Improvisation as an Art Form

Following a well-performed recital by an outstanding tenor, I overheard the accompanist mention that she enjoys playing for tenors because they never sing the music exactly as it was prepared. She elaborated by saying she has to remain vigilant in listening and adjusting. I suppose a musical purist devoid of a sense of creativity, spontaneity, or originality might quibble with such veiled affirmation, reminding performers to express the exact intentions of the composer and the time period in which the composition originated. Yet such criticisms many times lack validity and thorough knowledge of both the context and the composer's intent.

True that taken to its logical conclusion, improvisation becomes freedom without restraint, expression without boundaries, and random events apart from governance. Yet looking at the other extreme, music without any kind of improvisatory elements, some kind of absolute adherence to the printed page devoid of personality or personal interpretation subjugates music's emotional benefits both to the performer as well as the listener. Somewhere in the middle of these two extremes lies the concept and benefits of improvisation. On the improvisation spectrum, there are the free style melodies of Charlie Parker, the classy jazz melodies of Clark Terry, the unusually complicated piano sounds of Keith Jarrett, and the splashy experiments of blues artist Thelonius Monk. These are but a drop in the jazz bucket of great jazz improvisers from the past. Today the number of highly respected jazz improvisers is extended across the globe and includes young and old, trained and untrained. But improvisation is not limited to jazz or jazz artists but rather encompasses a long heritage of great performers from all genres of music.

Improvisation has been a valued component of music making since the dawn of humans and the ability to alter, to adapt sound to the particular situation is nearly as natural as sound itself. As music developed in compositional complexity, paralleling that of advanced performance ability, so also did improvisational skills improve. By the time we hit the Romantic period of music in the early 19th century, improvisation was the expectation of soloists as they played with orchestras or in solo concerts. Admittedly, excessive improvisation robbed the composer of his/her intent, yet judicious improvisation was part of the normal training and performance practice of the musicians.

How much is too much or how little is not enough is part of the confusion regarding improvisation along with the need to match the style and framework of the particular piece of music. Artistic license is certainly a valid idea but so is keeping with the unified congruency of the music formed by the composer. This tension was inevitably solved as classically trained musicians adhered to the printed page and avoided any kind of improvisatory elements. The jazz world, however, did not experience such boundaries and foraged into the vast world of musical freedom and expression. Thus did the term improvisation come to be associated with jazz.

In academia we have a rigorous prescription for performance success that includes a cognitive and musical understanding of the context of a piece as well as how to achieve excellence in performance. The comprehensive approach to the education of a musician layers the learning of music theory, music history, applied music, ensembles, and other supportive courses. This approach is well-established and has produced a wealth of outstanding musicians performing throughout the world. But often as people mature and grow through education so also does their creativity tend to decline. This is a common malady which is not necessarily a malady at all but is the normal result of working diligently to master a particular skill.

Music, however, is a subjective art form requiring personal expression on top of great skill. To take music to another level requires a personal combination of adherence to the printed page, depth of personal expression, and a degree of creativity and improvisation. As we continue to develop young musicians of the future, let us not forget that improvisation is an art form, well-deserving of its place in the curriculum, and a skill needed in the future. Difficult for many, natural for others, improvisation can be learned and applied to all music in various forms. Returning to our tenor, kuddos to him for using his gifts and for expressing music in different ways in each performance. It could be what sets apart great performers from good ones.