University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--Music Music 2015 OVERCOMING INITIAL HURDLES: STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPING A UNIVERSITY FREE IMPROVISATION ENSEMBLE Rui Li University of Kentucky, [email protected] Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Li, Rui, "OVERCOMING INITIAL HURDLES: STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPING A UNIVERSITY FREE IMPROVISATION ENSEMBLE" (2015). Theses and Dissertations--Music. 52. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/music_etds/52 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Music at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--Music by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STUDENT AGREEMENT: I represent that my thesis or dissertation and abstract are my original work. Proper attribution has been given to all outside sources. 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Rui Li, Student Prof. David Elliott, Major Professor Dr. David Sogin, Director of Graduate Studies OVERCOMING INITIAL HURDLES: STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPING A UNIVERSITY FREE IMPROVISATION ENSEMBLE ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dissertation ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in the School of Music at the University of Kentucky By Rui Li Lexington, Kentucky Co-Directors: Prof. David Elliott, Professor of Horn Dr. Jason Dovel, Professor of Trumpet Lexington, Kentucky Copyright © Rui Li 2015 ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION OVERCOMING INITIAL HURDLES: STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPING A UNIVERSITY FREE IMPROVISATION ENSEMBLE New free improvisers may come across six major problems as they learn to improvise: imbalance between technique and music, incorrect perception of limitation, imbalance between rationality and emotion, lack of enthusiasm, inability to view criticism as a source of creativity, and misunderstanding of mistakes and risks. In this thesis, I propose a set of effective pedagogical tools as possible solutions for students and groups interested in exploring the beauty of free improvisation. KEYWORDS: Free Improvisation, Pedagogy, Performance Technique, University Free Improvisation Ensemble Rui Li Student’s Signature 12/16/2015 Date OVERCOMING INITIAL HURDLES: SRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPING A UNIVERSITY FREE IMPROVISATION ENSEMBLE By Rui Li David Elliott ---------------------------------- Co-Director of Dissertation: Professor David Elliott Jason Dovel ---------------------------------- Co-Director of Dissertation: Dr. Jason Dovel David Sogin ---------------------------------- Director of Graduate Studies: Dr. David Sogin 12/16/2015 ---------------------------------- Date TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................................................... IV PART I ............................................................................................................................................................................. 1 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 1 CHAPTER TWO: WHAT IS SO DIFFICULT ABOUT FREE IMPROVISATION? IDENTIFYING INITIAL HURDLES IN THE UNIVERSITY CLASSROOM ........................................................................... 11 CHAPTER THREE: TACKLE THE PROBLEMS: LEARN TO APPRECIATE THE IMPROVISER’S FREEDOM ................................................................................................................................................................... 20 CHAPTER FOUR: TACKLE THE PROBLEMS: EXERCISES ....................................................................... 25 CHAPTER FIVE: THE UNIVERSITY FREE IMPROVISATION ENSEMBLE ........................................ 35 CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................. 38 PART II ......................................................................................................................................................................... 44 PROGRAM NOTES FOR COMPOSITIONS PERFORMED IN RECITALS .............................................. 44 PROGRAM I: FEBRUARY 21, 2011 ................................................................................................................... 45 EARTHQUAKE ......................................................................................................................................................... 47 BAMBOO .................................................................................................................................................................. 47 CANDLE’S LIFE ...................................................................................................................................................... 48 PROGRAM II: NOVEMBER 9, 2011 .................................................................................................................. 49 ENNIO MORRICONE, PLAYING LOVE .............................................................................................................. 50 ALEXANDER ARUTUNIAN, TRUMPET CONCERTO IN AB MAJOR .......................................................... 50 ERIC EWAZEN, PASTORALE: TRIO FOR TRUMPET, TROMBONE, AND PIANO ................................... 51 RUI LI, BREATH UNDER THE MASK .................................................................................................................. 52 JOE HISAISHI, THE CASTLE IN THE SKY .......................................................................................................... 57 PROGRAM III: DECEMBER 10, 2012 ............................................................................................................... 58 RUI LI, IMPROVISATIONS WITH VISUAL ARTS AND OLFACTORY ART .............................................. 58 PROGRAM IV: MARCH 29, 2013 ....................................................................................................................... 60 RICHARD PEASLEE, NIGHTSONGS (1973) ..................................................................................................... 60 PROGRAM V: MARCH 25, 2015 ......................................................................................................................... 63 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................................................................ 64 VITA .............................................................................................................................................................................. 67 iii LIST OF TABLES Table 1, Technique and Music……………………………………………………….…..28 Table 2, Goals and Exercises…………………………………………………………….39 iv PART I CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION How far is free improvisation from us? We see children humming songs of their own. Some parents are surprised to find that their little ones can play melodies on a toy piano. When studying world music traditions, ethnomusicologists find that musicians in non- Western cultures are often good improvisers. They can improvise a piece without any sheet music. If you give them a theme or title, their improvisation almost sounds like it is pre-composed. Jazz musicians, considered to be “composers in the moment,” have been improvising since the very beginning of jazz history. Moreover, the ability to improvise is not the exclusive right of children or musicians from traditions other than Western classical music. As a matter of fact, a surprising portion of the works of J. S. Bach and W.A. Mozart were improvised. Robert Levin suggests that unlike musicians in the twentieth century, who have been trained to “try piously to observe the written testament of the composer,”1 musicians in the eighteenth century were both composers and performers. The musical convention has changed so drastically that we