Download or read book How Does a String Educator with Limited Experience Teaching Improvisation Apply Two Curent Jazz Methods written by Cheryl A. Blockland and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 163 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this research was to describe how string teachers with limited experience teaching improvision apply two current string jazz methods. The guiding questions ere: 10 How do the two methods compare with regard to teaching jazz improvisation wih string orghestra? 2) How do they compare with regard to student improvment in ?, and 30 How do they compare with regard to students' attitudes concerning improvisation? A concurrent mixed-methods design included a researcher designed questionnaire, improvisaton assessments, contant analysis of the two meothds, and a daily observation journal.
Download or read book Improvisation and Music Education written by Ajay Heble and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-02-19 with total page 309 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers compelling new perspectives on the revolutionary potential of improvisation pedagogy. Bringing together contributions from leading musicians, scholars, and teachers from around the world, the volume articulates how improvisation can breathe new life into old curricula; how it can help teachers and students to communicate more effectively; how it can break down damaging ideological boundaries between classrooms and communities; and how it can help students become more thoughtful, engaged, and activist global citizens. In the last two decades, a growing number of music educators, music education researchers, musicologists, cultural theorists, creative practitioners, and ethnomusicologists have suggested that a greater emphasis on improvisation in music performance, history, and theory classes offers enormous potential for pedagogical enrichment. This book will help educators realize that potential by exploring improvisation along a variety of trajectories. Essays offer readers both theoretical explorations of improvisation and music education from a wide array of vantage points, and practical explanations of how the theory can be implemented in real situations in communities and classrooms. It will therefore be of interest to teachers and students in numerous modes of pedagogy and fields of study, as well as students and faculty in the academic fields of music education, jazz studies, ethnomusicology, musicology, cultural studies, and popular culture studies.
Download or read book An Analysis of Practical Challenges Posed by Teaching Improvisation written by Joseph Michael Pignato and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 658 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: For much of the past century, music education researchers have espoused improvisation as an important tool for developing creativity, self-expression, and aesthetic understanding. Improvisation instruction in American school music programs, however, primarily occurs in two limited areas of activity: jazz performance ensembles and the teaching of select elementary music methods. Comprehensive integration of improvisation instruction in school music curricula beyond those domains or via other idioms rich in improvisation remains relatively uncommon. Researchers in music education have documented improvisation and its applications in elementary music methodologies. A large body of extant literature addresses jazz in school music programs, jazz pedagogical methods, and jazz ensemble student experience. Studies examining improvisation in American school music contexts in regard to other genres or teaching modalities, however, are sparse. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe selected New York State music educators, school music programs, and class settings that make improvisation a central part of their curricula in ways that transcend traditional jazz ensemble or elementary methodology offerings. The author employed a case study methodology to study the classrooms of two teachers over the course of one academic year. Data collection utilized ethnographic techniques including formal oral interviews, classroom observations, and informal conversations. Data analysis employed interpretive coding guided by a constant comparative approach. Data analysis revealed challenges posed by teaching improvisation in the school music contexts studied including lack of curricular resources supporting improvisation instruction, conflicts with tradition and the expectations of colleagues, parents, students, and administrators, and standing apart from the prevailing practices of colleagues. Four themes emerged from participant narratives during the course of investigation: (a) significant epiphany experiences, (b) protracted personal transformations, (c) intentionality, and (d) concerted advocacy. Suggestions for music education include improving integration of exceptional teachers into prevailing practices in ways that foster a multiplicity of approaches to teaching music "of all periods, styles, forms, and cultures" (Choate, 1968, p. 139), minimizing extrinsic challenges to teaching improvisation in school music contexts, enhancing teacher intentionality, and encouraging advocacy efforts to foster acceptance, cooperation, and deeper understanding of the value of incorporating improvisation in school music programs.
Download or read book Teaching School Jazz written by Chad West and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2019 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by an experienced and diverse lineup of veteran jazz educators, Teaching School Jazz presents a comprehensive approach to teaching beginning through high school-level jazz. Thoroughly grounded in the latest research, chapters are supported by case studies woven into the narrative. The book therefore provides not only a wealth of school jazz teaching strategies but also the perspectives and principles from which they are derived. The book opens with a philosophical foundation to describe the current landscape of school jazz education. Readers are introduced to two expert school jazz educators who offer differing perspectives on the subject. The book concludes with an appendix of recommended audio, visual, digital, and written resources for teaching jazz. Accompanied by a website of playing exercises and audio examples, the book is invaluable resource for pre- and in-service music educators with no prior jazz experience, as well as those who wish to expand their knowledge of jazz performance practice and pedagogy.
