Exploring and expanding improvisatory knowledge in musical practice

Summary, in English

This project was carried out as a series of concerts and workshops of organ improvisation with six professional performers. The purpose was to further explore experiences made in the artistic research project Rethinking organ improvisation, which pointed at how improvisation differs in musical character and function between different performance contexts.
Our aims were to
•rethink improvisation in our individual practices and as a collective, professional phenomenon through playing and discussions of experiences,
•explore how individual musical language(s) and creative strategies relate to socio-historical and musical performance structures,
•use innovative performance settings that challenge conventional notions of the musical ‘work’ and conceptions of ‘free’ improvisation.
Results suggest that emotionally difficult and artistically dangerous situations, presenting risks of conflict and failure, can be turned into tools for musical expansion and increased artistic agency when endured and collectively articulated.

• Author: Karin Johansson
• Department/s: Teachers (Malmö Academy of Music)
• Publishing year: 2014-07-19
• Language: English
• Document type: Conference - other
• Conference name: Musical Performance as Creative Practice (CMPCP)
• Conference date: 2014-07-17 - 2014-07-20
• Conference place: Cambridge, United Kingdom
• Status: Published