Nightmare on Elm Street...
Friday the 13th…
Scream…
Saw…
Improvisation…?
Nothing instills more terror in a vocalist than the dreaded
“i” word…Want your group to run screaming for the hills, leaving a hole in the
nearest wall that matches their exact body, ask them to improvise. Why? Why is
vocal improvisation such a scary concept? Well…
-Vocal improvisation is perceived as a jazz idiom, and
unless you are specifically a jazz major, improvisation is not a skill that
will be addressed in classes or individual lessons.
-Improvisation takes years of practice and discipline to
master, much like sight singing, composing, or technique. But unlike the
latter, improvisation is not a skill that many music teachers possess, and it
is difficult to teach a skill they don’t already know.
- Vocalists, unlike instrumentalists, have no buttons to
push to make sound. If a piano player wants a C, they simply press the right
button. If a vocalist wants a C, they have to produce the correct wavelength,
and in the correct octave.
-There are not many role models to imitate. Ella Fitzgerald,
Bobby McFerrin, and Lambert Hendricks and Ross are masters of their craft, and
what they do is perceived as “impossible to imitate.”
-Improvisation is a skill that is best developed
individually. Most students are unable or unwilling to improvise in front of
others, let alone sing something they already know as a solo.
I argue that the number one reason that high school and
college vocalists cannot sight read is consistency. Choral directors have every
intention of teaching the material, but lack the know-how to keep the process
going and how to evolve the students who are progressing.
The same holds true for improvisation. Most likely, the word
has been introduced in the majority of choral programs in the country, but the
utter lack of participation and the possible failure scares them away from mentioning
it again.
I intend to change these stigmas, however scary it may seem.
And no…I’m not wearing a jigsaw mask.
How? By introducing ways to improvise in a group, and as
part of the daily warm-up. This way, improvisation becomes a tradition, an exercise.
Just a little bit each day helps build a program. Doing too much at once is
scary. Below are some games that encourage improvisation in a safe, group
setting, saving the willing student from possible humiliation.
1) Circle songs: I have previously defined a circle song.
See link below:
But perhaps I was too enthusiastic. Instead of beginning
with tone, which implies harmony, which implies a possible chance to be
“wrong,” start with rhythm. In fact, don’t even sing. Use hand claps and foot
stomps. As the leader, begin a repetitive 1-2 bar phrase using only body
percussion. Students (group members) should join you by adding a complimentary
1-2 bar phrase with body percussion. This allows the shyer student to just clap
on beat, and the staggered entrances coupled with the freedom of entering at
your own pace, will generate participation…which is all you really want in the
beginning stage.
2) The drone game. “How to begin solo improvisation”
Start by asking the choir to sing a D in octaves. Begin
demonstrating improvisation
by singing over the drone. It doesn’t matter what you sing.
Since there is only one note in the background and no tonality, anything you
sing will fit. The philosophy behind this game is that once students see how
anything they sing will fit within the harmony, they will be less afraid to try
it. Take care not to force any students to sing solo. Many students are
terrified of singing solo, let alone singing in an art form very few
understand.
Here are some ways to help ease students into improvisation:
1. Over the drone D, sing a pattern that a
student can repeat. Do this
several times until the student is
comfortable singing, then ask him/her to make up a pattern that you will
repeat. This gives the student confidence
because to him/her, he/she is
singing a duet and not singing alone.
2. Let two students sing together. Even if
they are incredibly out of key with each other, do not stop them. Remember,
this game is not about
pitch, rhythm, or technique. It is
about gaining the courage to improvise.
3. Go with the flow. Once during this
game, a student chose to sing a
familiar television theme song
instead of improvising. Anything that
comes out of these students’
mouths should be encouraged.
4. One student suggested that she would be
less nervous if everyone in the circle
sang something in turn. I tried her method and more students opened up and
improvised than if I had went around the room and chosen
volunteers.
I hope this sparks some interest in improvisation. More
games to come.
Marc Silverberg
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