[Smt-talk] canon improvisation

[Daniel Roca]

Dr. Prof Schubert and list:

I have enjoyed very much both of Prof. Schubert's recent postings. Above all, I like the practical approach to teaching "theory" (this is not a term we use here in Spain, at least not in the sense it is used in North America, al least). I am convinced that this kind of activities are the ones that should be more valuable in making the understanding of music meaningful to students.

I have watched both series of videos and have posted them to Spanish colleagues. The activities with the canons have been specially compelling for me. I have to say that I don't find it easy at all to fulfill the task shown on the video (of course, I see that they are not "real-time classes").

In fact, I would like to give you information of the work we are doing here in Spain (and I sure hope it will not be regarded as spam). Here, an ever-growing group of teachers spread all over the country, in different disciplines and levels of musical education (instrumental, theory, harmony and composition, general education, etc.), brought together in an association called IEM (Instituto de Educación Musical, www.iem2.es) has been working on an educational methodology based entirely of improvisation. The head of this group is the Improvisation Professor, Dr. Emilio Molina, who started in the 90s to encourage his former students to use improvisation not only as a means of self-expression, but as a teaching tool.

You can find a brief summary of these ideas at
http://iem2.es/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Resumen-en-inglés.pdf

The improvisation we use is a rather controlled one, starting at exercises similar to Prof. Schubert´s, with obvious musical patterns and elements that are gradually brought into consciousness through analysis and ear training.

Unfortunately, I cannot offer similar links (at least of this quality) since we regretfully don't seem to be sufficiently aware of how important this things are. In our youtube channel (iem2nita), you can find improvisations from the concerts we give in our courses, such as this "serious" example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usy24b4FIZE&list=UUJxUM1DltLBkeuSEw0URDzQ&index=30&feature=plcp
or more "ludic" ones
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqtO_YRmO1Q&list=UUJxUM1DltLBkeuSEw0URDzQ&index=13&feature=plcp

Also some performances by groups of students
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGjr4dxX9PI&list=UUJxUM1DltLBkeuSEw0URDzQ&index=14&feature=plcp

I would like to discuss about this teaching approaches, because I am sure that there is much to be developed.

Thank you for sharing this videos


El 28/09/2012, a las 20:03, Peter Schubert, Prof. escribió:

> Dear colleagues,
> 
> If you are teaching counterpoint (the few, the proud), you might be interested in these four videos of improvised canons in 2 and 3 voices.
> 
> www.youtube.com/watch?v=n01J393WpKk<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n01J393WpKk>
> www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxJa9YDP3MU<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxJa9YDP3MU>
> www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu_-OfAABHw<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu_-OfAABHw>
> www.youtube.com/watch?v=w664qFsO9gg<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w664qFsO9gg>
> 
> Peter Schubert
> Schulich School of Music
> McGill University
> 555 Sherbrooke St. W.
> Montreal, QC  H3A 1E3
> (514) 398-4535 x00281
> 
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_________

Daniel Roca
Higher Conservatory of the Canary Islands
drocacan at gmail.com




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