Download or read book The Classroom Guide to Jazz Improvisation written by John McNeil and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2024 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Classroom Guide to Jazz Improvisation dispels the misconception that one must be a jazz expert to give students a solid foundation in jazz improvisation. Authors John McNeil and Ryan Nielsen argue that all individuals possess an innate ability to improvise and that, given sufficient exposure and repetition, anyone can improvise in music as successfully as they improvise in life. Drawing on their shared 54 years of teaching experience and extensive work as professional jazz musicians, McNeil and Nielsen offer classroom-tested lesson plans for music educators of all backgrounds, removing the guesswork and mystique along the way.
Download or read book Music Discovery written by Daniel J. Healy and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2020 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ""Improvisation is spontaneity in music. It can be beautiful, uplifting, and unnerving all at the same. It happens instantaneously, in a unique context, with ideas never to be performed the same way again. It can be the result of years of practice or an unexpected reaction to a collaborative musical moment. As Spolin so eloquently explains, it provides musicians with an opportunity to explore a musical situation where boundaries can be stretched and new ideas can be enacted. Out of these experiences comes a sense of freedom and agency that can inspire a young musician. We have seen the power of these experiences in our own students, and we hope to foster those same experiences for students through the teaching approaches and activities discussed in this book. Where do improvised musical moments live in the typical music curriculum? We know that it is a challenge to incorporate improvisation on a consistent basis. As new music teachers, we often incorporated improvisation as a culminating experience at the end of a unit, or we saved improvisation experiences until concerts were completed. Improvisation did not seem like something that we could address year-long when the demands of content or performance were so great. It changed our teaching when we realized that we could integrate music improvisation activities consistently into the ensemble or music classroom curriculum. Furthermore, we realized that we did not need to hit the ""pause"" button on concert preparation to work on an improvisation unit, both repertoire and improvisation could advance our students' performance abilities. A music teacher can do this in a group setting by tapping into students' diverse personalities and voices. Improvisation is often framed as an independent enterprise, but an eclectic group of students provides boundless opportunities for rich and varied musical collaboration. Moreover, the teacher can be essential in facilitating vibrant group improvisation experiences. There is something different that happens in musical development when we set up opportunities for students to make spontaneous musical choices for themselves. Students begin to listen differently, watch differently, feel differently, and perform differently if we give them the space to stretch musical boundaries and create their own musical ideas. How do we know that students change when they begin to improvise? By focusing on musical elements in improvised activities such as melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre/texture, articulation, and dynamics consistently over time-we have seen students transform. By grounding musical improvisation in these musical elements, students can begin to connect and produce music that reflects layered levels of musical understanding. Furthermore, when lessons are exploratory, interdisciplinary, or inspired by principles in various genres students will experience more fluid musical interactions, become more attuned to their neighbors, and more open and adaptive to musical ideas. This book is designed to provide an accessible approach to including musical improvisation in the large ensemble and classroom setting. It is largely based on the transformative musical experiences we have had with students when we began incorporating improvisation into our teaching. The spontaneous and unpredictable nature of musical improvisation can be challenging, but the rewards far outweigh any momentary trepidation that teachers and students might feel. The pedagogical suggestions and lesson plans presented will make the benefits of teaching and learning improvisation clear and provide an approach that is adaptable and manageable for music teachers working with large numbers of students. In doing so, teachers will learn more about students' musical thinking and will enhance musicianship skills for their entire ensembles. The 2014 National Music Standards call for music teachers to engage students in the musical process of creation and describes improvisation as an integral experience. Yet we know, many teachers, particularly in large ensembles and classroom settings, still struggle to find ways to make improvisation a reality (Bernhard, 2013; Bernhard & Stringham, 2016; Schopp, 2006). The book is framed around practical and flexible ideas for implementing improvisation activities. The lesson activities borrow broad principles from different musical styles and genres to provide a variety of improvisation settings and appeal to diverse student interests. Many activities are exploratory in nature allowing students to play and respond to each other while also focusing on core musical elements such as melody and rhythm. Interdisciplinary teaching approaches and resources are suggested throughout many of the lessons to enhance creative expression and build connections between the arts. Lessons include learning objectives, detailed procedures, assessments, benefits, recordings, and mp3 examples. ""--
Download or read book Pathways to the Practice of Free Improvisation written by Derek Emch and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 89 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Improvisation offers unique opportunities in musical creativity and development, though incorporation of the teaching of improvisation into American higher education curricula has been uneven. While there is a growing interest in teaching improvisation, most improvisation instruction can be found in early childhood music education and in high school and college-level jazz instruction, creating an accessibility gap for individuals who wish to improvise or teach improvisation but have no experience improvising, in a jazz context or otherwise. The purpose of this document is to examine current instructional methods of teaching free improvisation in higher education, and to develop a series of musical prompts designed to develop spontaneous musical creative ability in an individual and group setting. In doing so, this document aims to reduce the accessibility gap and to help bring the culture of creative improvising further into collegiate-level musician instruction.
