MTU Cork Library Catalogue

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The art of becoming : how group improvisation works / Raymond A. R. MacDonald and Graeme B. Wilson.

By: MacDonald, Raymond A. R [author].
Contributor(s): Wilson, Graeme B [author].
Material type: materialTypeLabelBookPublisher: New York : Oxford University Press, [2020]Description: xxiii, 192 pages : 21 cm.Content type: text Media type: unmediated Carrier type: volumeISBN: 9780190840921 (paperback).Subject(s): Improvisation (Music)Additional physical formats: Online version:: The art of becomingDDC classification: 781.36
Contents:
Improvisation and new frontiers in creative practice -- What's so special about Improvisation? -- Talking about Improvisation: constructing identities -- Stones, Clouds : a new model for improvising -- Distributed creativity and the myth of shared understanding -- A new virtuosity: improvising over time -- Improvisation and health: why improvising is good for you -- The way forward.
Summary: "With a focus on music, this book outlines what improvisation is and why it is an important creative and social activity. Drawing on the emerging psychological literature in this area, as well as evidence from authors' research with musicians, this text outlines innovative ideas on what defines improvisation and the psychological, creative and social processes involved. It explores the role of specialist skills, the importance of musical identities and the nature of understanding in improvised interaction and between improvisers. It discusses how we develop as improvisers and the role of improvisation within therapeutic applications of music. Each chapter proceeds from discussion of an illustrative instance of musical improvisation. Providing fresh and provocative insights for anyone interested in playing, studying, teaching or listening to improvised music, the authors offer suggestions for approaching this practice in new ways at any level, and identify potential developments in cross-disciplinary improvising. Asserting that everyone can and should improvise, the book provides a resource for courses teaching improvisation in contemporary practice, and has strong relevance for those applying musical improvisation in community and therapeutic contexts. The book deals with such questions as: What constitutes improvisation? Do all forms of improvisation represent the same thing? Faced with myriad possibilities, how do improvisers decide what to play? How does an improviser in a group know what the others will do? How might improvisation influence our wellbeing? In response to such questions, a definition of improvisation based on its unique behavioural features is set out as an exciting context for psychological investigation"-- Provided by publisher.
Holdings
Item type Current library Call number Status Date due Barcode Item holds
General Lending MTU Cork School of Music Library Lending 781.36 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) Available 00197755
General Lending MTU Cork School of Music Library Lending 781.36 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) Available 00197757
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

At a time of unprecedented interest in improvisation across the arts, The Art of Becoming boldly asserts that everyone can and should improvise. Drawing on emerging psychological literature as well as their own research with musicians, authors Raymond MacDonald and Graeme Wilson - both music psychologists and renowned performers in their own right - propose new ideas on what defines improvisation in music. MacDonald and Wilson explore the cognitive processes involved, the role of specialist skills or knowledge in improvised interaction, and the nature of understanding between improvisers. Their investigation lays out how we develop as improvisers, alongside health benefits derived from music participation. The Art of Becoming is a vital resource for courses on improvisation in contemporary practice, and for those applying musical improvisation in community and therapeutic contexts, setting out a framework based on psychological findings for understanding improvisation as a universal capability and an essentially social behavior. With suggestions for approaching this practice in new ways at any level, it demonstrates how improvisation transcends musical genres and facilitates collaboration between practitioners from disciplines across the artistic spectrum. Putting forward important implications for contemporary artistic practices, pedagogy, music therapy and the psychology of social behavior, The Art of Becoming provides fresh and provocative insights for anyone interested in playing, studying, teaching, or listening to improvised music.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Improvisation and new frontiers in creative practice -- What's so special about Improvisation? -- Talking about Improvisation: constructing identities -- Stones, Clouds : a new model for improvising -- Distributed creativity and the myth of shared understanding -- A new virtuosity: improvising over time -- Improvisation and health: why improvising is good for you -- The way forward.

"With a focus on music, this book outlines what improvisation is and why it is an important creative and social activity. Drawing on the emerging psychological literature in this area, as well as evidence from authors' research with musicians, this text outlines innovative ideas on what defines improvisation and the psychological, creative and social processes involved. It explores the role of specialist skills, the importance of musical identities and the nature of understanding in improvised interaction and between improvisers. It discusses how we develop as improvisers and the role of improvisation within therapeutic applications of music. Each chapter proceeds from discussion of an illustrative instance of musical improvisation. Providing fresh and provocative insights for anyone interested in playing, studying, teaching or listening to improvised music, the authors offer suggestions for approaching this practice in new ways at any level, and identify potential developments in cross-disciplinary improvising. Asserting that everyone can and should improvise, the book provides a resource for courses teaching improvisation in contemporary practice, and has strong relevance for those applying musical improvisation in community and therapeutic contexts. The book deals with such questions as: What constitutes improvisation? Do all forms of improvisation represent the same thing? Faced with myriad possibilities, how do improvisers decide what to play? How does an improviser in a group know what the others will do? How might improvisation influence our wellbeing? In response to such questions, a definition of improvisation based on its unique behavioural features is set out as an exciting context for psychological investigation"-- Provided by publisher.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

In The Art of Becoming Macdonald and Wilson (both, psychology, Univ. of Edinburgh, Scotland) assert that everyone improvises every single day simply by navigating through life--and that, therefore, the conscious practice of improvisation (in music or any other form) is accessible to everyone. The authors themselves have performed improvised music for decades, so they bring a wealth of insider knowledge to their work. They examine the contributions of technology to improvisational concepts (e.g., transmission of ideas and performance practices), the positive effects of improvisation on education and well-being (confidence in creative activities and group interaction), and the gendered coding of improvisation skills, particularly in the jazz genre. Other thought-provoking topics addressed include the ways improvisers decide what and when to play (stemming from a preconscious self-awareness), the criteria for values of excellence or "virtuosity" in improvisation (who decides and based on what criterion?), and the significance of group interaction within improvised activities. Regarding the last, the authors write that "because group improvisation involves multiple simultaneous choices, outcomes are not predictable from any individual choice, and improvisation is more likely to innovate at a group or higher level" (p. 89). The references are extremely diverse and thorough. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty; professionals. --David J. Schmalenberger, Anoka-Ramsey Community College

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Raymond MacDonald is Professor of Music Psychology and Improvisation at Edinburgh University. His ongoing research focuses on issues relating to improvisation, musical communication, music health and wellbeing, music education and musical identities. He studies the processes and outcomes of music participation and music listening and has a particular interest in collaborative creativity. His work is informed by a view of improvisation as a social, collaborative and uniquely creative process that provides opportunities to develop new ways of working musically.Graeme Wilson is a Visiting Fellow at the University of Edinburgh. He has research interests in the theory and practice of group improvisation, and in musical participation to improve wellbeing. He has published and lectured widely as a psychologist on improvisation as well as on health, identities and discourse. He leads the Concurrent network for the study of interdisciplinary improvisation, initiated through a Network Grant from the Royal Society of Edinburgh. A founding member of Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra, he has toured internationally and his saxophone playing features on over 30 CDs including his own quartet releases.

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