Report of the activities in the field of improvisation at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague 2010-2012

Royal Conservatoire publications 1 Content

03. About this publication

04. Part I: Report of the Improvisation Project Sessions during the Academic Year 2010/2011

06. Introduction

06. A general overview of all activities

07. Project schedule

08. Overview: Publicity materials and notes

30. Evaluation

34. Part II: Report of the ERASMUS Intensive Programme “Improvisation in European Higher Music Education: Improving Artistic Development and Professional Integration”

36. Introduction

37. Background to the project

38. Report of the January 2012 edition of European Impro Intensive

40. Programme European Impro Intensive

44. Report public seminar 14 January

52. List of participants

54. Biographies tutors

52. List of participants

54. Biographies tutors

61. Relevant websites

62. Relevant literature

64. Colophon

2 1 increasingly developing improvisation courses About this and seeing the benefits of such courses for their students and teachers, while often struggling publication with similar issues. Why this focus on improvisation? Reinink gives a good explanation in the introduction to his report: “Improvisation is not just a jam ses- sion, nor is it confined exclusively to or This publication presents the results of experimental music. Improvisation is an integral a large-scale initiative organised by the element of every type of music: it improves Royal Conservatoire in The Hague to pro- technique, musicianship, ensemble playing mote improvisation in all of its educational and recitals, and reinforces the musician’s programmes. This initiative started with a bond with the repertoire, fellow artists and the year-long project during the academic year public.” It is clear that improvisation provides 2010-2011, which saw weekly sessions organ- important benefits in terms of technical, social ised by and for various departments of the and artistic skills, as well as benefits in the field conservatoire. The excellent report written by of professional integration, as has been shown project coordinator Adriaan Reinink shows a in the ERASMUS Intensive Programme European fascinating range of approaches, styles and Impro Intensive. philosophies with regards to improvisation, which under the title ‘Together Now’ offered The Royal Conservatoire’s initiative does not unique opportunities for cross-departmental stop with this publication. Curriculum devel- cooperation. All dimensions of the conserva- opment with the creation of new improvisa- toire were addressed in these sessions: from tion modules at both Bachelor and Master improvisation in early music up to contempo- level is currently taking place at the Royal rary music creation, and from improvisation in Conservatoire, and most probably also at the field of sonology using live electronics and several other institutions. Funding has been new techniques to improvisation in collabora- secured for the second edition of European tion with dancers. The report by Reinink not Impro Intensive, which will take place at the only describes each session in detail, but also Royal Conservatoire in 13-22 February 2013. makes brief evaluation statements and sug- A third edition of the programme is planned for gestions on what was achieved and how things 2014. This shows the ambition and willingness could be further improved in the future. of the Royal Conservatoire to take the lead in the development of innovative pedagogical and The second part of the publication describes a artistic approaches, as it understands the need project that followed the 2010-2011 improvisa- for a constant development and updating of tion year with the support of the ERASMUS conservatoire training to match the require- Programme of the EU. This project concen- ments of the world of music today. trated the efforts in the field of improvisation by focusing mainly on improvisation in classical We invite you to join the Royal Conservatoire music, as it was felt it is there that the strongest on this exciting path of curricular and artistic needs are present. Furthermore, it added two innovation. additional dimensions to the 2010-2011 project: firstly, it added an international dimension by involving 10 other conservatoires in Europe Martin Prchal, vice-principal Royal and their students and teachers. Secondly, it Conservatoire The Hague encouraged students not just to learn im- provisation themselves, but also to learn how to teach improvisation to others through a set of leading & guiding workshops. In this way, issues regarding professional integration and employ- ability were combined with intensive training in improvisation techniques and methods. During the one-day seminar that took place during this European intensive project, it was fascinat- ing to see how institutions across Europe are

2 3 part 1

Improvisation project sessions 2010-2011: Report of the Twenty-eight events ranging Improvisation from baroque to electronic and Project world music, and from dance Sessions to music theatre. during the Academic Year 2010-2011

4 5 Introduction General Project 14. 11 Jan Ensemble! 15. 18 Jan Evan Parker

overview schedule 16. 25 Jan Berlin, die Sinfonie der GrossStadt At the Royal Conservatoire, improvisation of activities 17. 01 Feb constitutes a preparation for the music practice of the future. Improvisation is not just a jam 18. 08 Feb Venetian session, nor is it confined exclusively to jazz or 14 Sep FIRST YEARS FESTIVAL with experimental music. Improvisation is an integral improvisation­ sessions 19. 15 Feb DASH! music education element of every type of music: it improves Overall, the following activities took place: technique, musicianship, ensemble playing and • 28 presentations of which: 1. 21 Sep Peter Brunt & Wiek Hijmans 20. 22 Feb Anto Pett’s method recitals, and reinforces the musician’s bond with - Composition 1 the repertoire, fellow artists and the public. - Ballet 1 2. 28 Sep Do I have to sit still whilst being 21. 08 Mar Dance & Music Improvisation - Early Music 3 shaved...? Project During the academic year 2010-2011, the vari- - Classical Music 3 ous departments in the Conservatoire joined - Jazz 3 3. 05 Oct Vocal improvisation with Claron 22. 15 Mar Sarah Nicolls: Finding Language forces to organise a series of twenty-eight - Sonology 3 McFadden in Music events, including concerts, debates and lec- - Music Education 3 tures. Every discipline was represented: from - Lectorate 3 4. 12 Oct Luc Houtkamp, Anne La Berge & 23. 22 Mar Philippe Desponts & Odile Edouard jazz, early music and classical music to compo- - Vocal 2 Wiek Hijmans sition, from study methods and theory to dance - Joint Master NAIP 2 24. 29 Mar Zeq-Attack with Leo van Oostrom and experiments in sound. - Theory 3 5. 26 Oct Acoustic and electronic - Together Now 1 instruments­ 25. 05 Apr New audiences In January 2012, the Tuesday afternoon series • 13 presentations were preceded by culminated in a European project on improvisa- a ­workshop or lecture. 6. 02 Nov Community and World Music 26. 12 Apr Cadenzas tion with 11 other conservatories, subsidised by • 2 major projects: the ERASMUS programme of the EU. - Butch Morris Workshop Orchestra (1 week) 7. 09 Nov From solo improvisation to 27. 19 Apr COBRA - Dance & Music with Schumacher conduction The objectives of the project were: and Mary Oliver (2 weeks) 28. 26 Apr Together Now, closing • To accumulate knowledge and know-how • 1 additional project: improvisation in music 8. 16 Nov Butch Morris’ conduction presentation­ in the field of improvisation. theatre (4 workshops + closing presentation • To explore the possibility of including on 26 April 2011). 9. 23 Nov 1000 years of keyboard Brief reports and photos of almost every work- ­improvisation in the curriculum. • The average attendance was approximately improvisation­ shop are available, while HD video recordings • To prepare for a large festival devoted to 23 guests (estimate) and 9 participants were made of 10 presentations. In addition, ­improvisation on Spuiplein in The Hague. (­official). 10. 30 Nov Structuring improvisation there are films giving an impression of the • In 8 presentations there was no active entire season. Every Tuesday at 16.00 in Studio 3, improvi- ­participation by students because of the 11. 07 Dec Playground sation presentations took place that were format chosen (concert). The quality assurance office also published an open to the public and followed by a recep- 12. 14 Dec Classical Improvisation evaluation of the project in June 2011, which tion; some were preceded by workshops was based on questionnaires distributed to or lectures. These presentations­ were of 13. 04 Jan City Encounters teachers and students. interest to all students and teachers at the Royal Conservatoire and given by students and teachers from within the department. Each department gave between one and three presentations. Publicity material and activities for the activities were produced and arranged by the project.

6 Improvisation? Just do It! part 1 7 Overview: publicity Peter Brunt & Do I have to sit still whilst Vocal improvisation with materials Wiek Hijmans being shaved...? Claron McFadden Tuesday 21 September 2010 Tuesday 28 September 2010 Tuesday 5 October 2010 and notes organised by the Classical Music department with Renee Jonker with special guest Hillary Jeffery organised by the Music Master NAIP organised by the Vocal department Violinist Peter Brunt and electric guitarist Wiek Hijmans create chamber music programmes in Come and join us as students of Music Master Soprano Claron McFadden improvises with which they playfully combine music composed NAIP and the department of Music Education vocal students, exploring rhythm, overtones, The core activities of Improvisation 2010-2011 by J.S. Bach, Nicolò Paganini, Arvo Pärt, Ornette research the effects of active public par- imitation and colour. Composer Hillary Jeffery were a series of 28 events on Tuesday after- Coleman and Astor Piazzola with improvisation. ticipation in the ritual of a concert or lecture. provides them with the basic musical material. noons in Studio 3 at the Royal Conservatoire The programme includes a concert, a discus- Absolutey no preparation required. during the 2010-2011 season. The purpose sion about their programme, performance and formula: workshop and short presentation of the events was to explore the possibil- improvisation techniques, and free drinks. Bring formula: active participation in exercises, ity of introducing improvisation into the your instrument: there may be time for you to performance and discussion Observations Conservatoire’s curriculum. play too. Claron McFadden’s workshop for classical sing- Observations ers (it was not open to students from the Jazz formula: lecture, concert and discussion How do you make contact with your audience department because of the large number of The following overview incorporates a number and get them to listen to music that is unfamil- participants) focused on free forms of improvi- of details of each event: Observations iar to them? In other words, how do you make sation. A playful workshop with the focus on Peter Brunt and Wiek Hijmans explained how them active listeners? Among other things, exercises that involved imposing handicaps on 1. general information they develop new concert programmes with a improvisation demands active listening. Renee the participants and demanded a great deal of 2. announcements for each event (in English, wide range of material (from Bach to Piazzola) Jonker used music history and world music, as social interaction between them. There were the working language at the Conservatoire) and in an unusual ensemble, in which improvi- well as examples of publicity and public partici- individual and group exercises. Some of the 3. notes made during the sessions sation plays an important role. Besides explain- pation, to show the participants that you can group sessions spontaneously yielded absurd or 4. the main points learned from the session, ing their methods and giving a short concert, learn things in a group that would be impossible surrealistic musical theatre scenes. They helped based on the notes they also led a discussion about the significance or far more difficult to learn alone. Everyone the singers to further develop emotions and 5. the structure of the session, the number and importance of improvisation in the day-to- in the audience was invited to take part in the subtext. One exercise involved standing in a of participants and/or audience day practice of classical music, for improving discussion and the playful exercises and free circle and first reading, and then singing a text. 6. observations technique, preparing and playing in concerts improvisations. (coordinator Classical Music department Lessons learned: The notes give a general impression of the Susanne van Els: “like planning a bank robbery”) This session addressed an important subject • Silence is also a part of the improvisation... form and content of the sessions. A DVD and exploring new musical paths. and approach that is not offered by anyone • Spontaneity is essential, whatever you are recording gives an audiovisual impression­ of else, which also showed that learning in a performing... some of the sessions. Even if this approach does not provide any group opens up new paths and improves immediate or systemic tool for employing active­ listening. This session turned out to be extremely popular improvisation, it showed inspirational passion among the students and teachers: definitely for experiment and life long learning from two worth repeating. Unfortunately, the workshop renowned musicians. component was not open to students of other departments because of the large number of participants, although there was a lot of inter- est (Jazz Vocals).

8 Improvisation? Just do It! part 1 9 Lessons learned: arisen from that process. objective of that is to keep track: to know what • Freedom often goes best with someone takes it a step further: the framework itself is happening and who is doing what. else’s structured playing. is an essential element of the spontaneity. Luc Houtkamp, • Play with the constraints of your instrument. Three important processes occur during free Example, Codex: three groups led by a conduc- • If you are ‘wrong’, for example play false improvisation: (1) the recollection of what hap- tor. Group 1 plays melody, group 2 embellishes Anne La Berge & notes, you should play as though it was pened previously, (2) the acceptance of what the melody, and group 3 improvises. This ­intentional, fool the audience. happened, and (3) the prediction of what is produces music which you could never have Wiek Hijmans going to happen. For the performers the recall composed yourself and influences how you This sessions showed good perspectives, tips is almost identical, but the prediction of what is compose later. and discussions by experienced professional going to happen is not. Improvisation not a style Tuesday 12 October 2010 improvisers, although the structure could have but a process of composition during which at The nice thing about improvisations that you Improvisation and form been more systematic (perhaps too many any time a spontaneous decision can be made alternate or combine with material composed in organised by Lectorate D21 teachers for a single class?). that is decisive for the composition itself. There advance is that you share a sense of discovery is therefore no such thing as good or bad: the with your audience. Improvising for less than 10 Join us as this trio explores the use of rules you invent today can be broken tomorrow. minutes can be too short: you don’t have the form in and helps you to bring structure to There are some things you can only achieve in time to establish an identity. And: phrasing is ­improvisation. They will work with an ensemble scored music, others are unlikely to occur at all. easier than harmonising in improvisations. of ­students of all departments. Because acoustic instrumentalists can adapt to Richard Barrett – Since , every sound can be music a situation, they combine better with electron- formula: workshop and short presentation and we have now reached the limits of sonic ics in improvisations than in composed music, with audience Acoustic and electronic possibilities. Musical evolution is therefore now in which the possibilities are more limited. focusing on aspects other than sound. One of Observations instruments them is improvisation. Nowadays an improvis- During the presentation Richard Barrett led seven Electric guitarist Wiek Hijmans led a session ing ensemble with more than six musicians sessions, each based on an assignment: with ‘guests’ saxophonist Luc Houtkamp and causes problems. You can solve this through 1. 10 minutes of free improvisation. flutist Anne La Berge on: Tuesday 26 October 2010 conduction, and in future entire symphony 2. Play so quietly that you cannot be heard • Form and improvisation organised by the Institute of Sonology orchestras will be able to improvise. over the rest. • The relationship between improvisation 3. Play gradually louder and explore your and electronic music. Improvisation and live electronic performance relationship to the others. are intimately linked through their open and Instrumentation 4. A single sound every 2-6 seconds, so that Anne, Luc, Wiek and the seven students played exploratory nature, so that improvised music is Acoustic instruments are more suitable for you are part of a ‘melody’. free improvisation sessions in alternating already central to performing activities at the both improvisation and scored music than 5. Pieces of 1⁄2 minute, each one completely combinations. An interesting feature was that Institute of Sonology. Integrated combinations electronic instruments for which everything different to the one before. the freedom taken by one player was usually of acoustic and electronic instruments (with can be prescribed exactly so that there is no 6. At a sign, change everything. accompanied by the more or less structured both on a comparable level of fluency and flex- room for interpretation. Barrett only retrieves 7. Spontaneous, without signs, with three playing of the other. The use of memory played ibility) form one of the most challenging and ex- his material from the computer during the assignments: an important role, for example in picking up citing aspects of 21st century musical evolution. performance itself in order to leave open the • Soloist behaviour taking no account a theme later in the improvisation or play- Over the coming academic year we shall be possibilities. How do you make an electronic of anyone else. ing with structures and expectations. During holding several workshops in collaboration with musical instrument? There are four forms: • Try to change direction at least once. the improvisation the players tested their international guests, each leading to a concert passive, reactive, active and independent. An • At a sign play for two minutes relationship to each other: how much scope performance by students from Sonology and example of the first category is a tape recorder ­before ending. do I give the other person, when do I take the other departments. and the last-mentioned plays by itself. Extremes initiative? However, the instrument itself also in pitch and dynamic are difficult to achieve on Lessons learned: has limitations in terms of improvisation, both formula: lecture with sound recordings, electronics. It is more like playing on a single This session provided an excellent introduction technical (the construction, for example) and in ­workshop and presentation with audience bass drum. You actually want an instrument to improvisation and structured exercises for the public’s perception. Amplifying a harp, for that can do everything you think of now and in ensembles. example, suddenly reveals many new and hid- Observations the future... You will in any case have to build • Spontaneity always occurs against a den possibilities. A lecture by composer Richard Barrett about a relationship between your physique and the framework.­ spontaneous musical actions and reactions: instrument, for example between your fingers • Rules that you adopt today can be broken Wiek’s exercise: find your own ‘count’ and stick unplanned events. How do they relate to other and a keyboard. In fact, the physical aspect is tomorrow. to it. This creates depth and tension between aspects of creating music? Spontaneity always also very important for ensemble playing: you • With the limits of sonic possibilities having the highly distinct voices. occurs within a framework. A score implies see what your fellow player is doing or plans to been reached, improvisation is one of the a framework within which the spontaneity do and can respond to (or anticipate) it. aspects by which music can develop further. develops. Throughout history the relation- If you work in a large group (more than six or • Acoustic instruments are more suited to ship between framework and spontaneity has seven players improvising) a pre-determined improvisation than electronic instruments. constantly changed. Tonality, for example, has structure is actually liberating. The general • The physical aspect of ensemble playing is

