What is the Most Effective Method for Teaching Improvisation in the Music Classroom?

Abstract

Improvisation is a wonderful aspect of music which offers musicians the opportunity to engage in creative self-expression, while simultaneously providing benefits to brain activity across all areas. A large proportion of music teachers lack confidence in teaching improvisation, often stemming from a lack of experience improvising themselves and research has indicated teachers want support in becoming more capable in this area. From the students’ perspective, improvisation can be a daunting prospect because it often leads to anxiety about making mistakes, and embarrassment in front of their peers. The purpose of this study is to provide music teachers with information about the optimum method to assist students grow as improvisors, and view improvisation as an enjoyable activity rather than something to be nervous about. This study conducted a systematic review of existing literature related to music improvisation education by searching databases for studies conducted since 2010. Data were extracted from the information contained within literature that passed a quality and relevancy test, and each piece of literature was evaluated to determine to what extent it would contribute to the findings of this study. The data were analysed to find commonalities across the literature and to evaluate the strength of contrasting ideas, and the findings were synthesised to produce the answers to the research questions. The data demonstrated that creating a supportive, relaxed environment where students are encouraged to take risks and not be afraid of making mistakes is incredibly important in designing an improvisation class. There were contrasting opinions on how a teacher could do this, with a clear division between advocacy for highly-structured improvisation activities, or emphasising improvisation as a communicative practice. Some of the data indicated that if students were asked to follow a pre-ordained structure when improvising, they would feel comfortable as they have a set of notes to stick to and an understanding of the direction of the music, as opposed to being overwhelmed by choice and lacking an idea of where to start. Other data displayed that in fact, asking students to stick to a structure would lead to worries about playing wrong notes, and it is more beneficial for students to be thinking about self-expression and their role within the ensemble when they are improvising, not getting worked up about individual note choice. A unanimous finding was the role strong aural skills plays in students’ development, as the data strongly displayed that methodologies which include aural activities lead to evident achievement in improvisation. This study definitively demonstrates that students engage most effectively in improvisation when the teacher creates a classroom environment which does not instil fears over making mistakes and encourages risk-taking, as well as accentuates the role of aural development in their teaching methodology. Further studies are needed to resolve what approaches are best at reducing students’ nerves, as this research project could not determine whether structured improvising, or free improvisation, is more agreeable to students.