tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961261263292626378.comments2012-12-24T06:49:00.335-05:00Tom Hall • Freeimprovisation.comTom Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17405071980046573433noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961261263292626378.post-21608753109328965252012-12-24T03:14:25.307-05:002012-12-24T03:14:25.307-05:00Just the knowledge that that little weird accident...Just the knowledge that that little weird accidental thing they did was totally expressive and made sense is enough to help them relax and begin to play more freely. <br /><a href="http://http://www.kansascitychiropractic.net/" rel="nofollow">Chiropractor Kansas City</a> <br />Chiropractors Kansas Cityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04975110250041428554noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961261263292626378.post-19613626196376085312011-12-18T10:21:54.897-05:002011-12-18T10:21:54.897-05:00Really nice. ThanksReally nice. ThanksSydney tapas barhttp://tapassydney.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961261263292626378.post-4372752450538940262011-12-17T04:19:42.660-05:002011-12-17T04:19:42.660-05:00Thanks for sharing excellent informations. Your si...Thanks for sharing excellent informations. Your site is so cool. I'm impressed by the details that you’ve on this web site. It reveals how nicely you understand this subject. <a href="http://www.cheapluxuryoutlet.com/louis-vuitton-2011-collection-outlet-cb1938.html" rel="nofollow">louis vuitton 2011 collection</a>luckmeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04394474194003703907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961261263292626378.post-25229365397944644842011-12-14T01:45:30.238-05:002011-12-14T01:45:30.238-05:00i am so curious about haloween in the states. they...i am so curious about haloween in the states. they are the only country where they have fun during this season unlike any other countries.<br /><br />Signature<br /><br /><i>PulseStore | <b><a href="http://www.pulsestore.com/stethoscopes.aspx" rel="nofollow">medical products</a></b></i>Adminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02097420226632616789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961261263292626378.post-51164255034047198622011-10-13T23:26:32.592-04:002011-10-13T23:26:32.592-04:00I found it! woo hoo! way to go Tom,
RuthieI found it! woo hoo! way to go Tom,<br /><br /> RuthieRuthie Ristichhttp://www.ruthieristich.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961261263292626378.post-24039447404439262962011-06-18T12:13:58.898-04:002011-06-18T12:13:58.898-04:00I wish for that as well Tom... thank you for that ...I wish for that as well Tom... thank you for that poignant reminder of whats important in Life...Ricci FretzAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961261263292626378.post-39712143999008738872011-02-14T18:02:14.445-05:002011-02-14T18:02:14.445-05:00Hi Rueben,
Thanks for reading, and especial thank...Hi Rueben,<br /><br />Thanks for reading, and especial thanks for commenting! My general public consists of people and musicians I know in the New England area who are not free music aficionados. Not a huge sample, but it's the public I got!<br /><br />Sounds like I'd rather have your general public - then I could play them the stuff I think is fun and great and that they would like, and tell them that's what free improv really is...<br /><br />By your special request, I've created the first five commandments for the traditionalist free improvisation:<br /><br />1) Thou shalt not groove (unless it's a groove no one can tap their foot to, like an extremely odd meter or extremely fast tempo).<br /><br />2) Thou shalt not play a singable melody (if melodies cannot be completely avoided, they must be complex enough that they are difficult to hear, understand, and/or remember).<br /><br />3) Thou shalt not repeat (either anything you have already played, or through imitation, anything your fellow improvisers have played).<br /><br />4) Thou shalt not be obvious (if you suspect the audience or your fellow musicians may be able to predict what you are going to do next, you must immediately act in such a way as to thwart their expectations).<br /><br />5) Thou shalt not improvise anything that sounds like another, more traditional style of music (unless you are doing this in order to comment on it through odd juxtapositions, distortions, or mutations).<br /><br />That was fun - thanks for the suggestion!<br />Feel free to add your own!<br />TomTom Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17405071980046573433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961261263292626378.post-68122316640727393482011-02-13T11:44:07.497-05:002011-02-13T11:44:07.497-05:00Hi Tom,
"But unfortunately, to the general p...Hi Tom,<br /><br />"But unfortunately, to the general public the phrase has come to basically mean 'deliberately unpleasant sounding and/or boring music'."<br /><br />I'm curious about this general public. When I speak about musical free improvisation to the general public, in the vast majority of cases they have never heard of it and need me to explain what it is, and isn't. I'm curious what your experience is that leads you to the conclusions you've come to. <br /><br />Also I would love to hear you define some of your terms, for instance "the traditional boundaries of free improvisation as a genre." I'd like to know what you think those are. <br /><br />Many thanks,<br /><br />ReubenReubenhttp://www.reubenradding.