10 Improvisation? Just do It! part 1 11 very important: you can see what others are But non-Western cultures do not think in Observations doing or planning to do. terms of chords but in scales and rhythms, for Peter van Bergen is the artistic director of the im- • Group improvisations can influence the way example. In the following group discussion with provisation festival organised by the Composition in which you compose. Tammo Heikens, Ashok Pathak discussed the department. The special guest for the week-long Lawrence D. ‘Butch’ • With more than six players you need a Indian raga and tala. Ashok explained that a festival was Butch Morris, who gave lectures, ­structure or a conductor. musician chooses a single raga/scale for their chaired discussions and conducted rehearsals. Morris – The Principles • 10 minutes of improvisation may be too short whole life and never stops learning and devel- The free improvisers at the Royal Conservatoire ® to establish an identity. oping variations: the raga develops over time also gave concerts on three evenings in the Kees of Conduction • Phrasing is easier than harmonising. as you make changes and add some notes and van Baaren hall. Van Bergen gave a lecture to • share a sense of ‘discovery’ with the discard others. There are different ragas for the introduce the Workshop Orchestra of 55 students ­audience. morning, afternoon or evening, each with their from every department to the method of conduc- Monday 15 – Friday 19 November own patterns and rules, each with their own tion developed by Butch Morris, with which the Festival on Improvisation with lectures, grammar. What is important to realise is that all ad hoc orchestra would improvise. ­concerts, panel discussions and workshops music education in India is oral. organised by the Composition department One student in the audience was given a short The Workshop Orchestra has four ‘actors’: lesson and Tammo and Ashok played a lengthy conductor, musician, environment and audience. From 15 November to 19 November the Community & demonstration (ragas can last from between The conductor responds to what you as musician Composition department hosted an exciting three minutes and three hours). Tammo played offer: if you do nothing he also does nothing. As festival on improvisation with the legendary world music sitar, while Ashok performed dhrupad. musicians you respond to one another, the con- and worldwide respected composer, conductor ductor, the environment, the audience and the and improviser ‘Butch’ Morris (New York City, Peter van Amstel’s excellent but brief intro- ‘process’. It is also important to remember what USA) as artist in residence. Artistic director Tuesday 2 November 2010 duction with sound fragments was inspiring. you played earlier because you may be asked to of the festival was composer and improvisor organised by the Music Education department Nevertheless, a more extensive general intro- repeat it. As a musician you are constantly on Peter van Bergen. duction to non-Western music would have been your toes. The orchestra and the conductor are Host is Peter van Amstel, ethnomusicologist welcome. The session consisted mainly of the constantly transforming themselves, unexpected For one week Butch Morris lectured on and and writer, who will talk about improvisation as performance of ragas. Students cannot immedi- things can happen and you have to follow the lead workshops in Conduction. On 16, 17 and 18 a form and learning method in other cultures. ately play this complex music and therefore the process carefully in improvisation. Take every- November there were three concert evenings The focus will be on India and the theme raga presentation had little practical use: how does thing seriously and never take it personally if the with panel discussions on improvisation in a and the improvisations on it. A short concert it work, what can I do with it? conductor takes you ‘in’ or ‘out’ of the game. programme with concert presentations by the will be given by Ashok Pathak, prominent sitar Butch Morris in an interview: “Everything I bring whole improvisation community of students player from India. After the concert Pathak will comes from jazz. All the good stuff comes from and teachers of the Royal Conservatoire. The be interviewed by Peter. Students will then there: spontaneity, innovation...” week ended with a public rehearsal by the experience the Indian Master’s method of Royal Conservatoire’s Workshop Orchestra teaching. During the closing session you will In the second half of the programme Marie under Butch Morris himself. be invited to play along with Dutch sitar player Peter van Bergen – Guilleray (Sonology) and Yedo Gibson Tammo Heikens. Please bring your instruments. (Composition) explained and gave short work- Lawrence D. ‘Butch’ Morris is recognised From solo improvisation shops on sound painting and the method of the internationally as the principal theorist and 15.00 introduction by Peter van Amstel with Royal Improvisors Orchestra, respectively. Both practitioner of CONDUCTION®, and a leading sound samples to conduction also work with a conductor. innovator in the confluence of jazz, new music, 16.00 concert and lessons by Pandit Ashok This was an informative lecture on conduc- improvisation and contemporary classical Pathak and Tammo Heikens tion, Butch Morris and conducted improvisa- music. Mr Morris’s work melds the roles of 16.45 improvisations with anybody who feels Tuesday 9 November 2010 tion; a good and very accessible workshop by composer, conductor and arranger while bridg- like joining in organised by the Composition department­ Marie Guilleray. ing the gap between interpreter and improviser. Website Butch D. Morris: www.conduction.us formula: lecture with sound recordings You can improvise on your own, but also with an and presentation with a lesson and an entire orchestra. Peter van Bergen – composer/ Monday 15 November, 20.00 open jam session musician and founder/director of the LOOS introduction by Butch Morris & Foundation and INfIM (The International Institute saxophonist Peter van Bergen Observations for Improvisation) – has extensive knowledge of Peter van Amstel give a brief review with audio practically every method of improvising and will Tuesday 16 - Friday 19 November, 11.00-14.00 fragments that brought him via ICP and jazz to introduce Butch Morris’ method of conduction in non-public rehearsals, Workshop Orchestra Iranian and Iraqi music and – finally – flamenco: this session. some music is totally free, some sounds free Tuesday 16 - Friday 19 November, 15.00 but not all, sometimes the improvisation is formula: lecture with sound recordings lectures Butch Morris structured as in jazz. For example, you can perform a modal improvisation on a chord.

12 Improvisation? Just do It! part 1 13 14 15 Tuesday 16 - Friday 19 November, 20.00 formula: lecture with live examples and sound midway through the Romantic period. The origi- or an approach that is not confined to the panel discussions & concerts by students and recordings nality always lay in the harmony. The ornamen- performance. It takes skill, especially if you teachers tal notes receive growing attention. You never are playing harmonic or modal, to retain the Observations find the ‘right’ note in the beat. If you want overarching shape or ‘flow’. It is a language: be Friday 19 November, 20.00 An extensive journey through centuries of to change the significance of a note, change aware of the meaning of sound. Improvisation public rehearsal with Butch Morris keyboard music. Wouter Turkenburg: “during the harmony. Learning the partimenti method is is unstable: it can stop at any moment. The session improvisation was the linking element be- to learn the universal rules of harmony, but interaction between musicians and between formula: lectures, discussion, concerts tween jazz, classical music and early music. The then in a directive sense, as with counterpoint. musicians and the audience is a shared respon- 21st century musician must be able to improvise.” However, you can also improvise a free melody sibility. And, last but not least, improvisation is Observations on a harmony. The low notes are then leading, a way of composing in ‘real time’. This was an ‘historic’ week. Butch Morris is a Bert Mooiman recounted the famous anec- the higher notes tonal. In this case, look for the phenomenon and has given a generation of stu- dote that Mozart could improvise so well that thirds and sixths. See also: Robert Gjerdingen – Judge music on its substance. This can be far dents from every department the experience people did not believe he was really improvis- Monuments of partimenti.” more complex than improvising in 19th century of their lives. If such an event would be planned ing and asked him to prove it by improvising a styles. Naturally it is historically defined, but the again, it would be advisable to also include specific theme. This anecdote shows us that Lessons learned: focus should be on the musical material. Video baroque, jazz and classical improvisation. audiences at the end of the eighteenth century • A good performance sounds as though it is of Bill Evans: it should sound as though it is were already entirely used to composed music. improvised: exciting and unpredictable. being created on the spot. Bach, Beethoven and However, a good performance sounds as though • If you make a mistake, pretend it was Mozart played a sort of jazz. it is improvised: exciting and unpredictable. ­deliberate and repeat the ‘mistake’. • Listen to a great many musicians, find your Composing and improvising are inseparable. In early improvisations harmony is decisive: you heroes and copy them. What does improvisation offer in relation to 1000 Years of harmonise a theme. In church music, improvisa- • For classical improvisation: know the theory performance and interpretation? Freedom, tion was a handy way of reacting to the ritual of harmony. improved interpretation, adapting to changing Keyboard Improvisation being performed when you did not know when • Wetted the appetite for more cross- situations, altering the parameters during a per- it would be over. There are various ways of departmental projects formance, timing... There are countless forms of improvising on the organ: changes of register, improvisation depending on the social context: Tuesday 23 November 2010 counterpoint, inversions, diminutions... classical, free, jazz, world music... three interactive sessions for all keyboard ­players of all departments with piano teachers Tip: if you make a mistake, pretend Cecil Taylor (video): the joy of practising leads Juraj Stanik, Karst de Jong and Bert Mooiman it was deliberate and make the same to the celebration of creation. organised by the Jazz department ‘mistake’ again. Structuring improvisation Lesson learned: At every moment in the history of the keyboard Juraj Stanik developed a simple method of im- with Peter van Bergen • Improvisation is something you have to do. there has been improvisation. Some improvisa- provising. Some tips and examples. Lee Konitz: • How you do it, whether you play or not, is tion practices are still known, others are cur- “start with a melody and range further and entirely up to you. rently being researched and rediscovered. New further from it. Listen to a great many musi- Tuesday 30 November 2010 • Improvisation is unstable: it can stop at insights are obtained by looking at improvisation cians, find your heroes and copy them. Beware organised by the Composition department any moment. practices from different angles. of using too many triplets, it obscures the • It should sound as though it is being created overarching lines. If you play a scale: play to the You can improvise on your own but also with on the spot. The three sessions are for all players of the 7th, not to the 8th, which disturbs the rhythm. an entire orchestra. Peter van Bergen – com- • Improvising is composing in ‘real time’. piano, organ, harpsichord, fortepiano and Practice playing with just your left hand. Ask poser/musician, and founder/director of the keyboard in every department. All students are yourself: what information do I include to make LOOS Foundation and INfIM (The International invited to play, improvise and share their experi- myself clear? Do not be predictable. Do not Institute for Improvisation) – has extensive ence with others. repeat the same note in a melody; many do so knowledge of practically every method of A thousand years of keyboard improvisation but it doesn’t work. Know all the diminished improvising and will put Butch Morris’ method prepares you for the music of the future! chords and their reversals ...” of conduction in the context of other ways of Playground with Saskia structuring improvisation. Programme Karst de Jong and Bert Mooiman: “Thanks to Coolen & Reine-Marie Bert Mooiman: early keyboard improvisation on harmony everyone understands what is hap- formula: lecture with video and sound recordings organ and on harpsichord pening. The tradition of partimenti comes from Verhagen Juraj Stanik: on songs and Naples and is based on bass lines. The tonal Observations other forms centre should always be clear, just as dancers Improvising is something you have to do. How Karst de Jong and Bert Mooiman: improvisation focus on a single point in space. Divide into you do it, whether you play or not, is entirely Tuesday 7 December in classic and romantic music tonic and dominant, always maintain a connec- up to you. In form and content it is capable of organised by the Early Music department tion and work with tension and relaxation. adapting to different situations. It is a play- pitch = 415 / 2 harpsichords available The partimenti method was still used until ground for the musical imagination, a technique

16 Improvisation? Just do It! part 1 17 Recorder players Saskia Coolen and Reine- formula: workshop Studio 3 where, at 13.00 we will work in private Marie Verhagen invite you to come and hear with Anthony and Sahand until 16.00, when eve- how you can playfully use many styles, histori- Observations rybody else can join in and have a drink. All you cal examples, diminutions and embellishments Improvisation does not have to be perfect. need to bring is your instrument. Ensemble! – while improvising on a seventeenth-century ground bass. Everybody, yes, everybody is In the session with students embellishments formula: workshop Jorrit Dijkstra welcome to join in or listen. But remember the were improvised. You can always play a pitch will be 415! ‘straight’ version and then the embellished ver- Observations sion. Guidelines for producing embellishments Sahand emigrated to The Netherlands in 1983. Tuesday 11 January 2011 formula: active workshop in classical music: trills, appoggiaturas, minor/ Music is a luxury in Persia/: you make music Studio 3, 16.00 major changes... The harmony is always present if you have nothing better to do. At home he organised by the Jazz department Observations in the background. And do not forget the use of was not even allowed to play music. Saskia Coolen and Reine-Marie Verhagen have silences. The possibilities for improvisation are In the Mezrab tea house in , Saxophone player and composer Jorrit Dijkstra a series of step-by-step exercises with which different for each instrument. A good exercise founded by Sahand, people meet to drink tea, approaches improvisation from listening to each they help older musicians to learn to improvise. is to repeat a melody, such as a dance tune. tell stories and play music together. The atmos- other. During two workshops for jazz students The first exercise involves repeating a melody Cadenzas at 1-6-4 are usually far longer than phere was so relaxed and informal that Sahand Dijkstra will challenge ensemble players to think by Diego Ortiz; the second involves repeating those at 5 and 7. You have to decide in advance often wondered whether he could call himself beyond their own instrument. Relatively easy the melody played by your predecessor and what length is appropriate. Played: works by a performer. To him, music is primarily a way pieces by The Beatles or Bill Frisell will be used to then adding your own improvisation. composers including Czerny, Telemann, Handel, of creating a direct bond between people. An bring group processes to the surface. The result Corelli, Schubert... with students of violin, essential aspect is what he calls the ‘voice’, the will be presented at 16.00 Use memory and be inventive with it: play with recorder, horn, piano and vocal studies. music that comes from inside yourself, regard- the material. You can use various techniques less of what instrument you play. Your ‘voice’ formula: workshop and short presentation and put them in order. For example, by first For (harmonic) improvisation you must: is also audible through an instrument that you ‘breaking’ the chords and then changing them • Be able to play. have only just learned to play, whether you Observations into different rhythms. Be inventive with • Be flexible. have mastered it or not. It is your unique ‘voice’ A workshop for jazz students on the basis of rhythm, harmony, counterpoint and intervals... • Know basso continuo. that makes the performance so valuable. often simple melodies/songs. They first learned and be aware that when you are playing a ‘part’ • Have talent. ensemble playing through exercises. In one the you are also playing a ‘role’. During the session the participants went in musicians formed a circle and each one played This was successful as an ‘active’ workshop, search of their own ‘voice’. How do you express the next note in a scale. In another they played Lessons learned: with good, talented students, who presented a yourself on an instrument that you don’t a melody and stopped whenever they liked and • Repeating is a very important exercise: clear approach. know? Even if you don’t know the technique, allowed the next musician to continue [listen to listening carefully, hearing what happens. your ‘voice’ can still be heard by hitting it, for each other]. Jorrit Dijkstra: “How do you make • Use memory and be playful with the material. example. Are you playing for yourself or for the a melody­ interesting? How do you arrange audience? As you are playing, you are constant- it? Instrumentation, chords, rhythm, instant This session, which unfortunately saw on a ly listening, to your fellow musicians and to your composing, tone, timbre, variation, dynamic, small number of participants, showed a good audience. Everyone is a participant. Sahand embellishments, reach, harmony...” supplement to the baroque (teaching) practice. City Encounters with prefers to sit in the audience so that there is Energetic and well prepared. no boundary between the stage and the hall. In a free improvisation everyone starts by finding Anthony Heidweiller & Improvisation helps you to connect with people. their own individual, artistic voice. Before you How you do it is depend on your culture: jazz, know it, you have been playing for too long. The Sahand Sahebdivani Balkan, Persian, Greek or Klezmer … but the effect is better if someone stops playing: chang- principle remains the same. ing the dynamic by changing the orchestration. There are also different types of players: shy Classical Improvisation Tuesday 4 January 2011 Lessons learned: players, soloists, extroverts... organised by the Vocal department • Everyone has an inner ‘voice’, regardless of with Bert Mooiman what instrument they play. Tip: hold on to good ideas (there are never that Improvisation is communication. It connects • Improvisation helps bring people together. many), ‘orchestrate’ or think of a sub-conversa- people. Director Anthony Heidweiller invites tion, for example. Music: Twinkle, twinkle, little Tuesday 14 December 2010 musical instrumentalists to meet Iranian musi- This session presented a perfect balance be- star, Norwegian Wood, Steve Lacey – Rain. organised by the Music Theory department cian and storyteller Sahand Sahebdivani with tween form, content an intention: the perfor- whom they will improvise musically on the mance matched the discussion. It explained and Lessons learned Students in classical piano, classical improvisa- basis of stories. Master storyteller Sahand is put into practice an often mentioned aspect in • Stop playing is often fruitful. tion and basso continuo will connect their own well-known for Mezrab, his famous teahouse an unusually clear manner and taught energeti- • Stick to good ideas. creativity and the written compositions that in Amsterdam, where cally how to make contact with your surround- • It is very annoying if you have a dinner party shape their repertoire in a unique concert. All in- sessions are regularly organised. On Tuesday ings. Extremely good energy. and only one friend talks all the time. You struments and students are welcome to join us. 4 January, we will open our own ‘Mezrab’ in need some balance in who talks and when.

