Improvising and composing
This chapter defines improvisation as the art of making up something as the musician goes along with the music — an instant composition — and ‘the most widely practised of all musical activities and the least acknowledged and understood’. The chapter relates how musical improvisation can be interrelated and how it can appear to be similar to human beings' daily communication and discourse. Composition, on the other hand, is a more complex and sophisticated area which requires deeper psychological study to understand the composers' motivations, intentions, and emotions. Studying composition as a sophisticated musical activity provides insights on cultural creations and myths. The chapter discusses introspection as a major part of this musical skill and activity, and relates psychological studies and concepts involved in such.
Keywords: improvisation, composition, introspection, John Sloboda, improvising and composing
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