Seminar by Simon Rose "Improvisation, music and learning: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis"
12th February 2014
1-2pm, Sonic Lab
Sonic Arts Research Centre, Belfast
Simon Rose will describe his recent research project in improvisation and its findings.
The project’s development is informed by two previous improvisation research projects (2003, 2008) together with professional experience as a musician, extensive work in teaching and an early training/career in drama.
The thesis explores the creative process of improvisation in music with a specific emphasis on investigating its potential for learning. The widespread practice of improvisation in music is relatively absent from education and there is an urgent need to more fully understand improvisation’s processes.
A broad body of knowledge of improvisation in music has developed within the international community of musicians whose practice is centered on improvisation and an understanding of this knowledge could become very relevant for a variety of learning contexts. Ten highly experienced, world leading improvisers from Europe and North America took part in semi‐structured interviews and were asked the over‐arching question: What is the place of improvisation in your practice?
Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was the chosen method for the enquiry.
Findings describe the super-ordinate themes of: Learning, Process, Body and Strategies in improvisation.
Key words: Free improvisation, improvisation, learning, body, process, strategies, Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, unity, difference.