Using Maschine Jam to Set the Groove for Classroom Improvisation (Advanced)

The Music Technology Cookbook ◽

10.1093/oso/9780197523889.003.0008 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 43-46

Author(s):

Clint Randles

Keyword(s):

Music Teachers ◽

Software Platforms ◽

Musical Creativity ◽

Musical Improvisation

The lesson described in this chapter is useful for all ages. Based on grooves the teacher prepares beforehand, students improvise on the initial groove by adding their own themes when cued by the instructor. Pathways to engaging musical improvisation are essential to music teachers who value encouraging the musical creativity of their students. A Maschine Jam device, used in conjunction with a number of different nonlinear composition software platforms, allows for the use of a wealth of creativity-igniting timbres and grooves. In the hands of artist-teachers, Maschine Jam provides an invaluable starting place for time-misplacing, mind-transforming, and life-reinvigorating improvisation.

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Mind wandering and musical creativity in jazz improvisation

Psychology of Music ◽

10.1177/03057356211033346 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 030573562110333

Author(s):

Pedro T. Palhares ◽

Diogo Branco ◽

Óscar F. Gonçalves

Keyword(s):

Mind Wandering ◽

Jazz Improvisation ◽

Creative Behavior ◽

Creative Cognition ◽

Musical Creativity ◽

Musical Improvisation ◽

Performance Domains ◽

And Performance ◽

Thought Probes ◽

Problem Solving Task

Mind wandering is a prevalent and ubiquitous phenomenon. Several studies suggest that mind wandering benefits creativity if it occurs in the incubation period of a creative problem-solving task. However, it could be impairing real-time expression of creative behavior if it occurs during the course of a creative task. This dissociation between incubation and performance suggests that mind wandering poses a double-edged sword to creative cognition. Jazz improvisation provides an ecologically useful framework for studying the effects of mind wandering on creativity. Here we hypothesized that mind wandering during a musical improvisation task would be associated with higher levels of musical creativity, compared with on-task attention. Nine experienced musicians performed several jazz improvisation tasks interleaved with the presentation of random thought probes. The results showed that musical improvisation during unintentional mind wandering was associated with higher musical creativity when compared with improvisation during on-task attention. However, mind wandering did not impact overall improvisational quality. Altogether, these data suggest that the positive relationship between mind wandering and creativity also extends to artistic performance domains.

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