SO UN D I N G T H E T E A CH IN G
2
Exposition
EXPERIENCING MUSIC COMPOSITION
METHODOLOGY
Compositional
Processes/Musical
Improvisation
of Secondary 2NT students in a
collaborative GMP classroom setting
BY WU ME IH UI, GA N EN G SENG SC HOOL
PURPOSE
To effectively choose teaching methods
and help students learn, one needs to
gain a better insight about the thought
processes of students. It is essential for
the teacher to find ways to effectively
bring out the metacognition of students
during musical improvisational or
compositional processes.
QUESTIONS
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EX A MI NI NG MU SI C LEA R NI NG EX P ER I ENC ES
How do students think and learn as they
improvise and compose during a General
Music class?
What is the musical behaviour of
students in rhythmic composing
activities?
What influences the above process?
LITERATURE REVIEW
MODELS OF MUSICAL
IMPROVISATION
Several models have been developed
to attempt to explain the underlying
decision-making mechanisms in idea
generation and feedback during musical
improvisation. These models suggest that
improvisation begins with exploration.
This is an observational study of students’
10-minute group work on improvisation
within a lesson.
1
Norgaard’s Strategies for Improvisation
Regarding how new material is generated,
Norgaard (2011) found four strategies
used by seven jazz musicians to generate
the note content of the improvisations:
Recalling well-learned ideas from
memory and inserting them into the
ongoing improvisation
Choosing notes based on a melodic
priority
Choosing notes based on a harmonic
priority
Repeating material played in earlier
sections of the improvisation
John Kratus’ Seven Levels of Improvisation
(Kratus, 1995)
1. Exploration Sounds are used in a
loosely structured context; performer
has little control over the performance
2. Process-orientated improvisation
Performer uses more cohesive patterns
3. Product-orientated improvisation
Performer demonstrates an awareness
of the audience by using structural
principles such as tonality and metre
4. Fluid improvisation Performer’s
technical performance becomes
relaxed and automatic
5. Structural improvisation Performer
employs a repertoire of strategies to
shape the overall structure
6. Stylistic improvisation Performer
makes use of specific characteristics
of a given style
7. Personal improvisation Performer
transcends recognised styles to
develop a new style
The class was divided into six
groups of students who worked
together to create a rhythm that
would be played together with
a given rhythmic pattern. They
had to perform their rhythmic
compositions with instruments
of their choice.
2
Geneplore Model (Finke et. al, 1992, cited
in Ward, Smith & Finke, 1999)
1. Generative phase
Thoughts/concepts are spawned
2. Explorative/elaboration phase
Expansion from first phase and
explored further
While these models suggest that
improvisation begins with exploration,
there is a need to understand what
students are thinking when they
improvise in the context of music lessons.
CREATIVITY AS
A SOCIAL ACTIVITY
Studying the creative process highlights
interesting features that occur as people
work together in creative ways. Social and
personal dynamics influence the nature
of the improvisation.
REC
As students worked in groups
to improvise, short one- to two-
minute video snippets were
taken at various points during
the 10-minute group work.
3
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The videos of students’
group discussions were
then analysed.