The residue of composition and improvisation activities in a woodwind lab course

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to learn about the short-term residue of composing and improvising activities experienced in a woodwind lab course. Five undergraduates enrolled in a Music Learning and Teaching program in the United States shared what they retained after completion of the course and how they were thinking about composition and improvisation in relation to their future teaching. Data were generated through class observations, researcher journal entries, one-on-one interviews, and a focus group interview. Although participants found value in composition and improvisation, they still viewed these activities as supplemental to traditional large ensemble practices. In this case, I use the metaphor of sedimentary rock to analyze and present the data in a way that makes space for dialogical meaning-making between the researcher, participants, and reader. This research may be meaningful for those in charge of curricular decisions as well as applied faculty and graduate students working to incorporate composition and improvisation into preservice music teacher coursework, emphasizing the need for an integrated approach.