so on the way here my wife texted me and she said good luck you and Henry are
she said good luck you and Henry are
she said good luck you and Henry are really going to rock it and the
really going to rock it and the
really going to rock it and the autocorrect changed it to rock it like
autocorrect changed it to rock it like
autocorrect changed it to rock it like Gerald talked about so i guess i won’t
Gerald talked about so i guess i won’t
Gerald talked about so i guess i won’t criticize the autocorrect anymore it’s
criticize the autocorrect anymore it’s
criticize the autocorrect anymore it’s pretty clever i first discovered the joy
pretty clever i first discovered the joy
pretty clever i first discovered the joy of playing music that was not written
of playing music that was not written
of playing music that was not written down and just making things up in my
down and just making things up in my
down and just making things up in my early 20s some guys from my geochemistry
early 20s some guys from my geochemistry
early 20s some guys from my geochemistry department i was in wanted to form a
department i was in wanted to form a
department i was in wanted to form a rock band to play at our departmental
rock band to play at our departmental
rock band to play at our departmental party and a lot of the songs didn’t have
party and a lot of the songs didn’t have
party and a lot of the songs didn’t have written music or didn’t have keyboard
written music or didn’t have keyboard
written music or didn’t have keyboard parts and so i just had to make up
parts and so i just had to make up
parts and so i just had to make up something that sounded good with what
something that sounded good with what
something that sounded good with what they were doing there were times before
they were doing there were times before
they were doing there were times before in my life that I wanted to improvise or
in my life that I wanted to improvise or
in my life that I wanted to improvise or jam with other people but I just didn’t
jam with other people but I just didn’t
jam with other people but I just didn’t know how or feel comfortable trying
know how or feel comfortable trying
know how or feel comfortable trying which brings me to my main point I don’t
which brings me to my main point I don’t
which brings me to my main point I don’t think it’s ever too early to teach a
think it’s ever too early to teach a
think it’s ever too early to teach a young student musician how to create
young student musician how to create
young student musician how to create their own music I think that
their own music I think that
their own music I think that improvisation is a different skill than
improvisation is a different skill than
improvisation is a different skill than reading or memorizing music and it has
reading or memorizing music and it has
reading or memorizing music and it has to be practiced differently Henry and I
to be practiced differently Henry and I
to be practiced differently Henry and I started improvising together pretty
started improvising together pretty
started improvising together pretty early on because we basically couldn’t
early on because we basically couldn’t
early on because we basically couldn’t keep him away from musical activities
keep him away from musical activities
keep him away from musical activities and I was excited to start playing with
and I was excited to start playing with
and I was excited to start playing with him I also play with my other to my
him I also play with my other to my
him I also play with my other to my other two children and sometimes we’ll
other two children and sometimes we’ll
other two children and sometimes we’ll all get together and take turns playing
all get together and take turns playing
all get together and take turns playing and we have what we call the Jacobs
and we have what we call the Jacobs
and we have what we call the Jacobs family band as well I think if you
family band as well I think if you
family band as well I think if you introduce kids to improvisation when
introduce kids to improvisation when
introduce kids to improvisation when they’re just starting out in music that
they’re just starting out in music that
they’re just starting out in music that all kids can learn to create their own
all kids can learn to create their own
all kids can learn to create their own new music kids learn the rules a lot of
new music kids learn the rules a lot of
new music kids learn the rules a lot of the rules of their musics other cultures
the rules of their musics other cultures
the rules of their musics other cultures music by just listening and they also
music by just listening and they also
music by just listening and they also learn their native language the same way
learn their native language the same way
learn their native language the same way I think that music is a kind of a
I think that music is a kind of a
I think that music is a kind of a language in a sense and we teach
language in a sense and we teach
language in a sense and we teach musicians to read right listen to and
musicians to read right listen to and
musicians to read right listen to and play it has anyone who has studied a
play it has anyone who has studied a
play it has anyone who has studied a foreign language knows if you practice
foreign language knows if you practice
foreign language knows if you practice reading writing taking tests that
reading writing taking tests that
reading writing taking tests that doesn’t necessarily make you able to
doesn’t necessarily make you able to
doesn’t necessarily make you able to understand spoken language or to speak
understand spoken language or to speak
understand spoken language or to speak to really converse in a second
to really converse in a second
to really converse in a second language you actually have to practice
language you actually have to practice
language you actually have to practice speaking putting your own thoughts into
speaking putting your own thoughts into
speaking putting your own thoughts into words even though you might feel limited
words even though you might feel limited
words even though you might feel limited by what you can say and you will make
by what you can say and you will make
by what you can say and you will make mistakes so it is with music learning to
mistakes so it is with music learning to
mistakes so it is with music learning to play your instrument technically and
play your instrument technically and