Download or read book Improv Pathways written by Curtis Winters and published by . This book was released on 2013-08 with total page 133 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book David Baker s Jazz Pedagogy written by David Baker and published by Alfred Music Publishing. This book was released on 1989 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume was the first published jazz teaching method. One of America's greatest musician-teachers, David Baker, shows how to develop jazz courses and jazz ensembles, with lesson plans, rehearsal techniques, practice suggestions, improvisational ideas, and ideas for school and private teachers and students.
Download or read book Perceptions of Jazz Improvisation Among Pennsylvania Music Educators written by Jason Robert Rummel and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 526 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: Jazz education has been a part of school music programs in the United States in both extracurricular and curricular settings since the 1920's. An enormous growth in the popularity of stage bands and jazz ensembles was experienced between the 1940's and 1980's resulting in a vibrant, widespread acceptance of jazz in the music curriculum (Luty, 1982; Suber, 1976; Wheaton, 1976). School music programs in the state of Pennsylvania experienced this growth. Despite the frequent inclusion of jazz in the public schools, jazz courses, particularly jazz improvisation courses, are conspicuously absent from the music education curricula of most Pennsylvania colleges and universities that offer music education certification. The purpose of this study is: 1) to test for correlations between jazz improvisation experience and perceptions of jazz improvisation activities; 2) to compare data regarding perceptions of jazz improvisation activities between various subgroups identified by the collection of categorical data, and; 3) to explore meaning and provide explanations for the results of the comparisons and correlations. Recommendations were made concerning the need for jazz courses, particularly improvisation, to be adopted into Pennsylvania music teacher preparation curricula. One thousand two hundred seventy four active Pennsylvania music educators responded to a 51 item, researcher designed questionnaire used to ascertain attitudes, levels of training, willingness to participate in jazz improvisation activities, and current practices, if any. A four-way MANOVA revealed statistically significant differences when comparing the independent variables type of primary instrument ( p =.011) and total experience ( p =.000) with the dependent variables regarding participants attitudes, willingness to participate in jazz improvisation activities, experience, and current practices. Self-directed study was found to be the primary source of jazz improvisation experience among participants in the study. Additional data were gathered through qualitative techniques to understand more closely the situations and attitudes of particular cases in the field. Eight cases were chosen based on results of the quantitative survey and represented subgroups used in quantitative statistics. Results of the qualitative data supported and clarified the quantitative results that selection of a typically jazz related instrument resulted in more opportunities for improvisation training which in turn translated to more frequent participation in jazz improvisation activities. Seven of the eight participants felt that jazz improvisation training should be required at the undergraduate level while all participants suggested ways that jazz improvisation training could be integrated into undergraduate curricula.
Download or read book Teaching Improvisation written by Cheryl A. Blockland and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 175 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this mixed methods research was to determine the status of music instruction utilizing improvisation by secondary string teachers in Maryland and Virginia. The guiding questions for the study examined what resources support string teachers in teaching and using improvisation as recommended by national music standard three; what reasons are given by string teachers who do not include improvisation as recommended by national music standard three; and if a relationship exists between teacher self-efficacy and the incorporation of improvisation for those who do and do not teach it. A sequential explanatory mixed-method design combined quantitative survey data followed by qualitative interviews. Findings revealed that the majority of string teachers in Maryland and Virginia are not including improvisation in their instruction. Results also indicated that resources including undergraduate training, improvisation publications, string improvisation method books, and professional development to support teachers when teaching improvisation are insufficient. There were five prominent reasons that string teachers do not include improvisation: lack of instructional time, constraints of orchestral repertoire, limited teacher training, concentrating on technique, and the limited theoretical foundation of students. Results indicated a relationship between teachers’ perceived self-efficacy and the inclusion of improvisation in their instruction.
