Navigating between Two Poles: The Concept of Yin and Yang as an Alternative Approach to Teaching Improvisation in Elementary General Music Classrooms

Abstract

Even though national standards have emphasized the significance of developing students’ musical ability in the area of “Improvise rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic ideas, and explain connection to specific purpose and context (such as social and cultural),” many elementary general music teachers still face the challenge of facilitating student improvisation. In this context, Eastern philosophy provides alternative perspectives and learning avenues to guide students in exploring the energy flow inherent in music during improvisation—a facet yet unexplored in the existing improvisation literature. In this article, I introduce the concept of yin and yang from the Eastern philosophy of the Yijing, or I Ching (Book of Changes), and describe how activities using these concepts can inform improvisation. I organize the article in three main sections: (1) applying yin and yang principles to improvisational movement, (2) using the eight trigrams of the Yijing to inspire improvisation in vocal and instrumental exercises, and (3) incorporating the yin and yang concept from Chinese painting to catalyze students’ musical improvisation journey.