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961261263292626378.post-86071646071905229152011-02-02T18:52:34.383-05:002011-02-02T18:52:34.383-05:00Could be yer epiphenomenon applies to even the ide...Could be yer epiphenomenon applies to even the idea that one can separate improvisation and creation? I'd be interested to know which cultures had a word for improvisation. I know many of them didn't have a word for "music" as we define it today. <br /><br />But even completely composed western music only comes to life through the improvisation of the performers - and that separation of music performer and music creator is a conceit that is rapidly breaking down! Us humans are improvising mofos - no doubt about it - which makes the alienation of modern improvising artists all the more remarkable. <br /><br />It's way past time to bury that "we're so hip and out that the audience all left by intermission" attitude. We're just not that weird anymore, and if free improv is done well, pretty much anybody can understand it, and even enjoy it (although they might not particularly like it or seek it out). <br /><br />Let's include everybody in our club of hip improvisers, because the human race is improvising the hell out of itself! Look at the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions for an incredible example of modern group improvisation, of how new media has enabled people to improvise and create together in ways we could never dream of before, and how powerful that can be!Tom Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17405071980046573433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961261263292626378.post-85123509736509899782011-02-01T22:51:39.393-05:002011-02-01T22:51:39.393-05:00The notion of improvisation as "esoteric know...The notion of improvisation as "esoteric knowledge" is really epiphenomenal to the notion of music as "artifact," which means "written music," which means "music in the West" for the most part. In almost every oral tradition there are elements of idiosyncratic variation that are articulated and appreciated; folk musicians improvise constantly, of course — both in the short-term sense of intra-performance variation, and in the long-term sense of continuous transmutation of material over years/decades/centuries. We've never been alone.Warren Sendershttp://www.warrensenders.com/journal/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961261263292626378.post-73675673236255326122011-01-12T12:47:08.244-05:002011-01-12T12:47:08.244-05:00anonymous: That does sound fun, and it's absol...anonymous: That does sound fun, and it's absolutely improv!! Don't sell it short - every time someone gets a chance to experience that delicious moment of spontaneously creating something is a precious moment, and you are giving people that opportunity!Tom Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17405071980046573433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961261263292626378.post-12224247073806781582011-01-12T12:12:15.558-05:002011-01-12T12:12:15.558-05:00I love the post. I play piano in a church. It'...I love the post. I play piano in a church. It's all about reading music and playing/singing just as it is. I am trying to have them sing a song with only giving them words to go by and create the harmony the way they want. I think it will be fun. Not really improv but a move in a different and more creative direction.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961261263292626378.post-73519587848049235862010-10-09T09:33:39.680-04:002010-10-09T09:33:39.680-04:00My pleasure! Let me know what you do with them, a...My pleasure! Let me know what you do with them, and how they work out.Tom Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17405071980046573433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961261263292626378.post-38555931730539395992010-10-09T09:32:47.458-04:002010-10-09T09:32:47.458-04:00Hi Darren,
There are a number of different exercis...Hi Darren,<br />There are a number of different exercises in the book that are good for practice in remembering, but these specific exercises I just made up for this blog!Tom Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17405071980046573433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961261263292626378.post-69395349836437752632010-10-06T16:17:21.145-04:002010-10-06T16:17:21.145-04:00Awesome. I will have to try these exercises. Are t...Awesome. I will have to try these exercises. Are these in the book?Darren Nelsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13963292997917489019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961261263292626378.post-57213177262358063912010-10-06T16:13:13.586-04:002010-10-06T16:13:13.586-04:00Wonderful! Thank you for picking out some of the e...Wonderful! Thank you for picking out some of the exercises for this purpose.Darren Nelsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13963292997917489019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961261263292626378.post-6843387083375481882010-08-31T19:51:11.397-04:002010-08-31T19:51:11.397-04:00Great to hear from you Al, and great to hear from ...Great to hear from you Al, and great to hear from an early childhood educator. Thanks for responding!<br /><br />I'm happy to take the "free" out of it, and simply say "what if improvisation was a regular part of the school curriculum...". and I absolutely agree about the outcome. And you are right that I dream, and constantly work towards, the day when society thinks "free improv - that's no big deal, everyone does that!"<br /><br />I think this is becoming more and more necessary, as world wide access to the internet changes the primary focus of education from the gradual acquisition of knowledge and information to the ability to quickly respond to, and effectively use a huge amount of rapidly changing information. This new paradigm practically demands (as you so vibrantly put it) a population of "fearless improvisers, full of joy for the endless variety of life."<br /><br />We are on the crest of this breaking wave, my friend, and improvisers and creative artists of all mediums and genres are the catalysts.Tom Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17405071980046573433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961261263292626378.post-13438562336747205542010-08-30T13:46:53.169-04:002010-08-30T13:46:53.169-04:00I'll take on your call for responses, Tom.
