chapter in Book / Conference PaperChapter

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

The chapter will explore the challenges and benefits of teaching free improvisation in an under-graduate context but in doing so will consider fundamental questions about what music is and what it can achieve. The chapter will interpolate remarks attributed to one of the three authors where they have something to contribute that may not necessarily reflect a commonly-held perspective. This is the nature of free improvisation: contested, and able to be applied to various outcomes and ways of thinking. The context of this chapter is a module of free improvisation approximately half a semester in length delivered for many years to the first-year cohort of Bachelor of Music students at Western Sydney University.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationTeaching and Evaluating Music Performance at University: Beyond the Conservatory Model
EditorsJohn Encarnacao, Diana Blom
Place of PublicationU.K.
PublisherRoutledge
Pages145-153
Number of pages9
ISBN (Electronic)9780429328077
ISBN (Print)9781138505919
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2020

Keywords

  • education, higher
  • improvisation (music)
  • music
  • music students
  • universities and colleges

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