Popular Music: The Creative Process

The Oxford Dictionary defines creativity as “the use of imagination or original ideas to create something; inventiveness”. Stemming from this, the creative process is the way in which an individual develops their creative ideas. Under this umbrella is improvisation and, in particular, free improvisation (or free jazz). “Improvisation is about… truthfully responding to changing circumstances, and about…. enjoying the process without straining to get a known result. It is about creation.” Creativity and improvisation come from deep within, almost decided by our subconscious, only to be directed by conscious thought and the happenings around us at the given time. “Even without thinking, [musicians] can make musical gestures that direct the course of an improvisation”. Given this, it is difficult for anyone to pinpoint where their creativity comes from, but in retracing my steps, I was able to follow my thought process leading up to my final performance of improvisation, and thus develop an overview of my creative process.

In western culture, popular music dominates the radio. Young musicians, especially singers, are taught to learn music the way it was written, or the way they hear it on the recordings. I was only introduced to the idea in lessons when I was fifteen. I would improvise in classes with approximately five students, and it would be structured around gospel songs and emotion centered singing. As a singing teacher, I see improvisation as an important tool in ear training, and developing oneself as an artist, and so I teach improvising to my students as young as nine years old.

When it comes to using improvisation as a way of developing ones musical identity, one needs to be free to explore, in order to make these kinds...

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...ey will need to know the cues/which emotions are trying to be portrayed through the improvisation. In this way, I am also able to add to the visual aesthetic as the stages of grief can be presented in a slideshow as a background during the performance. It is intended that each slide will also have a different colour to aid in the musicians transition from one stage of grief to another, without them having to read the words and therefore have their backs completely to the audience.

The creative process, is creativity developed over time. When considering free improvisation, it is important to consider the line between free and flowing, and thought out choices. One must open themselves up to new ideas but it is also important that and improviser “trusts his or her body consciousness [and] feel that the music is happening without thought or control. It just flows.”