Download or read book David Baker s Jazz Pedagogy written by David Baker and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Assessment of Jazz Improvisation Performance by Public School Teachers Pre Service Teachers and Jazz Performers written by Colton Dietz and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Literature in jazz improvisation pedagogy suggests public school music teachers generally think that jazz improvisation is valuable and should be taught in public schools. However, music teacher preparation curricula often do not require participation in courses on jazz or jazz pedagogy. Therefore, music teachers often feel unprepared to teach the skill (Bernhard, 2013; Jones, 2005; Rummel, 2010; Shevock, Stringham, Thornton, 2015; Treinen 2011; Ward-Steinman 2007; West, 2014). There are resources for jazz teaching available, although little research regarding their content or use. Considering music educators' lack of undergraduate preparation in jazz improvisation pedagogy, they will likely consult jazz ensemble method books to aid in instruction (Watson, 2017). Research has identified five class jazz instruction method books that are all in print, for a heterogenous ensemble, and for students with limited background to jazz, although they consist of an overall mean of 3% of its content devoted to jazz improvisation (Watson, 2017). Literature on jazz improvisation assessment suggests effective assessments of jazz improvisation should be measured through achievement in several musical categories. However, among the studies there is variability in what those categories should be (Moore, 2016; Smith, 2009). Therefore, research is lacking regarding how teachers assess a jazz improvisation. This investigation examined how pre-service music teachers, practicing public school jazz educators, and professional jazz musicians assess jazz improvisation without the use of a rubric, thus providing insight as to what draws the focus of the participants. To collect data for the research, nine participants (three third or fourth year undergraduate pre-service music teachers, three practicing school jazz educators, and three professional jazz musicians) assessed two jazz improvisations in narrative form without the use of a rubric. Jazz improvisations were recorded by high school students who participate in their high school jazz band and have been playing their instrument for at least two years. Results were analyzed to identify what musical elements participants assess in a jazz improvisation. Results were additionally analyzed to identify to what extent the participant responses of a musical element agreed or disagreed. Musical elements identified were compared to the range of effective jazz improvisation assessment categories outlined in the literature. The data suggested pre-service teachers provide the most consistent analysis of musical elements. All practicing music teachers did not fully agree on any musical elements assessed. Professional jazz musicians did not fully disagree with each other on any musical elements. The responses in order from most to least specific assessment of musical elements are as follows: professional jazz musicians, practicing music educators, pre-service music teachers. The data suggests pre-service music teachers and practicing music teachers have suboptimal ability to assess chord tones and chord-scale relationships in a jazz improvisation in comparison to professional jazz musicians.
Download or read book Exploring Music Students Jazz Improvisation Skills Through Listening Or Jazz Improvisation Theory Instruction written by Ronald Brown and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-04-05 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Curriculum and teaching have prevailed as instruments of knowledge that accommodate social change and development of the arts (Danmole, 2011). College music students' expressivity and creativity when producing improvisation depend on the theoretical knowledge of improvisation gained in high school (Hargreaves, 2012). General music instruction has been included in public schools since the mid-1970s however, there were limited research studies conducted about the instruction of jazz music (West, 2014). Core music standards challenge learners and instructors to engage in developing new musical commodities that entail both improvisation and composition (Shuler, Norgaard, & Blakeslee, 2014; West, 2014). Leaders of the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards (2013) affirmed the importance of creativity and improvisation for students' development in the music standards. Music researchers have noted the new national standards for music educators include jazz ensemble in educational music programs, but music educators in public schools provide limited instruction in jazz improvisation theory (Lewis & Lovatt, 2013; Roger, 2013). Researchers have produced studies to educate instructors about music creativity that involve defining, evaluating, and composing jazz improvisation (Abramo & Reynolds, 2015). Music educators within the field of curriculum and teaching apply music creativity research to construct frameworks to foster music creativity for instructors studying music education (Hargreaves, 2012). Researchers have also noted jazz improvisation instruction and extended creativity concepts can contribute to developing students' music creativity (Bresler, 2012). The problem is that college faculty members do not have sufficient knowledge regarding how best to focus instructional time to promote students' jazz improvisation skills. More research is necessary to determine if theoretical or aural instruction will increase students' music creativity (Bresler, 2012). Without further research, students will continue to be underprepared for careers and further study in jazz (Watson, 2010a).