18 Improvisation? Just do It! part 1 19 or that he cannot provide such a structure). Lesson learned: Example: the guitarist was a master Insights were very sharp and to the point. Parker • Listen to many different instruments at avoiding melody or structure. He always did is definitely an ambassador who will be able to and types of music. something different to what you would expect Evan Parker inspire many students (and teachers). This sessions showed a performance of a high from a classical musician and was always explor- quality, albeit without a participatory element. ing off the beaten path.

Tuesday 18 january 2011 Question: As a classically trained musician you host: Richard Barrett always think in terms good or bad. How do you organised by the Institute of Sonology avoid that? Answer according to Ken Rollins: Film & live Music – “If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you will Composer Evan Parker is a must for those not Ernst Reijseger never come up with something original.” Well familiar with free improvisation, and Berlin, die sinfonie prepared, experienced musicians make things extended techniques pioneer. With Richard happen ‘in the moment’, and improvisation is Barrett and students he will explore one of the der GrossStadt Tuesday 1 February 2011 doing precisely what is not permitted at that most challenging developments in contempo- organised by the Lectorate D21 moment. rary music: the combination of acoustic and electronic music instruments. Tuesday 25 January 2011 Cello player Ernst Reijseger is a phenomenal Lessons learned: Leo van Oostrom, saxophones, clarinets, DJ, musical omnivore who is active in avant-garde • Pay attention to what others are doing. formula: workshop with 11 group Geräuschmacher, and jazz, improvised music and contemporary clas- • Be disciplined and stretch yourself. improvisations­ Kweksilber, saxophones, clarinets, sical music. He offers workshops to children • You need contradictions: boredom is also accordion,­ Geräuschmacher and writes and plays music for theatre, film and a quality Observations organised by the Classical Music department dance. Come join him and play, or just listen to • Avoid terms like good or bad: “if you’re not Evan Parker: what he does. prepared to be wrong, you will never come up “I don’t deal with other players but just with Van Oostrom and Kweksilber play all kinds of with something original.” what I hear: instruments, music and improvisations with the formula: discussion with short solo improvisa- I am hearing what I am hearing filmBerlin, die sinfonie der GrossStadt by Walter tions, concluding with a group improvisation Ernst’s presentation was a performance, If you are the last one playing, take the hint... Ruttmann (, 1927), with German cross- form is content. An unrivalled presentation that (and stop) headings, 70’ black & white. Observations was very provocative, so the essence came Don’t wait for me to play the first. That is a Ernst Reijseger provokes his audience with a across clearly. Instead of just a class, it was big mistake A day in metropolitan Berlin is made into an theatrical improvisation/discussion which blurs a ­tremendous one-off event. Don’t take ‘there are no rules’ as a rule! What abstract and rhythmic play through camerawork the boundary between play and ‘reality’. He asks about your expectations as a player?” and editing. Trains, buildings and masses of the audience what he is doing. And gives hints: Steve Lacey said: “make the drummer sound people are transformed into ‘visible music’. With he gives himself instructions, such as ‘play no good!” this film, director Walter Ruttman, who had previ- themes’, ‘play no open strings’, ‘do not repeat’, It is very important to read the intentions of ously made several abstract animation films, ‘do not structure’. “But besides playing,” says other players and feel a sense of inevitabil- made his reputation as an ­innovative film maker. Reijseger, “you have to do more: pay attention to Venetian Jam Session ity. How long is it going to last? The more the what others are doing, make decisions...” player feels he or she is known by the others, formula: film with live accompaniment According to Reijseger, we are highly condi- with Patrick Ayrton, the more important the question of playing (performance) tioned by the CD culture nowadays: a ‘finished’ with identity and expectations becomes. product is our ultimate ambition. Ernst himself harpsichord The moment is defined by memory of what Observations tries to spot the mistakes in everything, what he happened before and anticipation of what will A brief introduction to the live accompaniment describes as a variation. Sometimes an impro happen afterwards. to the film. You can look at the film in two ways: sounds like a ‘finished’ composition. Ernst has Tuesday 8 February 2011 as a portrait of the capital of the world or as the acquired the discipline of composing ten bars organised by the Early Music department Evan Parker ended with a conduction. inner rythm of a city, as it is presented cycli- every day without his instrument. Discipline and cally, starting in the morning and ending at night. a desire to stretch yourself help. ‘Old-fashioned’ jamming in Venetian style. Lessons learned: Because the symphonic score has been lost, Ensemble playing, for all musicians. • Make the drummer sound good. Kweksilber and Van Oostrom looked for their About quality: boredom is also a quality; it is very • Don’t take ‘there are no rules’ as a rule. own music and instruments appropriate to the difficult to play. You ultimately need contradic- formula: workshop and presentation • Read the intentions of other players. tone of the film. They accompanied the film with tions. Improvisation is a way of enriching your • Play with identity and expectations. 110 instruments, partly improvising and with the music and is not only intended as a performance Observations help of a CD track. art form. How can musicians be inspired to During the session students improvised on pas- Evan was very charismatic and showed the improvise? What do they gain from it? Classical samezzi, intonaziones, saltarello and chaconne best energy of all the sessions, although the musicians, for example, should study a lot of piz- from the second half of the sixteenth century. session sometimes lacked structure (which does zicato and rhythm. That is quite different to what NOT mean that Parker’s idea are not ­structured they are used to. This is music that everyone of the time knew

20 Improvisation? Just do It! part 1 21 how to play, but which we now no longer know Schönberg Ensemble, the Calefax Reed Quintet how it sounded. Perhaps research into the vari- and many more. ous schools of figuration and counterpoint will He also initiated and composed many musical provide answers about how the music was put theatre projects for Orkater, Toneelschuur, Anto Pett, piano Dance & Music with together. Ayrton provided a number of hints for Dood Paard, DASH! and ‘t Barre Land. Currently improvising on this music. There are basic rules he co-leads the contemporary jazz ensemble & ensemble Michael Schumacher for figuration and embellishments such as trem- Jungle Boldie. oletto. For example, you can use syncopation if and Mary Oliver you want to think a little longer about what will This workshop is all about improvisation, about Tuesday 22 February 2011 come next. With modal improvisation, you stick how to make the most of your musical ideas. organised by the Lectorate D21 to a pattern, introduce the tonality, proceed a Whether it is in a jazz, classical or world music Tuesday 8 March 2011 little aimlessly until reaching something like a context, it’s important to find different angles Estonian pianist Anto Pett starts from the idea organised by the Dance Department dominant. Ultimately, it is about conducting a from which to approach the music. Short exer- that everyone who can speak a language is sort of archaeological search in order to confirm cises, based on melody, harmony, rhythm and able to improvise. Through his own, very well- An exciting and unprecedented project started the tonic and the dominant. text coupled with performance-based challenges balanced and easy to work with improvisation at the Conservatoire. Twelve students of the will help you find these angles and broaden your method – which contains amongst other things Dance department and twelve students of the There are a number of things that have to be musical mind. connections to martial arts – he gets everybody music departments joined forces to participate agreed before you play with an ensemble: who to play together in no time. in an intimate two-week workshop with two will do what? Bass, embellishments, keys? To formula: workshop and presentation very special guests: dancer and choreographer learn improvisation in a group you will have to formula: workshop and presentation Michael Schumacher and violin/viola per- create a structure. As you improvise you slowly Observations former/improviser Mary Oliver. Dancers and learn what works and what doesn’t. Practice What will happen when you have completed Observations musicians will continue to work in separate and hard work will make you a better impro­viser. your course? Very often you will be asked to play Anto Pett has a clear step-by-step method and joint sessions. Three important factors: imitation, memory and something you have never played before. How for arriving at improvisation through basic – the most important – rhythm. do I adapt? How do I make contact with the audi- exercises. His intention is to get players to think In between sessions, this Tuesday at 16.00 in ence? Ornstein’s advice: “seize the opportunity and play simultaneously. Practising scales, for Studio 3, Michael and Mary will perform them- Lessons learned: while you are still studying and go to everything, example, develops motoric habits that greatly selves and tell us more about their very special ap- • In baroque improvisation: agree on who including student recitals, etc. Theory, solfège influence how you think. The point is to liberate proach to dance, music, the use of space, light and does what. and arrangement are all very important for your your thoughts from them. text, and performing together. Not to be missed! • Constantly think: style and structure. future career. Listen to everything, you will be • Improvisation is about memory, transposition able to use it all later... Don’t waste your time!” In the session he introduced 12 exercises, formula: presentation and habit. Ornstein gave the group a number of exercises all with a different focus; for example melody, • Jeanpierre Legay (organist at Notre Dame, with instructions. Think of form and projection. colour, intervals, tempo, repetition, rhythm Schumacher/Oliver inspired their audience and Paris): “no improvisation without preparation.” Stick to what you are doing or take the initiative. or syncope. In the second half of the session brought humour in a short presentation. For Don’t go anywhere where others can follow. he steadily increased the number of notes. further observations, see the information on Don’t all do the same, but do leave scope. Do According to Pett, with four notes you already the Dance & Music Improvisation Project below. not paint all roses red: Don’t stress the obvious, have something like a ‘line of thought’. think of what is complementary. The quality of what you do must be enough: you have to be Pett is a very structured, constructive teacher DASH! style music able to carry through on your bluff. from whom students and teachers can learn a lot. education with Maarten Ornstein’s workshop was in principle a standard Lessons learned: Dance & Music free improvisation session with a very personal • There are no ‘wrong’ notes. Ornstein approach, strong basic principles and a lot of • If you need more self-confidence: Improvisation Project authority. play easier material. • If the piano or harp plays larger intervals, it Tuesday 15 February 2011 Lessons learned: gives more freedom to the other instruments. Monday 28 February – Friday 11 March Studio 3, workshop 14.00 / presentation 16.00 • Notes don’t matter. • If there are a lot of people playing, try to cre- Dance & Music Improvisation Project organised by the Jazz department • Take initiative. ate contrast. with Michael Schumacher and Mary Oliver • Be aware of each other. • Do not play all the time. organised by the Dance Department Maarten Ornstein, bass clarinet and saxophone • Don’t go where others can follow... but don’t • Know how long you are playing. player, great improviser and entrepreneurial change all the time either. • Be self-confident, because if you ‘think’ the Top of the bill dancer and choreographer Michael artist is courageous and consistent in his musical • Stick to some ideas & go along with perfect moment has gone. Schumacher is our special guest in an intimate approaches. He gives clinics on improvisation good ideas. • Find the balance between rational thought two week workshop project where students of that go further than the usual end challenges. and intuition. the Dance department will improvise together He worked with Pat Metheny, Dave Liebman, the • Retain the tension of the moment. with students of the music departments. Only a

22 Improvisation? Just do It! part 1 23 limited number of students will be accepted and Physically you can also work with harmony, for programme by the Institute of Sonology, encom- Lessons learned: the group of performers will have a maximum di- example by entering or exiting simultaneously passing a lecture, a workshop and a concert. • Discover musical (composition) language by versity in background and instruments. Dancers or by simultaneously connecting three points in See www.sarahnicolls.com improvising in a group. and musicians work in separate and joint ses- space. But note: even if you don’t move every- • Active developing: listen closely to the others. sions with both Michael and renowned violin/ thing around you changes. You influence a situa- formula: presentation viola performer/improviser Mary Oliver, focusing tion just as much by entering as by leaving. on various aspects such as dance, music, the use Observations of space, light and text, and performing together. Give names to situations (for example, duo, trio Nicolls discussed creative processes on the etc.) to remember them better. Build up your basis of three pieces of music. She selected formula: workshop dynamism. Do not create so much tension that them following Richard Barrett’s piece Adrift, Philippe Desponts length: 2 weeks you finally have no option but to destroy it (the the most difficult piece she has ever played ‘blow up’ syndrome). For example, you can also (and would perform that evening). In the piece & Odile Edouard Observations choose to be an observer: you don’t immediately Barrett gives the instruction to improvise. Schumacher/Oliver form a perfect team and have to produce a masterpiece. Ultimately, it is Before you can do that, however, you will first offer a unique programme that was given for about making a choice that opens up numer- have to investigate the language of the com- Tuesday 22 March 2011 the first time over such a lengthy period at the ous new possibilities. It is not a problem if you position. How do you investigate language? A with Patrick Ayrton conservatoire; a permanent team of dancers and end alone, repeatedly or play with the same striking aspect of Nicolls’ method is that she organised by the Early Music department musicians has been formed from the group that players, just as long as you are aware of what is gets musicians to perform the analysis by im- meets regularly. Advice: repeat every year or happening around you. The world is a movie. If provising together: through the group process Violinist Odile Edouard from the Conservatoire every two years. you cannot hear something you go over there, or they discover the language. National Supérieur Musique et Danse de Lyon not... so don’t worry about being heard: it is the (CNSM) and harpsichord/organ player Philippe Over two weeks Michael and Mary created a intention that counts. Example 1. . What do you no- Desponts from the Conservatoire Populaire de close-knit dance and music company. The first tice? Waves, distinct dominant tones, rewrit- Genève are our special guests and will impro- sessions were held separately: the dancers with ing, repositioning, an object that is approached vise together with harpsichordist Patrick Ayrton. Michael, the musicians with Mary. After three Lessons learned: from different directions. An improvisation The work will be focused on Ortiz and Diruta, days, Michael and Mary swapped groups before • Find structure and form. could be performed with a ‘conductor’ to with practical exercises in counterpoint. combining them and continuing as an ensemble. • De-condition yourself. indicate the waves. Restrictions are very The exercises were designed to teach partici- • Be an observer and participant at the helpful when you define your possibilities in a formula: workshop and presentation pants their place in the ensemble and the space. same time. small space. Nicolls conducted an experiment In the first place, it is about finding systems for • Always know what the counterpoint of what with the students and got them to improvise working with memory and development. How you are doing is. on Feldman. There was one fixed parameter: do you remember something and how do you • Everything changes even when you do nothing. development goes at Feldman’s pace (slowly). then use it? Find structure and form, and be • Use your memory: give names to situations to This means that when someone in the ensem- aware of them. See also E.E. Cummings’ stream remember them. ble changes something, the rest cannot for a ZEQ-Attack of consciousness. Also important: choose your • Make choices that open up infinite new while. It forces you to listen very closely to the own relationship, don’t let someone else choose possibilities.­ others: ‘active developing’. it for you. • Be your own teacher. Tuesday 29 March 2011 • Choose your own relationship. Example 2. . Nono approaches with Leo van Oostrom, saxophones/clarinets Through the exercises you can discover the the piano like a computer: notes are discrete organised by the Classical Music department physical possibilities of your fellow musicians ‘events’. One is totally separate from the oth- With the music of their ensemble ZEQ-Attack, and what they are doing. Learn to de-condition ers. An improvisation in this language makes a double bass player Quirijn van Regteren Altena yourself: when you hear a waltz you must not lot clear: how dynamism works, how you listen and composer Ernst Oosterveld – self-proclaimed start dancing it. Watch what your colleagues are to music. hybrid instrumentalists – cover a huge area doing by being aware of the space all around Sarah Nicolls: Finding ranging from electronic and software-created you and your place in it. You are simultaneously Example 3. Sciarrino’s Piano Sonata: obsessive compositions and improvisations, to classical an observer and a participant. Be aware of what Language in Music music in which the piece is deliberately garbled. and jazz music. At the presentation this amazing you are doing and always look for its counter- duo will be accompanied by multi-instrumentalist point. Making a note of it will help you to expand The session concluded with a free improvisa- Leo van Oostrom with whom they might give fine your possibilities. You can and must be your own Tuesday 15 March 2011 tion in which the influence of the earlier exercis- examples of how to work with combinations of teacher. It also helps to share experiences. Even with Richard Barrett es could be clearly heard in the resulting sound. musical styles and elements... when you leave the stage you can still be ‘on’ organised by the Institute of Sonology Nicholls proved to be an inspiring musician www.zeq-attack.com (Katie Duck). If you don’t do that, it will be very who unexpectedly adopts a new perspective: difficult to come in later. But: when you enter Finding language in music - understanding discovering (analysing!) composition/musical formula: presentation with short improvisation it doesn’t have to be a theatrical entrance, that music through improvisation. language through group improvisations. and explanations can come later. Accordingly, you can equally be ‘off’ before actually leaving the stage. Sarah Nicolls’ workshop was part of a full day’s