play your instrument technically and expressively and reading music doesn’t
expressively and reading music doesn’t
expressively and reading music doesn’t translate into learning music by ear or
translate into learning music by ear or
translate into learning music by ear or improvising so how do you teach a child
improvising so how do you teach a child
improvising so how do you teach a child who’s just starting to play their
who’s just starting to play their
who’s just starting to play their instrument to improvise my daughter
instrument to improvise my daughter
instrument to improvise my daughter Cecily is only eight but I’ve jammed
Cecily is only eight but I’ve jammed
Cecily is only eight but I’ve jammed with her a few times using only the
with her a few times using only the
with her a few times using only the notes that she’s learned through her
notes that she’s learned through her
notes that she’s learned through her first couple of suzuki violin songs in
first couple of suzuki violin songs in
first couple of suzuki violin songs in the beginning when we’re just starting
the beginning when we’re just starting
the beginning when we’re just starting out I use my knowledge of what the
out I use my knowledge of what the
out I use my knowledge of what the children can play to limit our choices
children can play to limit our choices
children can play to limit our choices so that I only play things that I know
so that I only play things that I know
so that I only play things that I know will sound good with what they’re
will sound good with what they’re
will sound good with what they’re playing Henry and I are going to
playing Henry and I are going to
playing Henry and I are going to demonstrate that now on the keyboard
demonstrate that now on the keyboard
demonstrate that now on the keyboard using only the black notes so limiting
using only the black notes so limiting
using only the black notes so limiting our choices of what we can play
thank you as the children get more
thank you as the children get more skilled they learn to listen and adapt
skilled they learn to listen and adapt
skilled they learn to listen and adapt to what I’m doing for example if i get
to what I’m doing for example if i get
to what I’m doing for example if i get quieter or louder they will follow as
quieter or louder they will follow as
quieter or louder they will follow as their skills developed and i start to
their skills developed and i start to
their skills developed and i start to follow them filling in to frame their
follow them filling in to frame their
follow them filling in to frame their music eventually as henry has done they
music eventually as henry has done they
music eventually as henry has done they learn to listen follow tradeoff ideas
learn to listen follow tradeoff ideas
learn to listen follow tradeoff ideas with other musicians incorporating are
with other musicians incorporating are
with other musicians incorporating are playing into a real conversation what
playing into a real conversation what
playing into a real conversation what musicians call jamming not all adult
musicians call jamming not all adult
musicians call jamming not all adult musicians know how to do this but many
musicians know how to do this but many
musicians know how to do this but many do especially those who love popular
do especially those who love popular
do especially those who love popular genres of music like rock country and
genres of music like rock country and
genres of music like rock country and jazz I love this style of playing and I
jazz I love this style of playing and I
jazz I love this style of playing and I feel that it is a teachable skill and
feel that it is a teachable skill and
feel that it is a teachable skill and that all music students can benefit from
that all music students can benefit from
that all music students can benefit from practicing it Henry and I are going to
practicing it Henry and I are going to
practicing it Henry and I are going to demonstrate one of our typical jams
demonstrate one of our typical jams
demonstrate one of our typical jams including what we say and don’t say
including what we say and don’t say
including what we say and don’t say beforehand and possibly during the damn
beforehand and possibly during the damn
beforehand and possibly during the damn i encourage you to listen to how the
i encourage you to listen to how the
i encourage you to listen to how the music changes over time as one person
music changes over time as one person
music changes over time as one person may introduce a new idea the other
may introduce a new idea the other
may introduce a new idea the other person may pick up on it the style may
person may pick up on it the style may
person may pick up on it the style may change from lyrical and smooth to
change from lyrical and smooth to
change from lyrical and smooth to agitate it or funky also keep in mind
agitate it or funky also keep in mind
agitate it or funky also keep in mind that although we have done things like
that although we have done things like
that although we have done things like this before this particular performance
this before this particular performance
this before this particular performance is spontaneous and unique
[Music]
[Music] [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] good
good
good [Music]
[Music]
[Music] you
and
and [Music]
[Music]
[Music] [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] I
so what if we so what if we teach our
so what if we so what if we teach our young music students to improvise from
young music students to improvise from
young music students to improvise from day one we might end up with more
day one we might end up with more
day one we might end up with more confident creative adults who are good
confident creative adults who are good
confident creative adults who are good listeners better classical players and
listeners better classical players and
listeners better classical players and who are not shy about public speaking
who are not shy about public speaking
who are not shy about public speaking who knows if anything if nothing else
who knows if anything if nothing else
who knows if anything if nothing else will be able to create that special
will be able to create that special
will be able to create that special magic that comes from spontaneous shared
magic that comes from spontaneous shared
magic that comes from spontaneous shared creation thank you
”
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