Experiences of Musical Improvisation: Self-Individuation and Participatory Sense-Making

Improvisation is an important element of global musical practices. However, musical improvisation is often neglected in K-12 and collegiate music education programs, with some music educators suggesting that improvisation cannot be taught. Rather, improvisation must be facilitated, enabled, and fostered. In this review of literature, I examined musicians’ experiences when improvising to provide information about the characteristics of the environment needed to foster student improvisation. I drew upon recent developments in music perception and cognition studies to frame a view of individual and group processes in improvisation, and I suggest steps teachers can take to facilitate improvisation in music education settings.