24 Improvisation? Just do It! part 1 25 Observations Observations Quirijn van Regteren Altena and Ernst Oosterveld In the 1980s it was still easy to find an audience, see their duo ZEQ-Attack as a laboratory where but nowadays it has become very difficult. The they can play with technique and acoustic competition is tougher, there are more distrac- Cadenzas with Bert ’s Cobra instruments. For every programme they invite tions (tv, internet...), there are more concerts... a new guest musician. This time it was Leo van The drawback is that you get used to it, but if Mooiman method with Esmée Oostrom. The guest is the point of departure for a you are really motivated you should always be programme that does not contain any composed searching for a larger audience. The place to Olthuis works. During rehearsals they developed basic start is by identifying your existing audience. Tuesday 12 April 2011 principles, possibilities that they worked with organised by the Music Theory department ‘live’. Electronics and software played a crucial Sometimes you do that by reaching out to the Tuesday 19 April 2011 role in that. Quirijn played a unique bass with a audience, seeking contact with it by appealing to Back in the days of baroque and classical com- organised by the Music Teaching department midi bridge; Ernst developed his own software its own interests. Persuading them to come to posers improvising cadenzas was daily practise. using algorithms and a serialiser (layers of voices); your concert, by removing an obstacle, regard- The tradition is revived during this concert pres- One of the most famous and effective methods and Leo’s acoustic sounds were recorded and less of whether they will ever return. But never entation with students and teachers. Everyone for group improvisation is John Zorn’s Cobra edited so that they could be played back later, in adapt your repertoire to the audience. You must is welcome to join in! method, a ‘game’ piece for a group of musical altered form, in the music. The sound was jazzy, believe in it yourself. And don’t tell people that improvisers and a prompter with very detailed the entire concert a sort of jazz festival full of ref- they should like something good, that it is the formula: workshop rules but with no pre-conceived sequence of erences and historic elements.The session, which most brilliant music ever, for example... events, that results in radically different pieces was (almost too much) constructed as a concert, Observations every time it is performed. The prompter uses showed much pleasure in playing, experiment Concerts are predictable events; a football Bert Mooiman: “cadenzas were not really impro- written signs and general directions such as ‘sad’, and life-long learning by respected musicians match, for example, is not. Improvisation is a vised before 1800. They were more like jazz, with ‘groovy’ etc and points out which musicians will way of making concerts more exciting. But you licks and prepared themes and motifs. Students play. Within the hour you will be able to ‘conduct’ When working with new instruments and soft- can also challenge your audience by involving played a number of works with cadenzas, always a special musical experience. Guest teacher ware you have to understand that it only works them in an experiment; for example proving the in a ‘straight’ version and then in an embellished, Esmée Olthuis (Conservatoire of Amsterdam) if you are in command of your material: you first claim that you can hear a pin drop on the stage improvised version. Corelli’s Sonatas for violin has a lot of experience with this method, using it have to learn the language. Otherwise, you are from the back row of the main auditorium of the and harpsichord contain collections of embellish- regularly to work with young people with little or two steps removed from creativity. Some con- Concertgebouw. ments that you can use. Sometimes the embel- no musical background. temporary composers, for example, lose contact lishment hides the underlying structures, such as with electronic and acoustic by composing on Renee led a number of group games in improvi- a cantus firmus. You also have to take account of formula: workshop and presentation computers. sation. Two involved words where everyone the physical possibilities of the instrument and took it in turn to (1) choose a word that made the ensemble playing with the accompanist so Esmée Olthuis organises around nine projects a Lessons learned: up part of a sentence, and (2) call out random that you end together. Handel’s Sonata à 5. year (ranging from one day to two weeks) with • You first have to master new instruments and words in an almost associative game. Three In the classical period the cadenzas were children during which she simulates big bands by software. exercises with instruments, including one in easier, with fewer chords and chords held means of graphic improvisation. She confronts • A composer must not lose touch with the which the participants had to repeat exactly longer. Cadenzas for flute are generally shorter young people with complex rhythms and music possibilities of acoustic instruments. what they had played earlier. Another game than for violin or keyboard. There are numerous and gives them a glimpse into the world of com- • Continue developing in a playful manner. involved standing in a circle and randomly treatises about 18th-century preludes that could position and improvisation. counting backwards one by one as quickly as help you to find some ‘licks’. The best way of possible but not at the same time as anyone learning to play is by listening to them. The aim COBRA by John Zorn was originally a piece for 12 else. You need to have a very good sense of of the cadenza was either to guide listeners musicians that was born from a need to impro- what others are going to do for this. to the next tutti or to impress them. In that vise with more than four musicians at the same context, the element of surprise or awe is enor- time. There is a ‘conductor’ but that does not New Audiences Improvisation is a powerful tool for teaching mously important. The audience therefore plays constrain the creativity. The method has nothing amateurs the meaning of music. And everyone an important role in this.” to do with skills, it is concerned with param- can produce sounds or words. So use improvi- eters like loud, fast, soft (which are represented Tuesday 5 April 2011 sation to make contact with new audiences. by graphic signs) and not with notes, keys or with Renee Jonker instruments. The first rule is: respect the signs organised by Music Master NAIP to start and stop. Discipline and attention­ are very important. While playing: follow­ the leading Why limit yourself to one audience? There is aspect, for example rhythm. It sometime takes a far wider potential audience. Too often we a while for a good idea to take root. Remember choose an audience that comes from our own that not playing is always an option. And if some- inner circle. thing is nice, you should not try to make it even nicer. Remember what you are playing because formula: workshop you may be asked to repeat it later. There are

26 Improvisation? Just do It! part 1 27 some other rules that could make the sessions Hewitt (baroque violin), Lovorka Holjevac sented each director with the results achieved Karel de Rooij en Hans Minnaert – Dido more exciting: you could ask other musicians to (jazz vocal), Camille Verhaak (clarinet) & up to then to build on further. This produced a Tuesday 26 April 2011 take over your theme or you and a group of other Milana Zaric sort of ‘work in progress’, which led to a unique participants: James Hewitt, Robert de Bree, musicians could temporarily ignore the conduc- 17.20 Jazz double bass solo with Vasilis final result for which the ensemble itself was Iason Marmadas, Reut Rivka, Angelica Vasquez, tor (guerrilla). Stefanopoulos mainly responsible. The presentation during Camille Verhaak 17.35 Reut Rivka (soprano), Robert de Bree the finalimprovisation ­ session was received The 22 students formed an ensemble. After the ­(recorder), Iason Marmadas (harpsi- ­enthusiastically. formula: workshop first session they swapped instruments so that chord), James Hewitt (baroque violin) everyone was playing an unfamiliar instrument. 17.50 Barrett (keyboard, laptop), Marcel Sijm created the initial framework and After a while, the students could even conduct. (piano), Marie Guilleray (voice), Milana approached the improvisation from the perspec- This was obviously an essential lesson for stu- Zaric (harp) & guests tive of creating theatrical tension, contact with dents of Music Education. the audience and stage presentation. Floris Schönfeld saw the improvisation more as an A few more tips. If you are working with chil- arena in which you have to listen to the animal dren, keep it simple, do not use pictures but in you. His frame was also that rules give you colours. Explain to them that more or less is not freedom and direction. David Prins approached the same as louder or softer. Let people do their Music Theatre Workshops Dido as a game of characters: who is who, what own thing, experiment. If you offer something do you show? Be aware that what you show yourself, make it a rich offer, but do not play har- on the stage is not interpretation but a clear monically because a perfect ear is needed for it. The Royal Conservatoire and the Scroll Ensemble action. Karel de Rooij and Hans Minnaert used If silence occurs and is appreciated, the session explored the possibilities of improvisation in choreography and transformed the material is already a success. music and theatre. Musical starting material for they were given into a practical framework for a this music theatre project was Purcell’s Dido & performance. Aeneas. Four different directors worked with a diverse group of multi-talented musicians and Some quotes and comments: singers in four one-day sessions. The perspec- • Focus on the content tive of each session changed: love, war, travel, • Do not lose touch with the audience: Together Now! cultures etc. The outcome of each session was you can compel them to look at you all but fixed! • Theatre is grabbing attention • One person will begin, who is it? Tuesday 26 April 2011 In 2010 and 2011 four music theatre work- creates tension Closing session shops were organised with the Scroll Ensemble • Do not fall back into habits (conditioning) organised by Improvisation 2012 (students from the Royal Conservatoire), an • Don’t think, but do ensemble that uses baroque and free improvi- • Get context, try to find it, try to share it Together Now is the theme of the closing party sation in all of its concerts. The musical and • Do not create any comfort zones, there has to of the improvisation sessions. Students, teach- substantive starting material for the last three be tension: like a trap with dangerous animals ers and amazing improvisers will perform a sessions was Purcell’s opera Dido & Aeneas. • A musician who speaks text should simply say challenging mix of improvisations, ranging from It was not performed in full but extracts from it. With conviction but without interpretation early music, sonology, free improvisation to it were performed with Reut Rivka playing the music theatre. only singing part in the dual role of Dido and the Marcel Sijm – Droeve Oogen Sorceress. The vocal lines largely unchanged and (Dutch, 17th century) formula: concert particularly in the intermezzos (dance) there was Tuesday 27 April 2011 plenty of scope for musical improvisation. After participants: James Hewitt, Marcin Programme: three sessions it was decided to end the scene Swiatkiewicz, Barbara van den Eerenbeemt 16.00 Richard Barrett (keyboard, laptop), Guus with a complete free improvisation, in which Janssen (piano) & Marie Guilleray (voice), even the (baroque) style no longer played a role. Floris Schönfeld – Dido Joint Master NAIP The most important role for improvisation was Tuesday 15 March 2011 16.20 Free improvisation session 1 with in the theatrical aspect of the performance. The participants: James Hewitt, Robert de Bree, Richard Barrett, Guus Janssen & Marie aim was to develop a form of improvised music Iason Marmadas, Reut Rivka Guilleray theatre suited to the Together Now festival. The 16.30 Classical improvisation with Bert four guest directors therefore concentrated on David Prins – Dido Mooiman (piano) creating a framework for a mise-en-scène, within Tuesday 29 March 2011 16.45 Ensemble Echoes with Milana Zaric which the members of the ensemble were given participants: James Hewitt, Robert de Bree, (harp), Leo Svirsky (piano), Mei Yi Lee physical and musical freedom. The ensemble Iason Marmadas, Reut Rivka (percussion) & Elliot Simpson (guitar) was the constant factor in the development of 17.00 Tomisha Hashimoto (dance), James this form of music theatre improvisation and pre-

28 Improvisation? Just do It! part 1 29 Further recommendations Recommendations Evaluation for each department • Clear choices will generate a greater return: a lot can be achieved with relatively few con- • Classical Music: collaborate with other depart- tact hours, for example in a festival format or ments for free improvisation; collaborate with via ‘ambassadors’ with a distinct method. Music Theory for classical improvisation. Organisational aspects that • Introduce as many students as possible to • Early Music: collaborate with other depart- could be improved improvisation. ments for free improvisation; basic classes • Participation should be mandatory or taught by Patrick Ayrton and Reine-Marie • Visibility and streamlining with intranet­/­ ­encouraged more by coordinators. Verhagen; Scroll Ensemble/James Hewitt/ website. • Concentrate on organising workshops: Robert de Bree. • A clearer list of requirements so that the ­improvisation has to be done. • Vocal Studies: collaborate with other teachers who give presentations know • Select a small number of teachers on the basis departments for free improvisation; Claron ­precisely what is expected of them. of their teaching abilities. McFadden; dovetail with Theory/ Classical/ • Some students were confused and interpreted • Do not forget ‘ambassadors’ such as Peter Early music; Musical theatre improvisation. ‘presentation’ as ‘workshop’. Brunt, Claron McFadden and Evan Parker. • Jazz: most students are mainly interested • Number of participants and audiences varied • Excellent teachers: Patrick Ayrton. Richard in free improvisation in association with and were often small. Barrett, Claron McFadden, Peter Brunt, other departments. Agustí Fernández (piano, Barcelona), Sahand • Composition: can perform a central role in Sahebdivani, Anto Pett (Tallinn, piano), Evan organising improvisation projects. Observations on the content Parker, Michael Schumacher and Mary Oliver, • Sonology: can perform a central role in of the sessions Esmée Olthuis. ­organising improvisation projects. • Royal Conservatoire teachers: Karst de Jong, • Music Education: implement a teaching • Teachers and musicians were generally good. Bert Mooiman, Tilmar Junius, Reine-Marie method (e.g. methods of Fernández, Pett, • Cooperation between the organisers and the Verhagen. Morris and Zorn) and make connections with departments was good. • Possible alternative is students and alumni world music and community art. • Incidental character: short presentations involved in improvisation. • Dance: annual workshop with Michael without a prior workshop gave a sense of • Less is more: departments should Schumacher/Mary Oliver for the two final fragmentation and lack of depth. collaborate­ more. years (Bachelor Dance programme). • Too many other activities at the conservatoire • A permanent, cross-department working • Theory: support Classical, Vocal Studies, happening parallel to the ­sessions. group, whose members could include Wouter Jazz and Early Music. • Presentations were only mandatory for stu- Turkenburg, Richard Barrett, Patrick Ayrton, dents of composition, sonology, music educa- Karst de Jong, Bert Mooiman, Gerda van Zelm, tion and dance. Renee Jonker and Guus Janssen. Improvisation: just do it!! • Free improvisation dominated: Classical Music • Clear objective: what do we want to achieve; and Jazz departments did not include idiomatic for which students; what approach or method Adriaan Reinink, improvisation in their programmes. do we want to use; and who is the best The Hague, September 2011 • Include long-term projects: Sonology and ­person for it? students and alumni (DaMu, Scroll Ensemble, RIO and Ensemble Echoes).

