IMPROVISING TO A COVID TUNE: REDESIGNING A BEGINNING JAZZ IMPROVISATION COURSE FOR INSTRUMENTALISTS TRAINED IN OTHER STYLES FOR FULLY ONLINE DELIVERY

Abstract

The teaching of improvisation at tertiary institutions has primarily been through face-toface methods in jazz education contexts and music education more widely. Jazz is a music that is performed with others in shared spaces and is similarly learned in social contexts. It is because of these social learning dynamics that pedagogy often relies on social constructivism. The social constructivism and inter-corporeal nature of jazz education has led to specific challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it has also allowed for experimentation with teaching practice and rethinking of how improvisation can be taught, particularly to novices. As Australian universities transitioned to fully online learning rapidly in March, questions quickly arose about how curriculum, learning activities, and assessment could be delivered in compliance with social distancing requirements. In this article, we discuss the transitioning of a beginner improvisation class of 21 students at a tertiary institution, primarily in their first or second year of university, to fully online delivery using a flexible research design that embraces a self-reflexive and peer dialogue approach to researching and redesigning the course. In reviewing previous research literature, we have identified the reliance on pedagogical approaches previously deemed questionable by many jazz educators and the affordances and limitations of utilizing technology to teach music online. We outline the adaptations to teaching improvisation for beginners, which use a more structured and evidence-based informed pedagogical approach in contrast to most tertiary jazz education. Subsequently, we conclude the article by offering a prospective model to advance the teaching of improvisation online to novices based on evidence-based learning and teaching strategies.