The vocal jazz improvisation act: a phenomenology
Presentation
Forbes, Melissa. 2019. "The vocal jazz improvisation act: a phenomenology." 3rd Australasian Jazz and Improvisation Research Network 2019 Conference: Body and Soul (AJIRN3). Melbourne, Australia 01 - 02 Jun 2019 Melbourne, Australia.
| Paper/Presentation Title | The vocal jazz improvisation act: a phenomenology |
|---|---|
| Presentation Type | Presentation |
| Authors | |
| Author | Forbes, Melissa |
| Journal or Proceedings Title | Body and Soul: Conference Program and Abstracts (AJIRN3) |
| Number of Pages | 1 |
| Year | 2019 |
| Place of Publication | Melbourne, Australia |
| Web Address (URL) of Paper | https://www.monash.edu/arts/music/news-and-events/events/events/2019-ajirn-australasian-jazz-and-improvisation-research-network-conference |
| Conference/Event | 3rd Australasian Jazz and Improvisation Research Network 2019 Conference: Body and Soul (AJIRN3) |
| Event Details | 3rd Australasian Jazz and Improvisation Research Network 2019 Conference: Body and Soul (AJIRN3) Event Date 01 to end of 02 Jun 2019 Event Location Melbourne, Australia |
| Abstract | The human voice is the only musical instrument housed within the 'body case' (Vitale, 2014)—it is not subject to the musician’s direct control. It is perhaps because of the unique character of the 'instrument-voix' (Vitale, 2014) that research on jazz vocal improvisation has tended to focus heavily on the pedagogical aspects of improvising with the voice. As a result, little is known about the lived experiences of jazz vocal improvisers and the phenomenon of the vocal jazz improvisation act itself. This paper reports on a pilot study to explore one singer’s lived experience of the vocal jazz improvisation act (the larger study will investigate at least three singers’ lived experiences). The participant for the pilot was recruited using purposeful sampling, and is an internationally-recognised, award-winning jazz singer with extensive improvisation experience over many years. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) (Smith, Larkin & Flowers, 2009), this paper provides 'glimpses and manifestations' (Vagle, 2018) of the phenomenon of vocal improvising in jazz. Seidman’s (2006) phenomenological interview technique will be used to interview the participant three times, for a period of one and a half hours for each interview. As the researcher has personal experience of vocal jazz improvisation, a 'bridling plan' (Dahlberg, 2008; Vagle, 2018) will be used to restrain prior understandings of the phenomenon and to actively engage in openness, awareness and reflexivity around the phenomenon. Data analysis will be through a whole-part-whole process (Dahlberg, 2008; Vagle, 2018). This research will produce a text that 'captures tentative manifestations' of the act of vocal improvising in jazz 'in its multiple, partial, and varied contexts' (Kumm, 2013, p. 207) as well as the meaning of the improvising act for the participant. Beyond musical and performative concerns, this research aims to provide insight into the psychological, embodied and situated nature of the vocal jazz improvisation act. |
| Keywords | jazz singing, vocal improvisation, PERMA, wellbeing |
| ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 529999. Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| 360304. Music performance | |
| Public Notes | Oral presentation. |
| Byline Affiliations | School of Creative Arts |
| Institution of Origin | University of Southern Queensland |
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https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q58xy/the-vocal-jazz-improvisation-act-a-phenomenology
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