30 Improvisation? Just do It! part 1 31 32 33 part 2

“Improvisation in Report of the european higher music education: ERASMUS improving artistic development Intensive and professional integration”

European Impro Intensive 2012 Programme 10-20 January

35 Another innovative aspect of this project is the • Improvisation and employability Introduction connection that is being made between learning Background to Whereas in the past musicians were able to how to improvise yourself and learning improvi- focus on one particular musical style, future sation to others. This is why Leading & Guiding musicians will need to increase their employ- workshops were included into the programme, the project ability by offering a varied menu of skills and as well as presentations in various settings that knowledge to employers, including the ability This part outlines the outcomes of the ERASMUS explored improvisation not just from a musi- to perform in ensembles and activities with Intensive Programme Improvisation in European cal point of view, but also as a tool for musical different musical styles. These musical styles Higher Music Education: Improving Artistic workshops and presentations. For this project will include styles that use strong elements of Development and Professional Integration coor- component we were able to use the expertise This project wants to contribute to improving improvisation, such as early music and jazz. dinated by the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, of the highly innovative Joint European Master the artistic development and employability of which took place during January 2012 as the first Programme ‘Master for New Audiences and future music graduates by improving the artis- • Improvisation as a pedagogical tool edition of a three year project supported by the Innovative Practice’ (NAIP). tic, pedagogical and entrepreneurial dimension Another important professional context ERASMUS programme. This project provided a of professional music studies, as a response to in which future music professionals will continuation of the focus on improvisation as Let me also take this opportunity to thank all stu- the rapidly changing employment situation in be increasingly active, is the realisation of present during the activities in the academic dents and professors for taking the time to come the music profession. educational workshops in varied societal year 2010-2011, but this time with an internation- to The Hague for this unique event. Furthermore, contexts (e.g. schools, retirement homes al dimension through the involvement of several I would like to express my sincere gratitude to The music profession is undergoing rapid and community centres). Improvisation can conservatoires in other European countries. Karst de Jong, Bert Mooiman, Susanne van Els developments due to changes in the role of serve as a powerful tool to develop peda- en Renee Jonker for their tireless support to this music in society at large. Examples of these gogical approaches for such workshops that This ERASMUS Intensive Programme on improvi- project. Finally, many thanks should be extended developments are an increased interest in include strong participatory elements for the sation is not a ‘normal’ project, during which to the excellent organizing team, Irina Bedicova diverse musical styles by music listeners and a audience. When used in an appropriate way, music students and teachers come together to and Dominique Slegers. decrease of state support to the arts in general. improvisation can enable musicians through study standard repertoire in chamber music or As a consequence, where music training mainly simple schemes and exercises to engage orchestra. This project addressed a topic that is In this project, we engaged ourselves in a prepared for a rather structured employment audiences in the workshop in an active way. still relatively unusual in the world of classical period of experimentation, which involved risk market with orchestras and music schools in music teaching in Europe: improvisation. This taking and moving out of ‘comfort zones’. We the past, the future music profession will be • Improvisation and entrepreneurship fact is surprising when one considers the impor- did not know what the final products would needing musicians that are highly versatile in In order to be able to realise the workshops tant role improvisation has played in the history sound like at the end of this project: that’s the terms of musical styles, working methods and described in the previous point, musicians of Western music. But the understanding that whole point of improvisation. But there is no professional contexts. will need to increase their organisational and improvisation can have a great impact on the ar- doubt that after this challenging process we all leadership skills, acting as true self-reliant tistic and instrumental development of classical emerged as better musicians. This ERASMUS Intensive Project seeks to ad- entrepreneurs. This reflects the above-men- musicians is re-emerging and growing. It is part dress this complex situation by addressing the tioned changes in the music profession, in of the project’s innovative character that this is theme of improvisation in higher music educa- which the number of permanent employment addressed during a three year period in a way Martin Prchal, vice-principal Royal tion because of the following reasons: contracts is radically decreasing and musi- that brings together some of the finest experts in Conservatoire The Hague, June 2012 cians are increasingly active as self-employed this field in Europe, with open minds (and ears!) • Improvisation and artistic development workers. As a result, it will not suffice to towards how the role of improvisation in study There is an increased understanding that im- address improvisation from a purely musical programmes could be improved. provisation can be very effective in the train- point of view: in order to complete the pic- ing of any musician, and not just in the fields ture, issues such as the employment context of jazz and early music. Improvisation can and the entrepreneurial skills of the future liberate musicians from written text and the musician will need to be addressed as well. technical restrictions of their musical instru- ments, which will improve their instrumental skills, musical understanding and freedom of expression.

36 Improvisation? Just do It! part 2 37 The first half of the project saw an intensive only requirement being a high instrumental and chapel in Scheveningen with a fine organ that Report of the schedule in which students learned to impro- musical standard, so that students were able was used by the organ students participat- vise with the help of the teachers present. At to relate to the theme of improvisation based ing in this project), in the Eskamp City Hall the end of this first part of the project, student on an existing solid foundation of instrumental for a general audience consisting of city January 2012 ensembles presented improvisation perfor- and vocal skills. As standards can vary from council officials during their lunch break, for mances that were of an excellent high artistic institution to institution and programme to a group of school children from the Johan de edition of level. Through these activities, one of the main programme, the participation was not limited Witt College (a secondary school in the city objectives of the project (to learn about im- to students at a certain degree level, although of The Hague), for students from the School provisation and its effects on artistic develop- most of the students were 4th year Bachelor or for Young Talent (a specialised primary and European Impro ment) was reached. Master students. In terms of the teaching staff, secondary school for talented young children teachers participated that either have already connected to the Royal Conservatoire) and In the second half of the project, the student developed substantial expertise in the field of for students from the piano and dance de- Intensive improvisation ensembles were then prepared improvisation and are acting as internationally partments of the Conservatoire. for context-related performances, in which they renowned experts in this area or who were • An one-day public seminar was also organ- were asked to lead an improvisation workshop seeking further professional development in the ised during European Impro Intensive, with themselves with external participants. These field of improvisation with the aim to enhance the aim to collect and exchange information were for example a group of school children, an their own teaching practice. on the approaches that are currently being This three-year project aims to bring students, audience at a local community centre or pupils used with regards to improvisation in the teachers and leading experts together from at a school for young talented music students. As can be seen in the project programme, the various institutions. This gave an interesting different musical backgrounds and European By staging these context-related performances, project resulted in the following activities: insight into the current state of the role and higher music education institutions to exchange the relevance of the project was taken to • Large group lectures took place during place of improvisation in the various existing information on new and effective approaches another level: from learning students how to the project on general improvisation skills programmes, which ranged from being fully and methods on the teaching of improvisation, improvise themselves, to learn how to stage through demonstrations and master class- integrated as obligatory components of the both from an artistic and pedagogical as well as improvisation workshops in various contexts. type learning settings, and leadership and programme to being offered as an elective a professional integration point of view. As a result, the objectives in relation to peda- guiding skills through in hands-on sessions in course. This role and place of improvisa- gogy, employability, and entrepreneurship were preparation of the artistic presentations. tion was the main discussion point during The following institutions participate in this reached as well. • Small scale workshops took place aimed at this seminar and it was widely agreed that project: Guildhall School of Music & Drama, exploring improvisation approaches in small a closer integration of improvisation into Sibelius Academy Helsinki, Estonian Academy The innovative character of this project can be musical ensembles (4-7 students), which the programmes was desirable, where this of Music and Theatre, National University of demonstrated through the following factors: were formed during the first day of the still was not the case. It was also interest- Music Bucharest, Royal Conservatoire Antwerp, • Improvisation in higher music education project. These small music ensembles also ing to exchange information on the various Norwegian Academy of Music Oslo, Hochschule has never been addressed at European held rehearsals to prepare the final artistic research projects in the field of improvisation für Musik Karlsruhe, Royal College of Music level in this intensive way before. It is this presentations through peer-learning and that some institutions were undertaking: Stockholm, Escola Superior de Música de European dimension that gives the project coaching in the above-mentioned small scale the project helped the researchers in these Catalunya, Conservatoire de Paris and the Royal an important added value, which could never workshops. projects to make contacts for future research Conservatoire The Hague (coordinating institu- be achieved through a similar initiative at • Concerts were given by the participating cooperation. tion). The project will see further editions in national level. teachers to demonstrate their artistic vision 2013 and 2014, provided that the funding by the • Even if the higher music education sector in on improvisation. The impact on the people involved seemed to ERASMUS programme will be continued. Europe is increasingly aware of the changing • Final artistic presentations took place in and be quite profound. Some quotes from the reac- professional context and the potential that outside the host institution at the end of tions from the students: The first edition of the project was largely imple- improvisation offers, very few higher music the Intensive Programme. The aim of these mented as planned. The original idea of combin- education institutions have so far developed final presentations, entitled Context Related “For me the project was a huge success, ing improvisation and employability (which in it- expertise in the field of improvisation that Performances (CRPs), was to create an envi- full of inspiring moments and adorable self was quite innovative and perhaps somewhat goes beyond the usual users of improvisation ronment that is very close to the future pro- people from all over Europe. The time unusual) worked unexpectedly well and saw (e.g. Jazz and Early Music performers). fessional reality of the students. One of the in The Hague gave me a new sight on results that surpassed the original expectations. • Another innovative aspect of this project is its ambitions of this Intensive Programme was improvisation and contemporary music.” It is fair to say that some students and teachers approach to address the subject from both a therefore to facilitate the organisation of ar- arrived in The Hague with some concerns about content and an employability point of view. tistic presentations in the community around “My impression of the improvisation pro- the content of the programme, improvisation still the host institution with the attendance of ject 2012 was that it was truly eye-open- being a rather new aspect in many classical mu- The target group in terms of student par- an external audience. During these presen- ing and inspiring. I have not only learned sic programmes. However, due to the excellent ticipation for the first edition of this Intensive tations, students did not only demonstrate completely new techniques and ways of team of teachers and an open-minded attitude Programme were students in the field of clas- their musical expertise to the audience, but doing improvisation with my instrument of all students participating in this project, these sical music, in which improvisation is less com- also engaged with this audience through par- (violin), but also learned to create better concerns were put aside very soon. mon when compared to other musical styles. ticipatory techniques that were addressed communication on musical interaction The selection of the students was the respon- in the leading & guiding workshops. The while playing and understanding deeper sibility of the participating institution, with the presentations took place in the Badkapel (a the art of music. I want to thank you all

38 Improvisation? Just do It! part 2 39 once more for a fantastic project! I will Thursday 12 January Tuesday 17 January very gladly tell everyone in my own home Programme 10.00 Group A session 3 (Studio 1) 10.00 LAB’s institution of the great outcomes of it?” Group B Leading and Guiding (Tarwekamp 1) 11.00 Context Related Performance (CRP) Group C session 2 (LutherseKerk) Group B (Escamp City Hall) - public “Todos los ingredients para un curso European Impro Group D session 3 (Studio 3) 13.00 Lunch (conservatoire restaurant) perfecto: unos buenos profesores, unos Group E session 1 (Tarwekamp 2) 14.00 LAB’s inmejorables alumnos, una organización Intensive 2012 13.00 Lunch (conservatoire restaurant) 17.00 Dinner (conservatoire restaurant) perfecta, un lugara cogedor y, junto a 14.00 Group A session 4 (Studio 1) 20.00 Open Stage (Studio 1) todo ello, una illusion y un ambiente Group C session 3 (LutherseKerk) imposible explicar con palabras.” Group D session 4 (M 307) Wednesday 18 January Group E session 2 (Tarwekamp 2) 9.30 Context Related Performance (CRP) For the teachers and institutions involved, the Monday 9 January Group F Leading and Guiding (Tarwekamp 1) Group F with the pupils from Johan de project provided a perfect platform for getting 17.00 Welcome Desk open 17.00 Dinner (conservatoire restaurant) Wittcollege (Tarwekamp 1) – not public acquainted with other approaches in teaching 18.00 Welcome ( hall) 19.00 Demonstration Groups D & E (Studio 1) 10.00 LAB’s and learning in improvisation, as it turned out 18.30 Dinner (conservatoire restaurant) 13.00 Lunch (conservatoire restaurant) that most of the teachers involved were working 20.00 Kick-off concert (Arnold Schoenberg hall) Friday 13 January 14.00 LAB’s in a situation of considerable isolation. It felt like 9.00 Group A Leading and Guiding (Tarwekamp 1) Context Related Performance (CRP) a true inspiration to the teachers having the op- Tuesday 10 January 10.00 Group B session 3 (Tarwekamp 2) Group C (Badkapel) - public portunity to discuss issues with their colleagues 10.00 Selection workshops (Studio 1) Group C session 4 (LutherseKerk) 15.00 Context Related Performance (CRP) from other countries. There is no doubt this will 13.00 Lunch (conservatoire restaurant) Group E session 3 (Studio 1) Group E with the pupils from School of have an effect on the overall quality of teaching. 14.00 Selection workshops (various spaces) Group F session 3 (M 508) Young Talent (M502) – not public 17.00 Dinner (conservatoire restaurant) 13.00 Lunch (conservatoire restaurant) 17.00 Dinner (conservatoire restaurant) As important spin-offs, plans were made for 18.00 Formation of groups (teachers only) 14.00 Group B session 4 (Tarwekamp 2) 19.00 Context Related Performance (CRP) A ERASMUS staff exchanges between teach- (Kees van Baaren hall) Group D Leading and Guiding (Tarwekamp 1) with KC piano department students ers, one of which already took place during Group E session 4 (Studio 1) March 2012 between the Royal Conservatoire Wednesday 11 January Group F session 4 (M 508) Thursday 19 January and the Guildhall school of Music and Drama, 9.30 Kick-off with all students and teachers 17.00 Dinner (conservatoire restaurant) 10.00 LAB’s and between the Royal Conservatoire and (Studio 1) Planning for teachers 12.00 Lunch (conservatoire restaurant) the Conservatoire de Paris in April 2012. 10.00 Group A session 1 (Studio 1) 19.00 Demonstration Groups C & F (Studio 1) 13.00 Context Related Performance (CRP) Furthermore, the Royal Conservatoire, is cur- Group B session 1 (Tarwekamp 2) Group D with KC DAMU students and rently developing a new module on improvisa- Group C Leading and Guiding (Tarwekamp 1) Saturday 14 January Final Presentation (Studio 1) tion for Master students on the basis of the Group D session 1 (M 606) 10.00 Symposium (Studio 1 – for programme 15.00 Evaluation (Studio 1) information and contacts that were developed Group F session 1 (M 610) see page 12) 17.00 Dinner (conservatoire restaurant) during the project. A student initiative has also 13.00 Lunch (conservatoire restaurant) been the outcome of the project, with one of 14.00 Group A session 2 (Studio 1) Sunday 15 January Group A: Ernst Reijseger /Karst de Jong the student ensembles making plans for joint Group B session 2 (Tarwekamp 2) No lunch and dinner provided during this day Group B: Anto Pett /David Kweksilber rehearsals and productions. Group C session 1 (LutherseKerk) 10.00 LAB’s (conservatory restaurant is closed) Group C: Emilio Molina/Bert Mooiman Group D session 2 (M 606) 15.00 Meeting at the reception of the Group D: Agustí Fernandez/Guus Janssen Some of the inspiration and enthusiasm that was Group E Leading and Guiding (Tarwekamp 1) conservatory­ Group E: Vincent LéQuang/David Dolan present during the project can still be witnessed Group F session 2 (M 510) 17.00 Concert of Michael Moore Quartet at the Group F: David Dolan/Rolf Delfos through the many photos, comments and video 17.00 Dinner (conservatoire restaurant) BIM huis Amsterdam Leading and Guiding: Renee Jonker footage that were uploaded on a Facebook page, 19.00 Demonstration Groups A & B (Studio 1) which was specifically opened for this project Monday 16 January and is still very active. Further information and 10.00 LAB’s pictures can also be found on the project’s 13.00 Lunch (conservatoire restaurant) ­website www.koncon.nl/ii. 14.00 LAB’s 17.00 Dinner (conservatoire restaurant) The results of the first project edition will be taken 20.00 Open Stage (Studio 1) into consideration in the planning for the second edition of this project, which will take place at the Royal Conservatoire in February 2013.