Download or read book Teaching and Learning Jazz Music Improvisation written by Sherrill Elaine Rutherford and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 137 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learning to improvise jazz music is an exceptional feat of human cognition, and although this is the ultimate accomplishment of jazz musicians, approaches to teaching improvisation are highly variable. There is little agreement, and limited research on best teaching methods for learning to improvise jazz music. The research reported in this thesis explored jazz musicians' viewpoints regarding most effective approaches to teaching and learning to improvise using Q methodology, with the intent of synthesizing a constructive pedagogical framework for jazz improvisation. Six orientations to teaching improvisation were investigated: theory-based, aural, sequential, immersion, imitation, and creativity. Twenty-four jazz musicians were recruited, 12 post-secondary students and 12 professionals/teachers. Four participated in an email survey, and 20 performed Q sort interviews. Three-hundred-and-sixty-one statements were amassed to form a concourse that comprehensively represented jazz musicians' viewpoints on how best to teach and learn to improvise, and a representative sub-sample of 47 statements was selected using emergent themes. Each participant who completed a Q sort ranked the 47 statements according to their importance followed by an interview to provide a detailed explanation of their ranking. The Q sort configurations were entered into data analysis software (PQMethod) which performed factor analysis to group participants with similar viewpoints. The optimum solution revealed three factor viewpoints on how best to teach and learn jazz music improvisation. Statement weightings for each factor and interview transcripts were reviewed to interpret and name the viewpoints according to the perspectives expressed: The Pragmatic Emulator, Listen and Just Play, and The Jazz Communicator. These viewpoints could be used as a conceptual framework for designing three discrete approaches to teaching jazz improvisation. However, a blended developmental approach that combines the viewpoints is proposed, which incorporates all of the orientations identified as important for teaching improvisation: theory-based, aural, sequential, immersion, imitation, creativity, plus communication. The three viewpoints identified appear to represent learning or cognitive styles that are intrinsic traits unrelated to environmental influences. The best way to learn to improvise is very individual, and may be related to learning styles. Therefore, teaching improvisation must be tailored to each learner's style to be successful.
Download or read book Teaching Improvisation Within the General Music Methods Course written by Bridget Dawn Rinehimer and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 86 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this study was to investigate the teaching of improvisation in general music methods courses for music education majors. Subjects (N = 45) were university general music methods course teachers who participated in the Mountain Lake Colloquium for Teachers of General Music Methods on May 15-18, 2011, in Mountain Lake, Virginia. A researcher-designed questionnaire was used to collect information on instructor experiences, approaches, and perspectives relating to the teaching of improvisation in general music methods courses. Results showed that instructors were diverse in age and in educational degrees held. Almost all (96%) of participants agreed that improvisation skills should be taught in the university general music methods course. The majority (93%) of instructors reported that they currently address improvisation in a general music classroom. Half of those that provided improvisation instruction spend 10% of a typical semester's class time on it. The majority (69%) held specialized certifications, the most popular being Orff Schulwerk. The Orff approach, followed by Dalcroze and Kodály methods, respectively, were used frequently when teaching improvisation in university classrooms. Strategies favored included modeling (71%), group improvisation (67%), and the use of Orff instruments (62%). Emphasis was placed on performance-based assessment, with peer-teaching (81%) and class improvisation sessions (73%) the most popular. Almost all (96%) had experience teaching general music in K-12 grade school settings, and in elementary schools in particular. Elementary K-4 national standards for improvisation were also addressed consistently in university class meetings. While only 40% of the instructors had formally studied improvisation, over 88% were interested in learning more about teaching improvisation. Although 71% of participants believed that others who play their primary instrument improvised better, and that others had more talent for improvisation (56%), these individuals still felt confident in their ability to teach teachers how to address improvisation (89%), to teach others improvisation (73%), and to become proficient in improvisation (73%). They also enjoyed the challenge of improvisation (59%). Those with higher teaching self-efficacy were also more likely to have formal training in improvisation, and use group improvisation and modeling as teaching strategies. Those with higher composite self-efficacy were more likely to use group improvisation as a teaching strategy.
Download or read book Teaching Music Musically Classic Edition written by Keith Swanwick and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2011-10-03 with total page 125 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Valid and reliable assessment of students' work.
