Vocal Improvisation – A Cognitive and a Psychological Process

Abstract

"The purpose of this article is to compare the neurophysiological processes of the brain during vocal improvisation and the psychological implications of a spontaneous composition of melody. By taking command of the present, while at the same time bringing forward to the audience an extensive amount of musical knowledge and specific vocal techniques, vocal improvisation is an extensive field of interest for jazz singers and jazz voice educators alike, and its distinct processes are yet to be fully understood and explained. In my years of studying and practicing vocal improvisation, I have sought to understand the balance between these two components – the cognitive and the psychological coordinates of the vocal improvisation and the implications of these coordinates on our everyday life, outside the performing arts frame. The reasons why a singer makes certain musical choices when creating spontaneously, while avoiding others, together with the reasons why improvisation is important in our everyday lives, these reasons make the object of this study. Keywords: vocal improvisation, spontaneous creation, psychological process"