Date of Award
Fall 2020
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA)
School
Music
Committee Chair
Dr. John Wooton
Committee Chair School
Music
Committee Member 2
Dr. Joseph Brumbeloe
Committee Member 2 School
Music
Committee Member 3
Dr. Edward Hafer
Committee Member 3 School
Music
Committee Member 4
Dr. Benjamin Mcllwain
Committee Member 4 School
Music
Committee Member 5
Dr. Richard Perry
Committee Member 5 School
Music
Abstract
Typically, when studying percussion at a University, a student is required to be proficient at multiple aspects of percussion (snare drum, mallet keyboards, drum set, hand drumming, etc.) and work through multiple method books and solos on the different instruments. This often leaves little to no room for the study of improvisation on their instrument.
Examined in this study are the following points pertaining to the state of teaching improvisation:
- There is an apparent lack of improvisation in the classroom
- Teachers often feel unprepared in teaching improvisation
- Improvisation is most commonly associated with jazz
- Both teachers and students tend to experience anxiety when encountering improvisation
- The recent changes to the National Music Standards (2014) puts a greater emphasis on improvisation
- While many teachers feel unprepared to teach improvisation as a subject, most are willing to learn
This project will address these points and provide percussionists with fundamental skills in improvisation. This study contains three original concert percussion ensemble pieces that provide a structured foundation for beginning improvisation using a four step method. First, improvising using only chord tones. Second, improvising using scalar patterns. Third, incorporating digital riffs into the improvisation. Fourth, improvising using a combination of the three methods.
ORCID ID
0000-0002-9320-762X
Copyright
McClaflin, 2020
Recommended Citation
McClaflin, Ian, "Developing a Systematic Approach for Teaching Beginning Improvisation Using the Concert Percussion Ensemble" (2020). Dissertations. 1818.
https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/1818
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