40 Improvisation? Just do It! part 2 41 42 Improvisation? Just do It! part 1 43 Improvisation teaching at the instrument is sought. The implementation in the Concert Report of the Universität für Musik Wien classical music departments has been the most (Reinhard Gagel) challenging, due to a lack of experience with 14.30 – 15.00 Institutional presentation 6: improvisation by the teaching faculty in that programme public seminar Improvisation teaching at the department. In total, the courses are offered by Royal Conservatoire The Hague 10 improvisation teachers. 14 January 2012 (Karst de Jong, Rolf Delfos & Bert Mooiman) The improvisation courses have a chronological 15.00 – 15.30 Institutional presentation 7: progression: Opening concert, Improvisation teaching at the Monday 9 January 20.00, AS zaal Estonian Academy of Music in Year 1-2 small group idiomatic improvisation Ernst Reijsiger (cello) The purpose of the one-day public seminar was Tallinn (Anto Pett & Year 3 non-idiomatic improvisation - solo improvisation to collect and exchange information on the Anne-Liis Poll) in small groups Rolf Delfos & Karst de Jong (soprano sax, piano) approaches that are currently being used with 15.30 – 16.00 Coffee break Year 4 non-idiomatic improvisation - Improvisations on two themes regards to improvisation in the various institu- 16.00 – 16.30 Institutional presentation 8: in large groups Bert Mooiman (piano) tions through a series of institutional presenta- Improvisation teaching at - solo improvisation tions. This gave an interesting insight into the the Guildhall School of Music When the improvisation classes were in- David Kweksilbe & Guus Jansen (clarinet, piano) current state of the role and place of improvisa- & Drama (David Dolan & troduced, there was some resistance. - From void to void tion in the various existing programmes, which John Kenny) Nevertheless, in evaluation surveys students Agustí Fernandez (piano) range from being fully integrated as obligatory 16.30 – 17.30 Panel discussion ‘The role are positive about the effects of improvisation - solo improvisation components of the programme to being offered and place of improvisation in on their instrumental, musical skills and com- Anne-Liis Poll & Anto Pett (voice, piano) as an elective course. The role and place of a ­classical music curriculum’ munication skills. The institution also noticed a - Welcome from free Tallinn improvisation was also discussed during a panel chaired by Martin Prchal better connection to the theoretical programme discussion to close this seminar. The seminar 17.30 – 18.30 ImproMonoOpera with and to the development of creativity, as well as also saw several improvised musical contribu- AntoPett, Anne-Liis Poll an improvement of musical memory and the Open stage 1, tions by students and teachers. & Friends, ­inclu­ding CD development of artistic choices. Finally, the Monday 16 January 19.30, Studio I presentation­ presenters also mentioned improvisation as an • Duo Ernst Reijseger/ Harmen Fraanje Vlc/piano 18.30 Reception and diner important aspect for professional integration. • break Programme public seminar The benefits for students are therefore clear. • Eija Kankaaranta - kantele 14 January 2012 Institutional presentation Escola Open Stage II, 10.00 – 10.15 Opening and musical Superior de Musica de Catalunya Institutional presentation Tuesday 17 January 19.30 ­introduction by Maria Marin (ESMUC) Musikhochschule Luzern • Classical and stylistic improvisation Cordillo, guitar • Emilio Molina, piano solo 10.15 – 10.45 Institutional presentation 1: Agustí Fernandez and Emilio Molina started Christoph Baumann explained how important • break Improvisation teaching at the with a general introduction to their institu- improvisation is for all programmes at the insti- • Bert Mooiman, piano solo Escola Superior de Musica de tion. Improvisation is an obligatory part of the tution. The Musikhochschule has departments • Karst de Jong, piano solo Catalunya – ESMUC (Agustí curriculum (and even described as such in the for classical music and jazz, as well as several • Duo David Dolan / Karst de Jong - two pianos Fernández & Emilio Molina) law). Every study year, improvisation courses music education pathways. In the curriculum 10.45 – 11.15 Institutional presentation 2: with a total of 2EC are offered over the entire there is a strong emphasis on professional Improvisation teaching at Bachelor curriculum of four years. Half of these projects. the Musikhochschule Luzern 2EC consist of contact hours, with a total of (Christoph Baumann) approximately 240 hours of improvisation over With regards to improvisation, a distinction 11.15 – 11.45 Coffee break four years: this is a real course and not just is being made between idiomatic and non- 11.45 – 12.15 Institutional presentation 3: something on the side. Improvisation is offered idiomatic approaches. During the first year, Improvisation teaching at the in both performance and non-performance students have to do one semester of improvisa- Conservatoire de Paris (Vincent programmes, except in composition, sonology tion, with classical and jazz students combined Lê Quang) and musicology. The courses differ greatly per and starting from scratch. This is followed by 12.15 – 12.45 Institutional presentation 4: department, although students can also choose modules with non-idiomatic improvisation. Improvisation teaching at the improvisation classes in another department. Master students can also do improvisation and Sibelius Academy Helsinki (Eija While the piano department is focused on using is strongly student-led through the organization Kankaanranta & Max Tabell) improvisation for accompaniment, the singers of workshops. 12.45 – 13.45 Lunch break use improvisation in relation to embellishment 13.45 – 14.00 Musical intermezzo by the and the programme for organist is closely Improvisation by teaching staff is strongly Scroll Ensemble aligned with basso continuo. For the instru- promoted, also as means of continuing profes- 14.00 – 14.30 Institutional presentation 5: mentalists a strong connection to their own sional development through peer-learning

44 Improvisation? Just do It! part 2 45 with teachers, and often with a research- musicians from different styles. There is no The one-year course is given by three teachers feeling when performing on stage, techniques base. Strong connections to composition and good or bad music, but only beautiful music, with three approaches: for the artistic career and the use of chamber contemporary music creation exist as well. The so the aesthetic basis is seen as being very • Interaction skills making use of drama: these music ensembles. More information about improvisation approach is based on playing and important. Students are encouraged to find are improvisation games without the instru- the project can be found at: experiencing/listening. A reflective approach this out on their own, which also happens in ment. Skills focus on how to function in a www.quovadisteufelsgeiger.at. is also encouraged: students are asked to talk small groups and here some kind of new idiom group and on getting to know each other. about their experiences, although students is emerging (‘Playing into the future back- A safe environment is essential. often find it difficult to do so. wards’). The sense of quality is also based on • Floating music: this is group and duo Institutional presentation Royal diversity: there are many different approaches, improvisation accompanied by piano. Conservatoire The Hague A list of goals for the improvisation courses are also inspired by globalization. Nowadays, It is based on a few chords, non-traditional clearly written down. This includes the compe- this ‘Generative Improvisation’ is being put and with a modal feel. Karst de Jong briefly explained the history of im- tence to recognize quality, beyond basing the together with the improvisation classes for the • Improvisation of Afro-American music styles. provisation teaching at the Royal Conservatoire. recognition of quality on the famous name of pianists and ­organists, as well as with the jazz The understanding of harmony is essential Until some years ago, improvisation was rare the composer. We have to keep in mind that the musicians; all three departments now work in this approach, with melodies having to and isolated, with only some pockets of activity music being created in improvisation is new, closely together. respond to chords. In terms of rhythm, this in the Jazz, Early Music and Music Education and does not exist before or afterwards. An approach is very challenging. departments. There was no formalised or overview of methods exists as well: exercises In terms of curriculum, students are offered two institutional approach. A ‘piano class’ was then are not based on clichés, but just to resolve hours per week for a year as a group lesson. The benefits of this course has been confirmed developed as an obligatory course for pianists certain difficulties. These exercises should This course is only available to students at the by the evaluation of the students, and by many with a duration of three years, which includes however not interfere with free improvisation. conservatoire. This course has its own examina- new collaborations between departments. harmony at the piano, analysis, sight-reading The end of the semester always sees a final tion in the form of a recital, which can include Positive ­effects on the continuing professional­ and improvisation. One of the aims of this class concert, followed by a discussion to evaluate. cross-overs in terms of styles or with dance and ­development of teachers have also been was also to improve the connection with the Scientific research is also taking place and visual arts. Assessment is done with a jury, but reported.­ theory classes. After a change in the con- articles are being written. this method is not always ideal due to the great servatoire management, improvisation came variety of musical outcomes of the course. to the fore: an ‘improvisation year’ entitled ‘All Christoph finished his presentation with a In the future there may be a more formalised Research project ‘Quo Vadis? Together Now’ was initiated with improvisation reflection on the word ‘non-idiomatic’: is this curriculum with obligatory components, but the Teufelsgeiger’ University of Music workshops across all departments on Tuesdays not a negative word? Are we creating a new student should ideally be able to choose in the Vienna and activities were launched in the lectorate, idiom? And how about ‘free improvisation’? spirit of improvisation. especially as improvisation sessions of teachers Are there links between improvisation and Reinhard Gagel, a researcher in the project ‘Quo with guests. Teachers were also invited to par- music therapy? Vadis? Teufelsgeiger’ at the University of Music ticipate in the ‘Innovative Conservatoire’ semi- Institutional presentation Sibelius Vienna, explained the rationale behind the nars organised by the European Association Academy Helsinki research project. This rationale was originally of Conservatoires (AEC), which addressed Institutional presentation to look into why music students were having so improvisation in sessions that included teach- Conservatoire de Paris Max Tabell and Eija Kankaanranta first provided much trouble making the step into the music ers from different European countries. some general information about their institu- profession: many found it difficult to find jobs Vincent Lê Quang described the rationale for tion. At the Sibelius Academy, there is no and ended up being frustrated. Was the training Rolf Delfos then continued by emphasizing that improvisation at the Conservatoire de Paris institutional approach to improvisation with system to blame? It was found that the training it takes years to learn improvisation and to not as an institutional rationale, but one that is a formalised curriculum. There are several systems were often too focused on small bits introduce this phenomenon into the institution. strongly connected to individual teachers and individual teachers present that offer courses in and pieces, but that the students almost forgot It must be done as an ‘oil stain’, which gradu- therefore with much variation. Improvisation this field, so it is based on the own initiative of to make music. ally reaches different departments, students is not obligatory, but the students are very the students as an elective. and teachers. Work needs to be done with the motivated to do it. In the piano and organ sec- One of the issues with which to address this teachers, as they are the ones that will continue tions, there is much improvisation with a strong Max presented his course on ‘creative playing’. situation was the introduction of improvisa- working on improvisation with the students. classical background, for example by asking This course is given for 8-10 students, which is tion. This was done outside the curriculum students to produce a set of variations on a a good size. The course is given by 3 teachers as an elective course with weekly classes in Bert Mooiman raised the question why we theme that has been received shortly before of together through a weekly class for 2 hours. chamber music ensembles. This led to new need classical improvisation. It is interest- improvising music to a silent movie. The word improvisation is avoided, because ensembles with both teachers and students. ing to realise that in the past there has been the word has a strong impact and expectation ‘Improvisierkunst’ was introduced as a method much improvisation. This fact should be part For the conservatoire in general, the principle with some students getting afraid, and the to learn improvisation, firstly through open of Historically Informed Performance (HIP). of ‘Generative Improvisation’ was introduced, term ‘creative playing’ creates a more relaxed access and spontaneous improvisation, often Musicians used to be much more creative, while with the aim to generate more contact inside atmosphere. in groups (2–18 persons), warming exercises currently there is a strict separation between the conservatoire. The idea was to use im- and leading to structured exercises with more creation and performance, possibly under the provisation to have students meet each other structured rules. The effects that were reported influence of the recording industry. It should and make music during the weekends, with the as a result of this course was a higher feeling be possible for any musician to improvise in focus on sound as the main medium between of well-being on the instrument, a more secure the style that you are playing as part of the

46 Improvisation? Just do It! part 2 47 repertoire: this will increase the understand- students themselves. The PhD programme as well as trying to understand the impact of ing of this style. It is therefore necessary to also includes improvisation, so the first improvisation through verbal feedback. consider creating an improvisation department ­‘Impro-doctors’ are now emerging. in the institution, where improvisation is taught Classes in improvisation are very small and and further developed. If classical improvisation revolve around chamber music ensembles that is expected to be successful, it also needs to be Institutional presentation Guildhall involve active listening. David explained briefly performed: whereas currently mostly organists School of Music & Drama, London some of the basic principles behind his method: and pianists improvise, why not also work with • Understanding style and structure in real time. chamber music ensembles? David Dolan described the development of • Developing active listening through impro- improvisation at the Guildhall School of Music vised dialogues that start simple and grow to & Drama in London. The art of improvisation is an ensemble extemporising sonata. Institutional Presentation Estonian now a central component in the training of both • Work on Leading and Following. Academy of Music and Theatre actors and musicians at the Guildhall school. • The above is being applied to existing solo Tallinn and chamber music repertoire. Free improvisation was taught and practised as • Together with building up the expertise, Anto Pett described some of the history of the a part of the programme for Performance and the course includes the search for enjoyment academy in Tallinn. During the Soviet era, there Communication Skills (PCS), initiated by Peter and a state of flow. was no improvisation at all. In the 1980’s there Renshaw in 1990. Experimental classes of classi- were some changes, but the Soviet curricula cal improvisation started at the same time, and By now there are ensembles of former students stayed more or less intact, although there was regular classes were established as from 1994. who apply classical improvisation in their cham- something called ‘keyboard harmony’ that ber music concerts with significant artistic and included some improvisation. Nowadays, there In 2005 the Centre for Creative Performance & commercial success. are 50 students and four teachers involved in Classical Improvisation was created, directed improvisation. by David Dolan, and since then improvisation is offered throughout the school for under- Panel discussion and closing The improvisation curriculum at Bachelor level graduate as well as postgraduate students at performance includes individual improvisation lessons for different levels of intensity. The discipline is four semesters and group tuition in the third offered as a series of tasters in year one of the The institutional presentations were followed year. Links to electronic music exist. The first Bachelor course, it is compulsory for pianists in by a panel discussion with Agustí Fernandez, objective is to build up the confidence of the year two, with the other departments offering Marje Lohuaru, David Dolan, Karst de Jong, students in improvisation. At Master level there electives in improvisation based on repertoire. Bert Mooiman and Christoph Baumann, is specialization in contemporary improvisation Undergraduate students in year three and four chaired by Martin Prchal. The first impressions with both individual and group tuition, and for are ­offered assessed intensive electives. of this project were discussed, and the panel- this specific assessment criteria with a pass/fail Intensive electives are offered to post-graduate lists agreed that the project could have an system were needed. The main items that are students, in which collaboration with drama important impact on institutional development addressed in the thesis criteria are concentra- students, leading to a collaborative perfor- and the role of improvisation. Issues that will tion, technical execution, structure, emotional mance, is a part of the course. The course need further exploration are assessment, how expression and colours, skills for communica- includes improvisation in different forms and to deal with internal resistance and how to tion and ensemble playing, and the perception styles as well as working on repertoire works develop an understanding of artistic and musi- of time. In 2011, a new specialisation for con- through structural reductions and extem- cal quality through improvisation. Finally, a temporary improvisation at Master level was porising on them in order to gain a stronger discussion was started on whether we should created, which currently holds nine students. ownership of, and engagement with the work, be seeing improvisation as an art form on its in preparation towards performing it. own or as a means to improve performance. Anto explained how the freedom of improvisa- These will be the main issues that should tion came in the right moment in the 90’s, when The Centre organises public master classes, be discussed during a future edition of the Estonia gained its independence. Improvisation seminars and performances on improvisa- ERASMUS Intensive Programme. is now a part of the examination programme tion and creativity in performance with guest as an obligatory part alternating with Estonian artists and lecturers such as John Rink, Robert The seminar ended with an impressive music. The organisation of concerts for improvi- Levin, Taiseer Elias and others. Several research ImproMonoOpera with Anto Pett, Anne-Liss Poll sation is very important and much experimen- projects on improvisation and its impact take and Bart van Rosmalen. tation took place in the ERASMUS IP ‘Crossing place at the Guildhall School as a part of John Borders’, which addressed chamber music <-> Sloboda’s ‘Understanding Audience’ research improvisation <-> jazz, with improvisation as an campaign. One of these projects (in collabora- intermediary between both. The academy also tion with Imperial College) looks into the brain hosts student-led activities and in particular activity of performers and their audiences in a festival on improvisation organised by the the context of improvisation and creative mode,

