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Improvisation as real-time thinking and rehearsing: An exploratory study in Singapore
Citation
Dairianathan, E., & Stead, E. P. (2006). Improvisation as real-time thinking and rehearsing: An exploratory study in Singapore. In W. L. Sims & R. Tahir (Eds.), Sentuhan: Proceedings 27th World Conference of the International Society for Music Education (pp 316-333), International Society for Music Education.
Abstract
The skill of improvisation is seen to be important in the development of any musician, although its relative importance varies according to period and genre. Christopher Azarra (2002, 171) asserts that as an essential component of music throughout history…improvisation involves an ability to make music spontaneously within specified musical parameters. Improvisation is then dependent on the condition that performers are able, first of all, to be ‘proficient in the language they speak’. Musical improvisation, therefore, seems comfortably positioned in the training of those who are well-versed “in this language”. As language differs from culture to culture, so do expectations of musical improvisation. John Blacking (1973, 100) argues what is ultimately of most importance in music cannot be learned like other cultural skills: it is there in the body, waiting to be brought out and developed, like the basic principles of language formation.
Date Issued
2006
Description
This paper was presented at the 27th World Conference of the International Society for Music Education: Sentuhan, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 16 – 21 Jul 2006