Re: orchestration

Ana M. Shane (pshane who-is-at andromeda.rutgers.edu)
Fri, 9 Feb 1996 01:24:47 -0500

Keith,

You said:

>What I haven't yet thought about is how these processes of improvisation
>could be guided/affected by a teacher, to increase their effectiveness.
>The teacher can't remove all improvisational processes from the
>classroom, but rather, needs to be able to channel them towards
>educational goals.
>
>It would help me to have a performance metaphor for this. Neither jazz
>nor improv theater has anyone playing the "director/orchestrator" role
>during the performance. Any ideas?

One idea I can't resist is that a teacher join the improvisation as an equal
partner, that is: socially equal although more knowlegeable. I think that
the improvisational creativity can come to its full potential only among the
socially equal partners who mutually share interests. The teacher has to
stop "teaching" and become a co-player. If s/he can gain a status as a good
player (performer) among the students, they will become interested in
sharing the teacher's knowledge in return.

What do you think?

Ana