48 Improvisation? Just do It! part 2 49 50 51 John Kenny Hanne Rekdal Enric Sans i Moreno List of Guildhall School of Music & Drama Norwegian Academy of Music Oslo Royal Conservatoire The Hague Eija Kankaaranta Maria Brabrand Loes Dooren participants Sibelius Academy Helsinki Norwegian Academy of Music Oslo Royal Conservatoire The Hague European Impro Max Tabell Olli Kinnunen Sarah Nichols Sibelius Academy Helsinki Sibelius Academy Helsinki Royal Conservatoire The Hague

Intensive Anne-Liis Poll Harri Kuusijärvi Paulius Gefenas Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre Sibelius Academy Helsinki Royal Conservatoire The Hague

Dan Dediu Emilien Courait Krists Auznieks National University of Music Bucharest Conservatoire de Paris Royal Conservatoire The Hague

Tutors Valentina Dediu Jérémy Péret Hugo Loi National University of Music Bucharest Conservatoire de Paris Royal Conservatoire The Hague Agustí Fernandez Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya Yves Senden Chazal Koninklijk Conservatorium Antwerpen Conservatoire de Paris Emilio Molina Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya Christoph Baumann Hans Vercauteren Musikhochschule Luzern Royal Conservatoire Antwerp Anto Pett Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre Reinhard Gagel Lester Van Loock Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Royal Conservatoire Antwerp David Dolan Wien Guildhall School of Music & Drama Helena Schuback Royal College of Music Stockholm Vincent Lê Quang Conservatoire de Paris Students Linn Persson Royal College of Music Stockholm Renee Jonker Octavian Lup Royal Conservatoire The Hague National University of Music Bucharest Krista Pyykonen Royal College of Music Stockholm Ernst Reijseger Vlad Baciu Royal Conservatoire The Hague National University of Music Bucharest Nicolas Eichhorn Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe Pere Nolasc Plana Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya Maciej Wierzcholowski Coaches and presenters Royal Conservatoire The Hague Carles Muñoz Karst de Jong Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya André Ferreira Royal Conservatoire The Hague Royal Conservatoire The Hague Jaak Sikk David Kweksilber Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre Jaap-Jan de Rooij Royal Conservatoire The Hague Royal Conservatoire The Hague Kristel Marand Guus Janssen Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre Gustav Holst Royal Conservatoire The Hague Royal Conservatoire The Hague Cosima Yu (Ya-Ching) Rolf Delfos Guildhall School of Music & Drama Giovanni de Bock Royal Conservatoire The Hague Royal Conservatoire The Hague Ricard Rovirosa Bert Mooiman Guildhall School of Music & Drama Camille Verhaak Royal Conservatoire The Hague Royal Conservatoire The Hague

52 Improvisation? Just do It! part 2 53 live recordings and broadcasts for radio and ­distinguished by All About Jazz as one of the As a soloist, playing mainly his own composi- Biographies TV stations. David is a professor at the Yehudi best 10 cd’s in 2009; the CD Aurora on Maya tions and improvisations, he has appeared Menuhin School as well as at the Guildhall Recordings (Agustí Fernandez, Barry Guy and at a lot of international festivals. In addition School of Music and Drama, where he is head Ramón López) was selected by the Cuadernos he has performed with many of the leading tutors and of the Centre for Creative Performance and de Jazz magazine as the best CD in 2007, by the Dutch ensembles and orchestras. His com- Classical Improvisation. He is frequently invited Jaç magazine as the best fourth disc of the his- positions, range from piano music and string seminar to give master classes at a number of the tory of the Catalan jazz and it was Disc d’émoi quartet to symphonic work and opera; they world’s leading music institutions, such as the (February, 2007) for the Magazine. have been widely played by, amongst others, Juilliard School, the Royal College in London, In 2010 Agustí Fernández received the ‘Ciutat of the Kronos Quartet, the Schönberg Ensemble presenters the Tchaikovsky Conservatoire in Moscow, Barcelona Award of Music 2010’ granted by the and the Royal Consertgebouw Orchestra. His Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv Music Academies, the Town Hall of Barcelona. Fernández is a titular piece Verstelwerk was quite successful also in Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, and the Paris and teacher of improvisation at the High Music performances in New York, Boston and Toronto Geneva Conservatories. David is an associate­ School of Catalonia (ESMUC). (the Esprit Orchestra conducted by Alex Pauk). fellow of Clare Hall, Cambridge University. In June 2008 his new piano solo cd was released Christoph Baumann David Dolan’s CD When Interpretation and by Geestgronden CD under the title Out of Improvisation Get Together includes improvisa- Reinhard Gagel frame. It was acclaimed wildly by the interna- Christoph Baumann grew up with western tions and works influenced by improvisations. tional press: “never Janssen played as intense classical music and is also deeply rooted in Yehudi Menuhin’s reaction to it was: “David Reinhard Gagel, PhD, can look back on an almost as here” (NRC Holland) and “Musical humour the percussive idioms of contemporary jazz Dolan is giving new life to classical music.” Born 25-year engagement with free improvisation, of a high order by a genius of the postmodern” and salsa music. His artistic work is oscillat- in Israel, David Dolan studied piano with Prof. an engagement which reached a high point in (the Wire). ing between the poles outgoing improvisation Sonia Valin and composition and improvisation his recently finished dissertation The Complex and composition, and he likes to question the with Prof. Haim Alexander at the Rubin Academy Creative Moment: Improvisation as a social art. granted positions with humour and absurdity. As of Music in Jerusalem, where he obtained his Gagel is a professional improvisation musician Karst de Jong a pianist, and in particular as a composer, he as- B Mus, First Prize, as well as the ‘Artist Diploma active in artistic improvisation, leading several sumes stimulating or critical stances by means - Summa Cum Laude’. He then studied with own ensembles. He works with well-known in- Karst de Jong (1961) studied classical piano with of playfully confronting and fusing attitudes and Leon Fleisher at the Peabody Conservatory in ternational improvisation musicians (among oth- Geoffrey Douglas Madge and Music Theory with mentalities. His pervading interest to bring dif- Baltimore and with Claude Frank in New York. ers Malcolm Goldstein, Burkhard Stangl, Mirio at the Royal Conservatory of ferent musical styles into a dramatic context is In 1977 he took part in Arthur Rubinstein’s class Cosottini) and publishes a lot of broadcast and The Hague. He studied also with Rob particularly evident in his big speciality to tailor in Jerusalem. His PhD work examined similari- CD recordings with his own production com- van Kreeveld and arranging with Frans Elsen. his composed and improvised music tightly ties between emotional expression in speech pany. He is also an artistic educationalist with Shortly after completing his studies, he was to theatre and radio plays, dance, films and and musical improvisation. Later research broad experience in leadership of improvisation appointed as a professor at the Conservatory his three speech-operas. Baumann teaches as work focuses on creativity and expression ensembles at Rheinische Musikschule Cologne of Amsterdam and the Royal Conservatoire of professor at the Music Universities of Lucerne in performance. and as a lecturer for musical communication at The Hague. He specialized in the connection of and Bern and performs internationally with a the University of Music and Performing Arts in music analysis and interpretation/performance. big variety of soloists and ensembles. Since the Vienna. Since 2010 he works in the art-based Since 2003 he has been appointed professor late 70s he is noted for unconventional projects Agustí Fernandez research-project Quo vadis devil´s Fiddler? to of improvisation and composition-techniques such as the Jerry Dental Kollekdoof, the Latin- bring classical musicians in contact with non- at the ESMUC (Escola Superior de Musica experimental band Mentalities, Cadavre Exquis Agustí Fernandez has a longstanding career and idiomatic improvisation. de Catalunya) in Barcelona. He gives regular and Afro Garage. a big international reputation. He is one of the concerts with classical and jazz improvisations, Spanish musicians who have a big international both as a soloist and with different instrumen- influence and he is a world reference in the field Guus Janssen tal combinations. He has performed concerts David Dolan of improvised music. Fernandez has worked in various countries in Europe and Japan. He with the big names of the free improvisation The music of Guus Janssen (1951) is difficult to published various articles on improvisation and David Dolan has devoted his career as a concert scene as Peter Kowald, Derek Bailey, Evan categorize. It can be a composed improvisation music theory. Furthermore, Karst de Jong has pianist, researcher and teacher to the revival of Parker and Barry Guy, among many others (he (Brake for piano solo) or an improvised composi- been teaching a range of international master the art of classical improvisation. In his world- is a member of the Evan Parker Electro-acoustic tion (parts from his Violin Concerto or his opera classes, most recently in the International wide performances, he incorporates extempo- Ensemble and of the Barry Guy New Orchestra, Noach). Music is like life itself, sometimes it asks Chamber Music Festival Schiermonnikoog (The risation into the well-known classical repertoire from 2002). Up to the current date He has pub- for fast decisions and sometimes it needs to be Netherlands) 2008 and 2009, the Piano-Pic in repeats, eingangs and cadenzas. David has lished more than 50 cd’s. During his professional thought over a lot. festival in Bagnères de Bigorre 2009 and 2011 performed at major Far East, European and life Fernandez has received many recognitions, As a pianist and harpsichordist he performed () and the Vila-seca Music Festival 2011. Israeli concert venues and festivals, such as and his solo for piano Mutza presented in New in various groupings with musicians from John In his teaching he approaches matters of inter- the Wigmore Hall and the Royal Festival Hall York in 2007 was distinguished by the New Zorn and to Frederic Rzewski and pretation through music analysis and improvi- in London, Auditorium Châtelet and Salle York magazine All About Jazz as one of 10 best Gidon Kremer. Since the early 1980’s he has led sation, challenging participating musicians to Pleyel in Paris, Concertgebouw and Dr Anton concerts from that year. The CD Un llampque his own ensembles, ranging from piano trios to develop new strategies of learning, memorizing Philipszaal in Holland, the Jerusalem Theatre no s’acabamai on PSI (Agustí Fernandez, 11 piece band and opera orchestra. and understanding existing pieces of the litera- and Tel-Aviv Museum in Israel. He has made John Edwards and Mark Sanders) has been ture. Karst de Jong is also active as an arranger

54 Improvisation? Just do It! part 2 55 and composer. He is a cofounder of the Dutch collaboration with TNT Theatre and playwright Metodología en el Conservatori Superior Liceu Bert Mooiman Belgian society of Music Theory and editor of Paul Stebbings, performing, composing and de Barcelona. Doctor por la Universidad Rey the Dutch Journal of Music Theory. He currently directing the music for productions which Juan Carlos de Madrid. Estudios Superiores The Dutch pianist, organist, church musician lives in Barcelona. continue to tour worldwide, including Cabaret de Piano, Violín, Composición, Dirección de and music theorist Bert Mooiman studied at the Faust, Tempest Now, The Wizard of Jazz, Orquesta, Dirección de Coros, Pedagogía musi- Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. He ­received Moby Dick, Moon Palace, The Taming of The cal, Música de Cámara y Acompañamiento. his certificates as a solo pianist (prof. Theo Eija Kankaanranta Shrew, and Romeo & Juliet. His past commis- Premio Fin de Carrera. Bruins) and organist (prof. Wim van Beek) cum sions have included the London Contemporary Cursos internacionales de Granada, Santiago laude, and received the Fock-medal for his Eija Kankaanranta performs on the kantele as Dance Theatre, Huddersfield Contemporary de Compostela, Villafranca del Bierzo, San extraordinary artistic achievements. He was a a soloist and chamber musician, focusing on Music Festival, the International Trombone Sebastián, Niza, Munich, … con los maestros prize-winner at international competitions in contemporary music and improvisation. Besides Association, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Cervera, C. Bernaola, T. Marco, L. de Pablo, Groningen and Ljubljana. In 2003 he finished his Finnish music festivals she has appeared in Edinburgh Contemporary Arts Trust, Chamber C. Halfter, E. Jordá, P. Juseau, Quatrocchi y S. studies as a music theorist with a paper on the Britain, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Group of Scotland, Dance Umbrella, St. Magnus Celebidache. Licenciado en Filosofía y Letras. relation between the work of Olivier Messiaen Germany, The Netherlands and Sweden. In ad- Festival, BBC Proms in The Park, American and French tonal harmony, which was rewarded dition to commissioning several chamber works Drama Group Europe, The New Haven Compositor, premios en los concursos Ciudad. with the Martin J. Lürsen – prize. The perfor- from Finnish composers, Eija has performed International Festival of Arts and Ideas (USA) de Granada, Manuel Valcárcel de Santander, mances of Bert Mooiman encompass piano contemporary music with Ensemble Ars Nova and the Festival d’ Angers, France, Vokal Nord Luis Cóleman y José Miguel Ruiz Morales de recitals, chamber music, solo concerts with from Sweden, Nederlands Blazers Ensemble, the (Norway), CCMIX Institut (France).John Kenny Santiago de Compostela. Premiado también orchestra, organ recitals and basso continuo Athelas Sinfonietta (Denmark) and, in Finland is a professor at both the Guildhall School of en el Concurso Manuel Palau de Dirección de playing. Since 2000 he is a professor for music with Avanti!, the Tapiola Sinfonietta and Uusinta. Music and Drama in London and The Royal Orquesta en Valencia. theory, improvisation and piano at the Royal Since August 2010 she plays in Ensemble Conservatoire of Scotland. Grabaciones de sus obras en los estudios de Conservatoire. Bert Mooiman frequently pub- Ambrosius. Eija completed her performer’s Radio Nacional de España, Radio 2. lishes about theoretical subjects. He delivered doctorate in 2009. She teaches kantele playing Since the early 1990’s he has also become Estrenos en España (Teatro Real de Madrid, papers at conferences of the Dutch-Flemish in the Sibelius Academy and the Metropolia increasingly involved with musical archaeology, Cursos de verano de Santiago de Compostela, Society for Music Theory and the German University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki. Eija and in 1993 he became the first person for 2000 Festival de Música Contemporánea de Gesellschaft für Musiktheorie, and gives guest Kankaanranta’s interest in improvisation comes years to play the great Celtic war horn known Alicante,…) y América (, Perú, lectures for HOVO (higher education for eldery) from her co-operation with dance artists as well as the carnyx, and now lectures and performs México,…). Concertista especializado en el at Leiden University. as the tradition of the archaic kantele music on the instrument internationally, in the concert CONCIERTO-IMPROVISACIÓN al piano. that is based on minimalistic flowing motives hall, and on radio, television, and film. In March and subtle continuous improvisation. Eija uses 2003 he performed his composition The Voice Pedagogo. Pionero en la introducción y el desar- Vincent Lê Quang improvisation in her performances with Finnish of The Carnyx to an audience of 65,000 in the rollo de la Improvisación dentro de la Didáctica dance artist Jaana Turunen and percussionist Stade De France, Paris. In 2009 he undertook a musical de los Conservatorios españoles ha re- Vincent Lê Quang is a saxophonist whose Mikko Hassinen, who also uses a computer month long lecture recital tour of the USA which alizado una intensa labor de investigación sobre ­insatiable appetite leads from jazz to contem- programme in these performances. In her included the world premiere of his composi- la Improvisación y el desarrollo de la creatividad porary and classical music, Vincent Lê Quang own music Eija combines improvisation with tion Wild Stone for alto flute and carnyx, and aplicada a la Metodología de la enseñanza de las has a complete musical activity, composing, impulses from jazz, folk and Afro-Cuban son mu- released his seventh solo album, Embracing the distintas especialidades musicales. improvising, conducting and teaching. He is a sic. She has also performed some contemporary Unknown for trombone with harp & string quar- Creador de un Instituto de Educación musical fine player of the soprano saxophone, he has works that include improvisation, written for tet. Highlights of 2010-2011 have been touring quellevas un ombre y promotor de los Cursos de developed an immediately recognizable sound example by Max Savikangas, Jaakko Kuusisto, Europe in the leading role of The Mystery of Poe verano de Improvisación y Pedagogía musical and style. He discovered Soundpainting with Juhani Nuorvala, Jukka Tiensuu and Michael with the American Drama Group of Europe, and de Toledo, Cáceres, Córdoba y Salamanca cen- Walter Thompson in 1999 and soon integrated Finnissy. In the recent years Eija has become helping to bring to fruition the reconstruction trados en la Improvisación como Sistema contributions of this sign language in his crea- very interested in the role of improvisation in of the magnificent Tintignac Carnyx, recently Pedagógico. Esinvitado a impartir Cursos de tions, always refining the expressive power of early music and is hoping to study this topic on a discovered in the Dordogne region of France. Improvisación al Piano y de Improvisación each technique employed. Lê Quang is now a larger scale with the kantele but also by playing To find out more about John’s work visit:­ aplicada a la enseñanza musical por con- member of the Walter Thompson Orchestra, the baroque harp. ­www.carnyxscotland.co.uk. servatorios, departamentos culturales de based in New York City. He is regularly invited las comunidades autónomas e instituciones by ensembles, as well as various musical musicales españolas, Academia Sibelius de institutions (Hochschule Luzern, Colburn John Kenny Emilio Molina Finlandia, SIEM de Italia, Conservatorio Superior School in Los Angeles, Paris Conservatoire, de Bruselas, Conservatorio Nacional de México Trondheim NTNU ...). He received a commis- John Kenny has performed and broadcast in IEM: Creatividad e Innovación. Catedrático D.F., Universidad Veracruzana y Universidad de sion from the contemporary music ensemble over 50 nations. He is internationally acclaimed de Repentización, transposición instrumental Nuevo León en Méjico. Cairn, to create a piece half written and half for his interpretation of contemporary mu- y acompañamiento del Real Conservatorio composed with Soundpainting called Saisons. sic, but also works with jazz and early music, Superior de Madrid. Profesor de Improvisación He plays with musicians like László Fassang, frequently presenting his own compositions. al piano de la Escuela Superior de Música ‘Reina Claude Delangle, Daniel Humair, Jean-Paul He is particularly active in collaborations with Sofía’. Profesor de Improvisación en la Escola Celea in prestigious halls such as the Library of dance and theatre: in 1983 he began his long Superior de Música de Catalunya. Profesor de Congress (Washington), the Tchaikovsky Hall

