In higher music education (HME) contexts, free improvisation is currently a rapidly evolving field across musical genres. Previous research indicates that teaching and learning improvisation can be challenging, depending on students’ experience and how improvised music-making is facilitated, but few studies address free improvisation in HME. Our study has explored this field by utilising qualitative interviews with teachers of free improvisation in European HME institutions. Results provided insight into teachers’ motivation and the educational aims which informed their approaches to teaching improvisation. Some teachers referred to a canon of free improvised or experimental music and well-known improvisers, interpreted as a need amongst the teachers to position and legitimise a potentially marginalised subject within institutions. Teachers in our study used different types of frameworks to develop students’ ability to interact and listen. Focusing on musical parameters, limitations of choices or language metaphors were often used as tools for acquiring such aims. Results further indicate that free improvisation should be a safe space, enhance democratic values and disrupt hierarchies of knowledge. In sum, our study contributes to mapping and understanding contradictions and complexities of this developing area of pedagogy.

中文翻译：

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自由即兴教学：欧洲高等音乐教育教师的概念工具

在高等音乐教育（HME）背景下，自由即兴创作目前是跨音乐流派快速发展的领域。先前的研究表明，即兴教学可能具有挑战性，具体取决于学生的经验以及即兴音乐制作的促进方式，但很少有研究涉及 HME 中的自由即兴创作。我们的研究通过对欧洲 HME 机构自由即兴创作教师的定性访谈来探索这一领域。结果提供了对教师动机和教育目标的深入了解，从而指导了他们即兴教学的方法。一些教师提到了自由即兴或实验音乐和著名的即兴演奏家的标准，这被解释为教师需要在机构内定位和合法化潜在边缘化的学科。我们研究中的教师使用不同类型的框架来培养学生互动和倾听的能力。关注音乐参数、选择限制或语言隐喻通常被用作实现此类目标的工具。结果进一步表明，自由即兴创作应该是一个安全的空间，可以增强民主价值观并打破知识等级制度。总之，我们的研究有助于描绘和理解这一教育学发展领域的矛盾和复杂性。