"Improvise!" seeks to explore improvisation in relation to culture, politics, education and musical practices from historical, philosophical, theoretical and sociological perspectives to outline the common creative ground, possibilities and challenges, and to compare and contrast different traditions and their approaches.
The Summer School Improvise! in 2019 was an immersive experience in spontaneous sound making, instant composing, concentrated listening, social empathy, creativity, and collective music making. Throughout, participants engaged in critical thinking through sound by improvising in large ensembles using the "live-composing" techniques of conduction and soundpainting; small group interaction, developing skills in listening, instant composing, and the ability to develop group cohesion in free improvisation; and importantly, intensive work on the development of personal sound languages using extended techniques and technology.
The symposium Improvise! 2021 seeks to explore improvisation behaviours related to culture, politics, education and practice from historical, philosophical, theoretical and sociological perspectives to outline the common creative ground, possibilities, and challenges, and to compare and contrast different traditions and their approaches. The main focus of the event is to approach improvisation in music from a wide variety of perspectives and historical practices (Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Contemporary), through presentations, performances, workshops and roundtables.
In the future Improvise! will facilitate possible collaborations by creating opportunities for students (performances, masterclasses, presentations, and workshops). It is our aim to build upon these experiences and develop ideas for a new semester course on improvisation for Shared Campus.