Music Discovery - Improvisation for the Large Ensemble and Music Classroom

Improvisation is a boundless and exciting way to experience music, especially for students. Teachers increasingly agree that improvisation is an essential skill for students to learn - however, many are unsure how to productively incorporate it in the classroom. Furthermore, most improvisational practices are centered around jazz, with very little to help even classical and vocal ensembles let alone the general music classroom. Now, in this new book, Daniel Healy and Kimberly Lansinger Ankney offer a practical volume aimed at busy music teachers. Recognizing educators' desire to balance the standard curriculum with improvisational activities, the authors provide 36 activities to incorporate into their everyday music classes and ensemble practices. All activities are flexibly designed in styles ranging from modern classical to pop. Teachers can spend anywhere from 5 minutes to an entire term on a single activity, in a variety of environments and ensembles - concert bands, orchestras, choirs, jazz ensembles, and music technology classes alike can benefit from the practices of improvisation. Aligning improvisation practices with the constraints of the classroom, the lessons focus on key music learning principles (melody, harmony, rhythm, texture/timbre, articulation, and dynamics), allowing students' basic performance skills to develop in conjunction with their improvisational ones. The book also comes with a companion website which provides helpful resources for teachers, including recordings of actual K-12 ensembles performing the improvisation activities. Designed for a wide range of ages and experience levels, Music Discovery: Improvisation for the Large Ensemble and Music Classroom is the first practical guide of its kind, and gives teachers a long-awaited jumping-off point to introduce this playful, thrilling, and vital musical practice to their students.

List of contents

• About the Companion Website


• Section I - Improvisation in the Large Ensemble and Classroom


• Introduction


• How to use this book?


• How can students improvise?


• What is the purpose of this book?


• Why improvisation?


• Benefits


• Advantages for Students


• Advantages for Teachers


• Popular Myths Concerning Improvisation Pedagogy


• Section II - Understanding Improvisational Teaching and Responsive Planning


• Introduction


• Understanding Your Students


• Improvisational Teaching within Lessons


• Improvisational Teaching Across Lessons


• The Center of Improvisational Teaching: Assessing Growth


• Flexibility in Assessing Growth


• Embracing Students' Musical Journey


• Responding to Students' Experiences


• Encouraging Flexibility, Responsivity, and Open-Mindedness


• Getting Students Past the Giggles


• Organization of Lessons


• Lessons for a Variety of Large Ensemble and Class Settings


• Ensemble/Class Levels


• Structure of Lessons


• Section III - Lessons


• Melody


• Beginning Instrumental/Choral Ensemble - Limited Pitch Set


• Intermediate Instrumental/Choral Ensemble - Brahmsian Improvisation


• Beginning Jazz Ensemble - Melodic Ornamentation


• Intermediate Jazz Ensemble - Theory of Relativity


• Beginning Improvisation Ensemble - Light Motif


• Intermediate Improvisation Ensemble - Middle Eastern Taqsim


• Harmony


• Beginning Instrumental/Choral Ensemble - Mood Music


• Intermediate Instrumental/Choral Ensemble - Celestial Navigation


• Beginning Jazz Ensemble - Blues


• Intermediate Jazz Ensemble - Flamenco Mittens with String


• Beginning Improvisation Ensemble - Pedal to the Medal


• Intermediate Improvisation Ensemble - Sonority


• Rhythm


• Beginning Instrumental/Choral Ensemble - Nontraditional Sounds


• Intermediate Instrumental/Choral Ensemble - Cheap Trick


• Beginning Jazz Ensemble - Swingology


• Intermediate Jazz Ensemble - Synchronicity


• Beginning Improvisation Ensemble - Rhythmic Mashup


• Intermediate Improvisation Ensemble - I Have No Time


• Texture and Timbre


• Beginning Instrumental/Choral Ensemble - Indie "In D"


• Intermediate Instrumental/Choral Ensemble - Braxtonian March


• Beginning Jazz Ensemble - Instigation Sounds


• Intermediate Jazz Ensemble - Prayer Meeting from Outer Space (Mingus and Sun Ra)


• Beginning Improvisation Ensemble - Imitation of Found Sounds


• Intermediate Improvisation Ensemble - Gesticulation


• Articulation


• Beginning Instrumental/Choral Ensemble - An Articulated Line


• Intermediate Instrumental/Choral Ensemble - Pointillism


• Beginning Jazz Ensemble - Cartoon Sounds


• Intermediate Jazz Ensemble - Articulate the Positive


• Beginning Improvisation Ensemble - Articulated Movement


• Intermediate Improvisation Ensemble - Techno Music


• Dynamics


• Beginning/Intermediate Ensemble- "Re"Arranging


• Intermediate Instrumental/Choral Ensemble - Deep Listening Dynamics


• Beginning Jazz Ensemble - Conceptual Scores


• Intermediate Jazz Ensemble - Swells


• Beginning Improvisation Ensemble - Oceans


• Intermediate Improvisation Ensemble - Studio Magic


• Section IV - Portals of Discovery: Vignettes in Improvisation Teaching and Learning


• Beginning Instrumental/Choral Ensemble - "Indie in D" for Middle School Concert Band


• Beginning Instrumental/Choral Ensemble - "Nontraditional Sounds" for Middle School Chorus


• Beginning Improvisation Ensemble - "Oceans" for Elementary General Music


• Intermediate Improvisation Ensemble - "Techno Music" for Secondary General Music


• Intermediate Jazz Ensemble - "Flamenco Mittens with String" for High School Jazz Ensemble


• Intermediate Improvisation Ensemble - "Middle Eastern Taqsim" for High School Orchestra


• Epilogue


• References


• Index

About the author

Daniel Healy is the Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Education and Head of Music Education at Roosevelt University. He has published with the Music Educators Journal and contributed to the volume Envisioning Music Teacher Education.

Kimberly Lansinger Ankney is Assistant Professor and Director of Music Education at Christopher Newport University. She has contributed research to several publications, including Advances in Music Education Research and Visions of Research in Music Education, and written for volumes including Envisioning Music Teacher Education and Analyzing Influences: Research on Decision-Making and the Music Education Curriculum.

Summary

Music Discovery: Improvisation for the Large Ensemble and Music Classroom is a practical guide for teachers who want to develop their students' improvisational skills. It features both an overview of current research and 36 new learning activities in a wide variety of musical styles.

Product details

• Authors: Kimberly Lansinger Ankney, Daniel J. Healy, Daniel J. (Music Instructor Healy
• Assisted by: Oxford University Press (Editor)
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 17.09.2020
• EAN: 9780190462079
• ISBN: 978-0-19-046207-9
• No. of pages: 224
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Education > School education, didactics, methodology; MUSIC / Instruction & Study / Exercises, Techniques of music / music tutorials / teaching of music, Techniques Of Music / Music Tutorials, EDUCATION / Teaching / General