MAKING YOUR OWN MUSIC THROUGH IMPROVISATION part 1.
Now it is time to make our own music. To cater for non-instrumental trained students and those who don't read notation yet, we are going to improvise on tuned and untuned percussion instruments. We will do this by dividing the classroom/venue into two areas. The auditorium, where students are invited to sit quietly and perform the aforementioned functions of the audience and the performance space/stage where students are invited to create their music.
Now we need an idea or feeling to express. When asked students will often suggest powerful feelings like anger, and such a popular choice is a good place to start.
With a clear feeling in mind, the student first needs to select which instrument they believe will be best used by them to express anger. After a brief introduction to the audience, we present 'anger', take 1. We use a big gesture to begin playing, and a very big gesture to end it. There is usually spontaneous applause from the audience, and lots of fun is had by everybody.
I then ask the audience how we might improve our performance, by asking how we make make our sounds more angry. Often we are told to be louder and faster. Sometimes the audience will suggest individual changes to particular instruments. For example, the bass drummer is asked to play softer, so that the other instruments, especially the piano can be heard. Sometimes students will spontaneously change their instrument choice because the student feels that the sweet sounds of the glockenspiel don't sound angry enough.
In making various 'takes', the performance will often make a quantum leap into a state of intense cooperation and listening. This is described as 'tight' or being in the 'flow'.
The roles may then be reversed: the first ensemble sits as audience, while the now experienced audience rises to the stage. A contrasting feeling is best improvised now, like 'sad'. After only a few improvisations I have noted the increased insight that ensembles show in their choice of instrumentation, balance, and playing styles. It is also typical that the new audience uses its previous experience as improvisers to assist their peers, making insightful suggestions to improving their performance.
Another feature of my improvisation classes is the insistence on following the conventions for performance spaces, such as the following:
The next step is to improvise on an idea. Take the example of the idea of 'not giving up'. Students will have to think carefully about how one might express this. Suggestions might include beginning with a motif that is left incomplete, and repeating it with a phrase added each time. Finally the entire ensemble could play the completed motif with ever growing confidence. For an illustration of how an experienced composer has expressed such an idea, listen to the following:
Now we need an idea or feeling to express. When asked students will often suggest powerful feelings like anger, and such a popular choice is a good place to start.
With a clear feeling in mind, the student first needs to select which instrument they believe will be best used by them to express anger. After a brief introduction to the audience, we present 'anger', take 1. We use a big gesture to begin playing, and a very big gesture to end it. There is usually spontaneous applause from the audience, and lots of fun is had by everybody.
I then ask the audience how we might improve our performance, by asking how we make make our sounds more angry. Often we are told to be louder and faster. Sometimes the audience will suggest individual changes to particular instruments. For example, the bass drummer is asked to play softer, so that the other instruments, especially the piano can be heard. Sometimes students will spontaneously change their instrument choice because the student feels that the sweet sounds of the glockenspiel don't sound angry enough.
In making various 'takes', the performance will often make a quantum leap into a state of intense cooperation and listening. This is described as 'tight' or being in the 'flow'.
The roles may then be reversed: the first ensemble sits as audience, while the now experienced audience rises to the stage. A contrasting feeling is best improvised now, like 'sad'. After only a few improvisations I have noted the increased insight that ensembles show in their choice of instrumentation, balance, and playing styles. It is also typical that the new audience uses its previous experience as improvisers to assist their peers, making insightful suggestions to improving their performance.
Another feature of my improvisation classes is the insistence on following the conventions for performance spaces, such as the following:
- Entering and leaving an auditorium safely.
- The names of the parts of the stage.
- Behaviour during a performance, as an audience member and as a performer.
- How to bow to an audience after a performance.
- When to applaud and how to show an outstanding performer your appreciation.
The next step is to improvise on an idea. Take the example of the idea of 'not giving up'. Students will have to think carefully about how one might express this. Suggestions might include beginning with a motif that is left incomplete, and repeating it with a phrase added each time. Finally the entire ensemble could play the completed motif with ever growing confidence. For an illustration of how an experienced composer has expressed such an idea, listen to the following:
Montage From the Movie: Rocky
Please complete Assignment no.4, and send it to Mr.G when complete from the 'Send work to Mr.G ' page.