Miles Davis in the Classroom: Using the Jazz Ensemble Metaphor for Enhancing Team Learning

Abstract

This article reveals how the jazz ensemble is a useful metaphor that does not suppress individual creativity yet also demands high degrees of interpersonal sensitivity and group cooperation. The utility of the jazz ensemble metaphor for teams is demon-strated through the application of a novel experiential exercise that involves students listening to a cut from the Miles Davis jazz sextet. This experiential learning exercise provides an opportunity for students to simulate the conditions facilitative of dialogue. By enacting the behavioral and attitudinal qualities of jazz ensemble musicians, students leam how to temporarily suspend their assumptions and opinions, thereby reducing defensive and self-oriented behaviors in their teams.

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