I ...I'll take on your call for responses, Tom.<br /><br />I think there's another argument for including free improvisation in a music curriculum. <br /><br />Working in early childhood education, I spend every day with a group of individuals who haven't yet mastered all of the social conventions that we are taught as we grow up. Preschoolers and toddlers (and even younger!) are in the process of exploring their world for the first time, and are working hard to make sense of it. They respond quickly and openly to music, and don't have any of our preconceived notions of what is "right" or "wrong" in their music making. In tune, out of tune, rhythm, dissonance -- are all foreign words to these young guys. And so when you ask a child to make music, what comes out is frequently delightfully fresh and startlingly creative. When we engage in free improvisation with young children, we're dealing with a group of music-makers who don't have to work to overcome the boundaries of their education, they weren't even aware that those boundaries existed!!<br />So what if free improvisation was a regular part of the school curriculum, all the way from Pre-K through high school? Well, we'd spend less time telling kids that their is a right or a wrong way to go about their creative processes...and maybe we'd end up with a new generation of young adults going through college unafraid to take risks, their minds already open to their infinite possibilities that await them. We'd be a population of fearless improvisers, full of joy for the endless variety of life.<br />Tom, you are one of the most singular people I've ever known, but I think we both dream of the day when one can hear "Free improv? Oh, that's no big deal, everyone does that!"<br /><br />-AlAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15546965308562491474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961261263292626378.post-14712363329706128062010-08-11T00:58:24.748-04:002010-08-11T00:58:24.748-04:00Well said. I agree. I don't believe free impro...Well said. I agree. I don't believe free improv is a genre. Or better said, free improv can be used in many genres. It's open to so much exploration. There are so many untapped areas in which to practice it.<br /><br />I look forward to the day I have a regular group with which to practice and achieve the levels of awareness and possibility you're talking about. What a delight that will be!<br /><br />Until then, I exercise free improv in my solo electric guitar shows, where I play with looping pedals, etc., creating layers. Often in this area, I reach new levels of self-awareness, playing things I never could have pre-conceived.<br /><br />Here is an example of I piece I played last weekend, where everything was improvised, including the pedal preset I used. I had no idea what it would do, I just went with it. I love the percussive background it created for me to solo over:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8yL7vCBf24" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8yL7vCBf24</a><br /><br />Thanks, Tom, for your blog posts. They always get me thinking.Darren Nelsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13963292997917489019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961261263292626378.post-27193983142026441992010-08-11T00:10:46.704-04:002010-08-11T00:10:46.704-04:00Tom, what a beautifully well articulated post. I h...Tom, what a beautifully well articulated post. I had not thought of improvisation in the context of changes in our world or the importance of improvisation at this time in history, but your idea makes perfect sense. Thank you for bringing my attention to this.Darren Nelsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13963292997917489019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961261263292626378.post-22001243111953354352010-07-28T00:31:36.193-04:002010-07-28T00:31:36.193-04:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961261263292626378.post-19540674314298471912010-04-17T07:16:11.575-04:002010-04-17T07:16:11.575-04:00Thanks Darren, that's great to hear!Thanks Darren, that's great to hear!Tom Hallhttp://www.freeimprovisation.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961261263292626378.post-7416039925665677442010-04-17T00:17:30.109-04:002010-04-17T00:17:30.109-04:00Oh, I also feel that 2010 is a significant year fo...Oh, I also feel that 2010 is a significant year for 'out with the old, in with the new'. It feels like a time of endings, beginnings, and rebirth.Darren Nelsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13963292997917489019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961261263292626378.post-48107745618928749152010-04-17T00:15:52.341-04:002010-04-17T00:15:52.341-04:00Your thoughts do not stop at the end of the senten...Your thoughts do not stop at the end of the sentence. Your posts are very thought provoking and have me wondering about the role of improvisation in my life... Or more accurately, how conscious I am of improvisation in my life.<br /><br />I love how you weave improvisation into the fabric of being, not just when holding an instrument, but in living. Looking forward to reading more posts and reading your book.<br /><br />Thank you for your perspective and voice on this topic.Darren Nelsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13963292997917489019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961261263292626378.post-78625441296445834162010-01-24T18:48:30.901-05:002010-01-24T18:48:30.901-05:00"One of the greatest joys in life is that exp..."One of the greatest joys in life is that experience you describe as picking up a horn, or other instrument of expression, and being freed. I’m sure you would agree!<br /><br />At those moments when I understand that my true instrument is myself, and my life is my expression, I am freed, in exactly the same way."<br /><br />Agreed - with qualifications :-)<br /><br />Good conversation Tom. I've gained some insight into the improvisation process itself through this little back and forth. <br /><br />ThanksAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com