My Funny Valentine, Miles Davis, and the psychology of musical improvisation
- David Hargreaves
Abstract
This article uses the well-known popular song My Funny Valentine and a particular recording of it by Miles Davis as the basis for an analysis of some psychological processes in musical improvisation and composition. It develops four main themes, including the ways in which improvising musicians are able to completely reinterpret the structure of a piece, and examines the implications of this for education and musical creativity. It also explores some of the processes underlying improvisation and assesses their educational implications.
Keywords
improvisation, mentoring, creativity, social collaboration, education
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