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VocalImprovisationinMusicTherapy
Sharon R. Boyle
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“Improvisation – the unplanned, spontaneous expression of music –
allowsfortheopportunitytobecreativeandproductiveandtogaina
senseofenhancement,eveninthefaceofphysicaldeterioration”
(Turry&Turry,1999,p.167).
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VocalImprovisationinMusicTherapy
1.LISTEN–
• Listentoallstylesofmusicandtuneintolisteningfortherhythm,phrasing,qualitiesofvoices,andthevariousvocalexpressionsoffeelings.
• Listentothebassline,alongwithchordprogression,untilyoucanpredictwherethesongisgoingwithitsprogression.Thishelpsguidehowamelodyfitsinandshouldprogress.
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2.KNOWYOURVOICE–• Sing.Vocalize.Vocallyplay.Onlybydoingthesethingsoftenwillyou
thenbefreetodosoinamusictherapysession.• Exploreyourvocalrange,discoverhowmanydifferentsoundsyoucan
produce.Ownthefactthatyourvoiceisasuniqueasyourfingerprint.
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VocalImprovisationinMusicTherapy
3.LISTENANDEXPERIMENT
• Popularsongsareknownsongforms,thatprovideintactchordprogressions,andmanyallowspacetoimprovise,butthenreturntotheexistingmelody/song,creatingsafetyandparametersfortheexperience.
• Startwithafavoritesongrecording.Afterlistening,allowyourselftotrysingingharmonybyear,particularlywiththemostknownpartsofthesong(suchasachorussection).Movefromharmonyto“fillingin”soundsinthespacesofmusic.
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VocalImprovisationinMusicTherapy
LISTENANDEXPERIMENT(continued)-
• Trycall-and-responsesongsthatarepopularinsocialsettingswheretheentireaudiencerespondsbyfillinginvocals,orfinishingaphrase.
• Tryloopingthesamechordprogressionrepeatedlyandthenvocalizefreelyoverit,orusespecificphrases.
• Trynotto‘overthink’oranalyzewhatyouaresinging.Overthinkingcreates“blocks”toimprovising.Listeningisessential.Trustandallowyourvoiceandeartolead.
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VocalImprovisationinMusicTherapy
LISTENANDEXPERIMENT(continued)-
• Exploreascalewithinachordstructure.• Chooseonesoundandexpressitindifferentwaysusingvariedtones,
rhythms,timbres,accents.• Movefromhighrhythmactivitytolongphrasingorsustainedtones• Beplayful(animalsounds,dropoffs,glissandos,etc.).
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VocalImprovisationinMusicTherapy
LISTENANDEXPERIMENT(continued)-
• Ifyoubecomefrustratedorarethinkingtoohard,thengobacktothechorusorsomeknownaspectofsong.
• Inordertoimprovise,youneedtobelistening.Notonlyduringtheactofimprovisation,butaspartofyourroutine.
• Listentoavarietyofstylesandgenres,andtrytodevelopyourearforpredictingchordprogressionsandmelodiclines.
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VocalImprovisationinMusicTherapy
LISTENANDEXPERIMENT(continued)-
• Aloopingandrepetitivechordprogression(doesnothavetobeI-IV-V,justsomethingthatcanloop).
• Typicallyasongwithaveryconcreteandstrongchorus.Thechoruscanbecomethe“homebase”aswellasthestructureforthevocalimprovisation.
• Slowersongsareeasiesttostartwith,butupbeatsongscanalsobeused.
• Lookforsimplesongform(e.g.Refrain-Chorus-Refrain).• Ifasonghasanaturalfade-outending,thiscanbeagreatplaceto
improviseoraddsomenewvocalidea.
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VocalImprovisationinMusicTherapy
4.IMPROVISEWITHOTHERS–
• Takeopportunitiestovocallyimprovisewithothers.Improvisewithothermusictherapystudents,orfriendsandfamily.Usearhythmicphrasesomeonespeaksandstartsingingbasedontherhythmofthewords.Ifsomeoneexpressessomethinglike“Watchout!”,usetheinflectionandphrasetodevelopavocalimprovisation.Addavocalbassline,oramelodicphrase,andencourageotherstojoinin.Notonlywillyourskillsimprove,butyou’lllearntofindenjoymentinthespontaneitywhichwillultimatelytranslatetoyourclients.
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VocalImprovisationinMusicTherapy
IMPROVISEWITHOTHERS(continued)–
● Playvocalgameswithotherssuchas:○ Shoop-dee-doo(50’sprogression.TryC-am-F-G,tripletfeelwitha
bassrunleadingbacktotonic).○ Swingin’Pentatonic(E-D-C-A-G-A-C)○ Vocaltelephone(onepersonmakesasound,thenextpersonvaries
it,andsoonaroundacircle;ormakeitcumulativewhereeachpersonaddsasoundtotheoriginalone).
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IMPROVISEWITHOTHERS(continued)–
• Partnersongs(increasefocusandearbyputtingtogethertwofamiliarsongssimultaneously.“MaryHadaLittleLamb”+“OhDearWhatCantheMatterBe”;“SwingLow”+“AllThroughtheNight”;“I’llFlyAway”+“SweetByandBy.”
• SaladSongs(e.g.onepersonchoosesafavoritefruit,speak/chant/singwordoffruitusingrhythm,accent,melodicelements,theneachpersonaddsontocombinesounds…).
• Createasong(spotsong)usingaphrasethatpopsupinconversation.
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5.ACCEPTWHEREYOUARE–• Thissimplymeansthatyouwillfeelexposedorvulnerable,especiallyas
youbegin.Rememberthatvocalimprovisationisnotaboutafinishedproductor“perfection”(asitneveris),butratheraboutbecomingfreewithyourvoice–andultimately,aboutbeingokaywithwhatevercomesout.Eventually,enjoymentwillcomealongwithyourabilitytoutilizethisaspectintosessionsasamusictherapist,sosendyourinnerjudgesandnegativeself-talk(Ristad,1981)packingandjustexperienceit.
• Animportantpartofimprovisingacrosstheboardisjustdeveloping
connectionwithyourbody,breath,andallowingyourselftotakerisks.
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References
Ristad,E.(1981).Asopranoonherhead:Right-side-upreflectionsonlifeandotherperformances.Moab,UT:RealPeople.
Turry,A.&Turry,A.E.(1999).Creativesongimprovisationswithchildrenandadultswithcancer.InC.Dileo(Ed.),Musictherapy&medicine:Theoreticalandclinicalapplications(pp.167-178).SilverSpring,MD:AmericanMusicTherapyAssociation.