Musical improvisation

Scat singing is a technique used by singers in vocal jazz music. Scat is a form of vocal improvisation that consists of nonsense syllables or no words at all. It requires the singer to improvise melodies and syllables from the top of their head, this is a very difficult technique to master as it uses the voice as an instrument rather than using it to speak. Though scat singing is improvised, the melodies are usually based around common musical themes, such as scales, arpeggios, or the chorus of a different song. Scat doesn’t have to be used independently; it can be incorporated into a normal lyrical song, sort of like a solo section. Sometimes a scat section follows a certain predetermined pattern, following patterns in tempo, melody, or rhythm. It could be compared to an episode of Tom and Jerry because you always know generally what will happen: Tom will try and catch Jerry, but Jerry turns it around and hurts Tom. It’s always slightly different, but it follows the same general pattern.…

During class I have been trying to understand what improvisation means and how is it used. I began to think of different projects that match up how improvisation would be used in my own practice. Art to me should be something that changes everyday life and gives meaning to the people surrounding you. As Marc Bamuthi Joseph said, “If what we do doesn’t impact the outside, we are not doing our jobs”. The project idea struck me at about 3 a.m. I am constantly receiving notifications on my cellular…

Improvisational theater helps foster interpersonal communication skills in many ways. It aids the development of relationships by creating a judgement free space for creative thinking. It furthers the formation of connections in the brain that aid retention of short term memories and faster cognition. Improv also can act as therapy for speech, learning disorders, ASD and dementia. I know that my personal experiences with improvisational theater have increased my confidence exponentially, both…

The strongest improv rule I did was keeping everything going throughout the whole entire process, trying to build off of everyone else’s idea. Through Conducted Story to Mr. Know-It-All I did my utmost best to make every sentence make sense and if it suddenly changed, go off of someone else’s emotions, and idea of a story. In Mr. Know-It-All most of our sentences made no sentences, I attempted to make sense of them and roll off of their ideas, when Mark would say the weirdest word that did not…

would think there is anything humorous about Dementia? Most people who experience it or their caregivers wouldn't. But humor and improvisation may be a key element to reducing anxiety and creating joy for both you and your loved one. In Part I of this series I discussed some of the facts and myths about Alzheimer's and dementia. In Part II I presented five…

Think of music, think of how it makes people feel when they listen to it. Sounds are vibrations that allow for humans to hear. The sounds people hear can be disliked, like the sound of nails on a chalk broad, or enjoyed, like the sounds of rain falling. Music is just like sound but with words and a specific type of rhythm. In the same way as sound certain people can hate classical music but can like rock music. Classical and rock music are classified into different types of genres. Genres are…

to relax my body before a performance to increase fluidity within my movement. Both yoga and Pilates has enabled me to become more attained with my body. Spring Semester Dance Improvisation 2015 (Professor Hapke) Improvisation is the act of composing spontaneously, focusing on the present moment and playing with possibilities of the environment with the body. At the beginning of class for a few weeks, we were working with the grid created by Barbara Dilley. The grid was created to expand and…

Although every culture has musical influences, in the United States, the students who are enrolled in the music programs are not as diverse as the population of the United States. It is found that race and ethnicity is associated with music participation, Caucasians were overrepresented, while Hispanics were underrepresented (Elpus 4). The social and economic background also influences whether the students participate in the music programs. Although Caucasians are overrepresented in music…

Music is the voice of the alluring soul and captivating sound of the heart. Music has a way of articulating feelings and emotions through a vast variety of sounds, words, and instruments. Choice in music personalized, and no two individuals enjoy all of the same music because we all are differ in some way. For example, I was born in College Park, Georgia, in a majority Black neighborhood to my mother and two brothers. I am a twenty-year-old college student that identify as a Black American male…

Warm greetings to those who have found this time capsule. Encased in this time capsule are ten handpicked and meticulously decided pieces of music that represent the musical culture of the classical era until the 21st Century. Brought to you by the decisions of a group of musical professionals are a pieces that will captivate you into the history of the western world. Before intricately contriving a list of musical pieces, my group and I brainstormed the process of fabricating the list. We…