56 Improvisation? Just do It! part 2 57 (Moscow), Palace of Arts (Budapest) Cité de la Ernst Reijseger Planet. For the Amsterdamse Cello Biënnale Musique (Paris)... He is Professor at the Paris 2010 Reijseger worked with 140 young cellists, Conservatoire (CNSMDP) since 2007. Cellist and composer Ernst Reijseger (1954) who eventually assembled in one orchestra, has played the cello from the age of seven and the Mega Kinder Cello Orkest. On the island La began as a performing cellist and improviser in Réunion, Reijseger met the group Groove Lélé. Anto Pett 1969. From that time on he developed his own This accidental encounter has led to a close musical vocabulary. In 1974 his teacher Anner friendship and a musical collaboration. They Anto Pett graduated from Conservatoire of Bijlsma advised him to cease his music educa- recorded the album Zembrocal Musical. This Tallinn (now renamed Estonian Academy of tion at the Amsterdam Conservatory and pur- CD received the French prize ‘Trophée des Arts Music and Theatre) as a pianist and composer. sue his own way. Many of Reijseger’s collabo- Afro Carabiéen’ for ‘Best album 2010’. Groove Since 1987 he has been teaching harmony and rations cannot be classified into genres. He Lélé & Reijseger were also nominated for ‘Best improvisation in the Estonian Academy of Music writes for and improvises with musicians and Group 2010’. and Theatre. ensembles of different musical disciplines and nationalities. He gives solo recitals, perform- In 1988 he discovered, that improvisation was to ing his own music. For solo concerts Reijseger Max Tabell become his main means of artistic expression. uses a 4-string and a 5-string cello. In 2010 Since 2002 Anton Pett is a regular professor of he received an Edison ‘Hedendaags Klassiek’ Max Tabell is a pop/jazz piano lecturer and the improvisation in Estonian Academy of Music and (Contemporary Classical) for his second solo head of the music education department at Theatre. During his twenty years of teaching album Tell Me Everything. the Sibelius Academy, where he also gradu- Pett has developed an original improvisation ated from the jazz department with an MMus teaching method, that works successfully in Reijseger cooperated with saxophonist Sean in 1993. He has a long career as a pedagogue teaching process with all instruments and sing- Bergin, pianist Burton Greene, drummer and as a piano- and keyboard player in many ers. Many of his students have been awarded Martin van Duynhoven, guitarist Derek Bailey, popular pop/rock- and jazz groups in Finland. He prizes at the Leipzig Improvisation competition. percussionist Alan Purves and guitarist Franky has released four CDs with his own group Bitter Pett has presented his teaching method and Douglas, bass player Lesley , tabla Sweet (www.myspace.com/bittersweetfi) and gave master classes in many music schools of player and cellist Yo Yo Ma, pianist appears as a side man in several recordings. He Estonia and in several music academies and Franco d’ Andrea, clarinettist , has also written a jazz theory book Jazzmusiik Conservatoires abroad (Helsinki, Stockholm, pianist , singer and in Harmonia, Harmony in Jazz music (University Odense, Paris, Bordeaux, Marseille, Riga, Vilnius, percussionist Serigne Gueye, bass player Mats Press 2004). Beside jazz improvisation Max Antwerpen, Cardiff, Glasgow, Warsaw, Gdansk, Eilertsen, drummer Thomas Strønen, multi- teaches improvisation for beginners and clas- Brigthon, Vienna, Evanston, London, Haag, etc.). instrumentalist and drummer sical musicians with no previous experience in Jarle Vespestad, reed player Fredrik Ljungkvist, improvisation. He has directed following improvisation groups: singer Maria Pia de Vito, pianist , pia- Extemporists (1994-1997) and PROimPRO (1998 nists Harmen Fraanje and Wolfert Brederoode, to the present day). These groups are invited to accordion player Luciano Biondini, tuba festivals of contemporary music, improvisation player Michel Godard, cellist Giovanni Sollima. and modern dance in Estonia, England, Finland, He was part of the Consort, Poland, Germany, Sweden and USA. Pett, has Guus Janssen Septet, , Trio also given improvisation solo concerts in several Clusone with Michael Moore and Han Bennink, European countries. In 2006 together with his ’s , main performing partners, Anne-Liis Poll (voice) Quintet, Amsterdam String and Jaak Sooäär (el. guitar) Free Tallinn Trio was Trio, trio with pianist Georg Graewe and per- established. This ensemble had the first success cussionist Gerry Hemingway, trio with trumpet in concert of festival ‘Christopers’, in Vilnius in player Eric Vloeimans and guitarist Anton 2006. In 2003-2005 he has recorded 15 CD’s Goudsmit, duo with pianist Harmen Fraanje together with different improvisation artists and trio with Harmen Fraanje and singer Mola to Erol Records, CGA collection (improvised Sylla. In 1985 Reijseger was awarded with music). Among the improvisators whom has the Boy Edgar prize (Dutch prize for jazz and co-operated are: Kent Carter, Sylvain Kassap, improvised music). In 1995 he received the Joelle Leandre, Etienne Rolin, Francois Rosse, Bird Award from the . Emile Biayenda, Albrecht Maurer, Sten Sandell, Reijseger collaborates with the Sardinian vo- Petras Visniauskas, Stanislaw Skoczynski etc. His cal group Tenore e Concordu de Orosei. With improvisation teaching method ‘A. Pett`s teach- them and Senegalese singer Mola Sylla he ing system’ is published with a CD of exercises in performs a concert version of the music for 2007 by Editions Fuzeau the films by . The title of this performance and the cd is Requiem for a Dying

58 Improvisation? Just do It! part 2 59 Sarah Nicolls Relevant www.sarahnicolls.com ZEQ-Attack www.zeq-attack.com websites Esmée Olthuis www.esmeeolthuis.nl Guus Janssen Royal Conservatoire improvisation projects www.guusjanssen.com Improvisation project 2010-2011 Scroll Ensemble www.youtube.com/user/improvisation2012 www.scrollensemble.net European Impro Intensive Guus Janssen www.koncon.nl/ii www.guusjanssen.com Ernst Reijseger www.ernstreijseger.com Artists Karst de Jong www.karstdejong.com Peter Brunt/Wiek Hijmans David Dolan www.brunthijmans.nl www.david-dolan.com Claron McFadden John Kenny www.claronmcfadden.com www.carnyxscotland.co.uk Hilary Jeffery Eija Kankaanranta www.hiljef.com www.eijakankaanranta.net Wiek Hijmans Agustí Fernandez www.wiekhijmans.com www.agustifernandez.com Luc Houtkamp Vincent Lê Quang www.luchoutkamp.nl www.vincentlequang.com Anne La Berge www.annelaberge.nl Richard Barrett Various www.furtlogic.com Peter van Amstel Dutch Impro Academy www.tetterettet.nl www.dutchimproacademy.com Ashok Patak ICP Orchestra www.ashokpathak.com www.icporchestra.com Tammo Heikens LOOS Foundation www.shambo.nl www.loosfoundation.com Peter van Bergen INfIM (International Institute for www.petervanbergen.nl Improvisation) Butch D. Morris www.infim.com www.conduction.us Stichting dOeK Saskia Coolen www.doek.org www.saskiacoolen.nl Innovative Conservatoire Sahand Sahebdivani www.innovativeconservatoire.eu www.mezrab.nl Soundpainting Jorrit Dijkstra www.soundpainting.com www.jorritdijkstra.com Royal Improviser’s Orchestra Evan Parker www.royalimprovisersorchestra.com www.evanparker.com Project ‘Quo Vadis Teufelsgeiger?’ Leo van Oostrom www.quovadisteufelsgeiger.at www.leovanoostrom.com DASH!/Maarten Ornstein www.dashmusic.net General Patrick Ayrton www.patrickayrton.net Royal Conservatoire The Hague www.koncon.nl

60 61 Boquet, Pascale & Rebours, Gérard, 50 Harris, Eddie, The Interverlistic concept, Slonimsky, Nicolas, Thesaurus of scales Relevant standards of the Renaissance and Baroque Seventh House Ltd. Music Publishing and melodic patterns, Music Sales America (with Variants, Examples & Advice for Company, 2nd edition (2006) (1947,1975) Playing & Improvising on any instrument), Three books in one with great ideas as well as Used by many jazz musicians. Quite theoretical literature Éditions Fuzeau Classique (2007) a lot of strange stuff. Harris was a specialist in but extensive overview of scales and patterns, Many sources of Renaissance and Baroque “grooves” and playing with large intervals. A introducing concepts like interpolation and ’songs’ in one book. Including an exten- book to look through, make some copies, and ultrapolation. Good resource to take out what (Literature list compiled by Karst de Jong) sive chapter on improvisation practices of then continue exploring on your own. is valuable for you. Since its publication in 1947, that time. Covers a huge amount of genres great musicians and composers of all genres such as Passamezzo, Romanesca, Gaillarde, - from Arnold Schoenberg and Virgil Thomson Adolphe, Bruce, The Mind’s Ear: Exercises Passacaglia and Folia. Liebman, David, A chromatic approach to to John Coltrane and Freddie Hubbard - have for Improving the Musical Imagination for and melody, Advance Music sworn by this legendary volume and its com- Performers, Listeners and Composers, MMB (1991) prehensive vocabulary of melodic patterns for Music (1991) Chase, Mildred Portney, Improvisation: A deep investigation into chromaticism applied composition and improvisation. A small book describing the author’s use of Music from the Inside Out, Creative Arts to improvisation. Improvisation with certain in- form when improvising with classical musi- Book Co., (1988) tervallic combinations (similar to some of Anto cians. Ranging from amusing suggestions and A kindly written book about starting from Pett’s exercises), complex chords and voicings. Stevens, John, Search and Reflect: A Music games to rather challenging musical endeav- scratch with improvisation. Also by the same Not an easy book, but a fascinating read that Workshop Handbook, Rockschool (2007) ours, these exercises were created by the author: Just Being at the Piano. may get you thinking over again. A music workshop handbook documenting the author for his classes at the Juilliard School. pieces used by the London-based organisation Contains many examples. Community Music in its workshops. The pieces Crook, Hal, How to Improvise, Nochmanovitch, Stephen, Free Play: are designed to encourage more people to par- Advance Music (2002) Improvisation in Life and Art, Tarcher (1991) ticipate in group music-making and therefore Bergonzi, Jerry, Inside Improvisation Nice and very informative book, aimed at the A book about the inner sources of spontaneous cater as much for the musically inexperienced ­(series), Advance Music (1994) advanced beginner. Systematic approach creation. A philosophical and practical descrip- as for the proficient musician. At quite an Series of seven volumes on Improvisation. to (jazz) improvisation with short and well- tion of the art of improvisation. Often used by elementary level. Especially the volume on Pentatonics is useful organised exercises offering a quite complete students and teachers in Gothenburg. and universally applicable for all styles. CDs overview. Weiskopf, Walt, Intervallic Improvisation included. Index: (A Player’s Guide - A Step Beyond Linear Volume 1 - Melodic Structures Pett, Anto, The Teaching Method, Improvisation), Jamey Aebersold (1995) Volume 2 - Pentatonics Gjerdingen, Robert, Monuments of Anne Fuzeau Productions (2007) Volume 3 - Jazz Lines Partimenti, Collections on the internet: Systematic approach to (atonal) improvisation. Volume 4 - Melodic Rhythms http://faculty-web.at.northwestern.edu/music/ Contains an interview of Anto Pett with Etienne Volume 5 - Thesaurus of Melodies gjerdingen/partimenti/index.htm Rolin on improvisation and 15 chapters with ex- Volume 6 - Developing A Jazz Language Monuments of Partimenti is a rich collection of ercises. Improvisation as an infinitely versatile Volume 7 - Hexatonics material, edited by Robert O. Gjerdingen with a mode of self-expression is limited only by the fund from the National Endowment of the Arts. imagination of the performer. The method helps Gjerdingen is a Musicologist working at Chicago’s to open up and develop the creative activity, Berliner, Paul, Thinking in Jazz: The Infinite Northwestern University. The partimento tradi- and it establishes step by step the control over Art of Improvisation, University Of Chicago tion in 18th century was crucial for the thinking processes and their technical execu- Press (1994) teaching of improvisation and composition, two tion on the instrument. A comprehensive ethnimusicological study skills that were considered to be closely linked. The exercises are for teaching young musicians based on numerous interviews with great It’s all about learning to speak the (universally as well as top level professional musicians, who improvising musicians. Paul Berliner documents understandable) musical language of the 18th need their immense experiences in music ” the lifetime of preparation that lies behind the century. Learning how to say the appropriate reviving” for expressing their own ideas. skilled improviser’s every idea. A must read for things at the appropriate moment. anyone interested in the subject.

62 63 Colophon

Improvisation? Just do it! is a publication of the Royal Conservatoire

Authors: Martin Prchal Adriaan Reinink

Editors: Hanneke Faber Marleen Leroy

Photographers: Iris van den Broek: pag. 14 Sarah Wijzenbeek: pag. 1, 2, 42, 50, 60, 65 Andrew Zamler Carhart: pag. 32

Design: Thonik, Amsterdam

Print: Opmeer Drukkerij

European Impro Intensive 2012 has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the view of its authors and the Commission cannot be held respon- sible for any use which might be made of the information contained therein. © No legal rights can be derived from texts and images, and unauthorised publication or ­exploitation is prohibited.

Royal Conservatoire The Hague 2012 [email protected] www.koncon.nl

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