KSMUS 543 — Keyboard Improvisation

Through a series of step-by-step instructions, group exercises, listening assignments and hands-on workshops, this course will explore in depth different improvisation languages outside of the jazz tradition. From tonal music explorations: Impressionist (Ravel/Debussy), Minimalist (Reich/Glass), Romantic (Schubert/Chopin), Contrapuntal, World Music genres (West African/Latin American) to contemporary post-tonal music (graphic scores, free music, gestural improvisation), students will perform weekly improvised exercises, gaining aesthetic insight into different genres, epochs, and composers. Students will develop confidence and naturalness in playing non-notated music, improve their ability to listen and react to other musicians, and refresh and deepen the understanding of the repertoire they already play. Both students with and without a background in improvisation are welcome.