Joy of Improvisation

This February’s blog is inspired by a conversation with one of our teachers, Lara Ali, who works across several of our schools. Lara is a freelance flautist of Nigerian-German heritage. Her passion for music, as well as for education, music community and musical identity is something that I am personally passionate about, and I love every time we get to engage in a conversation. Lara’s approach and passion for musical diversity are grounded in her studies in ethnomusicology, which she considers inherently tied to music education.

During our conversation she mentioned she would like to speak about improvisation within the realm of education, and I thought that to be a great idea to bring to the table and invite some Pelican musicians into this conversation.

What does it mean to improvise for you? Well..for me improvisation means letting myself go *free and feel. However, the act of improvisation, specifically musical improvisation can be scary, Riviere said (2006). And this could not be more certain, because this means exposing yourself, and not everyone feels comfortable with that thought, some students or better said humans may experience anxiety, fear, vulnerability, and this is completely understandable, but we, educators and parents/guardians can help to break that barrier and guide students and children to blossom by creating a safe space for them. A space where the word mistake doesn’t exist, and where every sound, rhythm, movement and clap becomes an opportunity for learning - building confidence and security, while nurturing aural skills, creativity, and social development.

Read the words of Ella Beard, violin and club teacher at Pelican Music: “We are all improvising all the time in regular life - think of having a conversation with a friend and how you come up with something to say right on the spot. Improvisation through music is a way of using our most authentic musical voice on our instruments and seeing what comes out, and because there are no wrong notes when we're improvising, it's a great way of teaching musicians of all ages that their voice matters. It can feel very scary at first, but the confidence and creativity that anyone can develop through improvisation is one of my favourite things I get to witness as a teacher”. Ella Beard, violin and club teacher at Pelican Music.

In the article, “Using Improvisation as a Teaching Strategy”, Riviere mentioned that he started using improvisation activities to reinforce music learning, and by doing that you’ll be addressing improvising melodies, variations and accompaniments, as well as giving students and teacher the chance to develop their improvisational skills, and overcome this fear. Being this a challenge from the traditional setting of teaching music, but applied in education, especially targeting early childhood, will help the brain to process the information differently, using more of the cortex and strengthening a student’s ability to learn.

The most fascinating thing about improvisation is that it can happen anywhere - in classrooms, at home, in the park, at birthday parties, and in everyday life. This means you can help nurture all of these skills in your children while simply having fun and sharing meaningful moments together.
Agnes, our Founder and Director, has recently become very active in social media, which is truly inspiring considering the amount of responsibility and work she carries on a daily basis, like most mums and families. Through her posts, you can see how even the smallest moments - while preparing breakfast - can become moments of joy, connection, and engagement with her two little ones.

In this recent reel, Agnes shares how every time she puts music on, Maisie’s little body immediately starts to move. She captured this beautiful moment to remind us that all children have this instinct within them — and that this is what music, sound, and rhythm awaken in our bodies. Sometimes it’s as simple as putting music on and letting the body speak its own language.

Riveire, J. (2006). Using improvisation as a teaching strategy. Music Educators Journal, 92(3), 40–45.

An inspirational Collection of Thoughts. By Aida Palma. Head of Partnership & Engagement