The Art of Improvisation by Deb Stevens
Share a wonderful gift with young musicians
Improvisation is the ability to create music on the spot, and it's a wonderful gift to share with beginning musicians as they learn to play the band instruments of their choice.
Young musicians in many elementary instrumental programs are taught to play their instruments in small or large group settings by following lessons in their method books. Students learn the basic playing position, breathing techniques, tone production, tonguing, slurring, staccato, phrasing, fingerings, scales, dynamic expression, steady beat and basic music reading skills. At the same time, they are introduced to rehearsal techniques, sheet music and performances.
Given that these many techniques are being taught to and grasped by young musicians, why not go a step further and introduce them to improvisation? Just think of it: Elementary musicians composing instantly on their instruments — having conversations with each other through their instruments — "talking" through their instruments in phrases — creating motives, sequencing, developing themes, utilizing dynamics effectively, focusing on clarity of tone, internalizing an "inner pulse."
Sound good? Sure. But you say your day is already so full, how would you ever find time to teach improvisation? Or maybe you feel that it would be difficult to put a group together because you couldn't find enough young musicians in your school who are even interested in improvisation, let alone far enough along in their lesson books. Or perhaps you have doubts that you yourself are ready for this. Where do you find a time and place to rehearse? Do you simply improvise and never play full band charts?
Consider forming an "All District" elementary jazz ensemble. Hold auditions for all interested musicians in grades four through six who play a band instrument that you would care to use in your ensemble. We use the standard jazz ensemble instrumentation — piano, drums and keyboard bass for the rhythm section, with saxophone, trumpet and trombone/baritone parts doubled or tripled. Baritone sax parts are played by alto sax; trombone parts are covered by slide trombones, baritones and valve trombones.
Audition forms should be mailed to all elementary music directors, to be shared with their students. If enough interested musicians show up at your auditions, you are on your way to beginning your group.
Where do you rehearse? Try asking one of your district's junior high directors if you could use their rehearsal room and drum set, piano and keyboard bass. Would an after-school 40-minute improvisation session, followed by an hour's full-ensemble rehearsal, work for you? If so, you are ready to begin this rewarding musical challenge.
You will want to order a couple of Jamey Aebersold's improvisation CD-books, specifically, Volume 24, Major/Minor, and Volume 54, Maiden Voyage. Listen to the discs as you read, and you will find it easy to teach the beginning concepts of improvisation to your elementary students.
As to music selection, there are level-one jazz ensemble charts by Doug Beach, George Shatuck, Willie Thomas and Rick Stitzel (to name just a few composers) that have open solo sections in them with improvisation changes/scales/chords in the music to help young musicians grasp the technique.
Perhaps there is a jazz group in your community or at the high school that would let you tape them as they sight-read these charts. Then ask all of your elementary musicians to bring in a blank cassette tape for you, to dub the charts for them, so they can listen to the charts over and over until they know them in their minds. They can practice the phrases, one phrase at a time, looking up new fingerings as they come to an unknown note, until they can put the entire tune together.
Solo sections can be opened up to those students who have picked up sufficient tools in improvisation class to feel comfortable soloing in the piece. The rhythm section will need to work hard to play the changes easily, as well as the ensemble handling background parts. Four or five tunes per year are enough. Then set up performances.
If you are attracted to the idea of starting an elementary jazz ensemble with an emphasis on improvisation, go for it! The experience will be not only fun, but rewarding. And you'll find many people willing to help you get started.
Document your progress through videotapes, cassette tapes, photos and articles. Share this documentation with interested musicians, both professionals and other educators, who can provide valuable feedback, mentoring and support. When you provide documentation of your young musicians' progress, and then hear back from other supportive professionals, share this information with your school board, superintendent, principal, students and their parents — building even more support for the wonderful gift you are sharing with your students.
There is no truer American form of music than jazz, with its emphasis on improvisation. Let's help our young student musicians to grasp this important technique, allowing creativity to flow freely through their instruments.
Deb Stevens has been a music educator for nearly 30 years, with K-12 teaching experience in Montana and Iowa. Presently in the Dubuque (Iowa) Community School District, she also teaches world music at the University of Dubuque.
