Finding a Personal Musical 'Voice': The Place of Improvisation in Music Education

Abstract

The use of improvisation in music education is becoming more widespread as teachers discover its value in the learning of musical concepts and skills. Research studies suggest that much useful investigation could be undertaken into the processes and products of improvisation, particularly empirical studies involving musicians at work. A study, which sought to enlarge the understanding of a personal 'voice' in improvisation, was conducted at the Victorian College of the Arts. Ten students in the Improvisation stream were 'followed' through the three years of their degree of Bachelor of Music (Performance). The results provided a large amount of material on issues ranging from the influence of members of staff on students' artistic outcomes, to stylistic preferences and relationships between performing musicians. This paper examines some of the findings of the study.

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