Music Improv class

I checked out a music improv class that was taught here at BYU-Idaho. The class focused on teaching students to improvise on the piano. The students that attended found the class to be a way to have fun and learn lots.




Music Improv. class teaches students to improvise on the piano. Cam Cardon the volunteer instructor for the class teaches the students who come how to improvise using games. I saw three different games when I attended the class. Emotions a game in which students have to improvise a piece that matches a selected emotion (like happy or sad), story time where students create a “soundtrack” for a well known story (the Lion King was selected), and three notes where students improvise a piece around three notes that another person gives them.

“We do talk about theories and chord structures,” Cam explains “but a lot of it is playing games because. . . the object of the class is to get people to express emotion through music.”

Attendance to the class varies from week to week, only two people came to the class I attended, but some students like Deseret Scott have made it a point to attend multiple times. “This is my third time I think,” She said when I asked about attendance. I ask if she likes the class “Yeah, it’s way fun and I learn a lot.” She replies excitedly.

Cam was a regular participant in the class as well before he became it’s teacher and he had something similar to say. “It was a ton of fun,” He says recalling the experience, “I mean we just played games, and while I wasn’t really sure what to expect it was a lot of fun and we learned a lot.” Having fun and learning lots where common themes among the comments from the few participants I had a chance to speak to. Games were the starting place of the teaching in class and after the game was done there was a discussion on theory and whether the right emotion was conveyed.

Unfortunately the class is ending after this semester. Cam was not able to find an instructor to replace him while he is off track. But that doesn’t mean that the class is gone for good. “When I come back someday it will be here,” Cam says with a smile. So keep on eye on the student calendar to know when the Music Improv. class will return.


Improv. Games

On the day I attended the music improv class they played three games. This video gives a brief overview of the games and lets you hear a few of the pieces that were improvised in the class.



Improv. Instruction

This video is by Yoke Wong. She teaches some basics on how to improvise using what Cam calls the magic chords.




http://www.wikihow.com/Improvise-on-the-Piano
A website that also has some tips on how to improvise with you music.