When thinking gets too slow | Jonas Knutsson | TEDxUmeå

[Applause]

[Applause] [Music]

[Music]

[Music] improvisation is something that I have

improvisation is something that I have

improvisation is something that I have been using in my life as a musician and

been using in my life as a musician and

been using in my life as a musician and as a teacher and as a composer for a

as a teacher and as a composer for a

as a teacher and as a composer for a little bit more than 30 years think it’s

little bit more than 30 years think it’s

little bit more than 30 years think it’s a fantastic thing and I still don’t know

a fantastic thing and I still don’t know

a fantastic thing and I still don’t know really what it is too bad entropy to be

really what it is too bad entropy to be

really what it is too bad entropy to be honest but if I normally you know like I

honest but if I normally you know like I

honest but if I normally you know like I did now I was improvising from the

did now I was improvising from the

did now I was improvising from the inside this is how I do it but to look

inside this is how I do it but to look

inside this is how I do it but to look on it from the outside it’s not so easy

on it from the outside it’s not so easy

on it from the outside it’s not so easy but I will try to speak about it and I

but I will try to speak about it and I

but I will try to speak about it and I think it starts with an action you have

think it starts with an action you have

think it starts with an action you have to do something you have to jump

to do something you have to jump

to do something you have to jump straight into the creative act where

straight into the creative act where

straight into the creative act where thinking actually gets too slow and you

thinking actually gets too slow and you

thinking actually gets too slow and you don’t have any possibilities for editing

don’t have any possibilities for editing

don’t have any possibilities for editing and that can be a little scary of course

and that can be a little scary of course

and that can be a little scary of course from the beginning but but I think it’s

from the beginning but but I think it’s

from the beginning but but I think it’s a good thing to use I think we all can

a good thing to use I think we all can

a good thing to use I think we all can use improvisation in our daily life just

use improvisation in our daily life just

use improvisation in our daily life just to make life a little bit more fun you

to make life a little bit more fun you

to make life a little bit more fun you know take a different way home from work

know take a different way home from work

know take a different way home from work or or just realize that there it’s not

or or just realize that there it’s not

or or just realize that there it’s not only one way of doing things we can

only one way of doing things we can

only one way of doing things we can think differently about many things and

think differently about many things and

think differently about many things and do things in many different ways so what

do things in many different ways so what

do things in many different ways so what does it take to improvise well

I think it takes it takes that you are

I think it takes it takes that you are in the present moment that you listen

in the present moment that you listen

in the present moment that you listen and of course it takes courage because

and of course it takes courage because

and of course it takes courage because you have to welcome the future you have

you have to welcome the future you have

you have to welcome the future you have to welcome the unknown it’s not so fun

to welcome the unknown it’s not so fun

to welcome the unknown it’s not so fun so easy always but it’s it’s about that

so easy always but it’s it’s about that

so easy always but it’s it’s about that I was lucky when I was a kid I grew up

I was lucky when I was a kid I grew up

I was lucky when I was a kid I grew up with parents that were working as

with parents that were working as

with parents that were working as volunteers in the local jazz festivals

volunteers in the local jazz festivals

volunteers in the local jazz festivals and I was lucky to hear some fantastic

and I was lucky to hear some fantastic

and I was lucky to hear some fantastic music when I was a kid I heard fantastic

music when I was a kid I heard fantastic

music when I was a kid I heard fantastic musicians I met some fantastic musicians

musicians I met some fantastic musicians

musicians I met some fantastic musicians and when I got older I also worked in

and when I got older I also worked in

and when I got older I also worked in the organization a little bit I helped

the organization a little bit I helped

the organization a little bit I helped receiving tickets by the entrance I

receiving tickets by the entrance I

receiving tickets by the entrance I brought sandwiches to the musicians you

know giving flowers to the singers and

know giving flowers to the singers and to to the musicians after the concerts

to to the musicians after the concerts

to to the musicians after the concerts and stuff like that but there was there

and stuff like that but there was there

and stuff like that but there was there were there was the music of course

attending these concerts fantastic

attending these concerts fantastic concert to listen and to see those

concert to listen and to see those

concert to listen and to see those luminescent brilliant musicians playing

luminescent brilliant musicians playing

luminescent brilliant musicians playing their hearts out on stage it was

their hearts out on stage it was

their hearts out on stage it was fantastic it was so inspiring

fantastic it was so inspiring

fantastic it was so inspiring I felt that wow I want to play music too

I felt that wow I want to play music too

I felt that wow I want to play music too and I discovered I fell in love with

and I discovered I fell in love with

and I discovered I fell in love with this instrument the saxophone not so

this instrument the saxophone not so

this instrument the saxophone not so much about the sound actually in the

much about the sound actually in the

much about the sound actually in the beginning but the looks of it it’s

beginning but the looks of it it’s

beginning but the looks of it it’s beautiful isn’t it shiny a lot of keys

and at when you are 10 or 12 you don’t

and at when you are 10 or 12 you don’t understand all the small codes in music

understand all the small codes in music

understand all the small codes in music but now when I’m older I realize that

but now when I’m older I realize that

but now when I’m older I realize that the musicians they were improvising they

the musicians they were improvising they

the musicians they were improvising they were playing with music in the truest

were playing with music in the truest

were playing with music in the truest sense and it was for me it was

sense and it was for me it was

sense and it was for me it was completely something magic about it and

completely something magic about it and

completely something magic about it and I also I think I learned that maybe

I also I think I learned that maybe

I also I think I learned that maybe music can be the sound of the soul and

music can be the sound of the soul and

music can be the sound of the soul and if it’s that way

if it’s that way

if it’s that way maybe improvisation is the soul of music

when I teach beginners how to improvise

when I teach beginners how to improvise I try to remember this and I try to give

I try to remember this and I try to give

I try to remember this and I try to give my students something of that as I said

my students something of that as I said

my students something of that as I said earlier it can be scary in the beginning

earlier it can be scary in the beginning

earlier it can be scary in the beginning when you improvise so you have to take

when you improvise so you have to take

when you improvise so you have to take the students by the hand and you have to

the students by the hand and you have to

the students by the hand and you have to take them with you into the exciting

take them with you into the exciting

take them with you into the exciting bubble of music because when you

bubble of music because when you

bubble of music because when you improvise for the first time it’s like

improvise for the first time it’s like

improvise for the first time it’s like entering a different reality it’s like

entering a different reality it’s like

entering a different reality it’s like getting in touch with the process or

getting in touch with the process or

getting in touch with the process or really making music

really making music

really making music after almost any raw material at all so

after almost any raw material at all so

after almost any raw material at all so when you do that for the first time it’s

when you do that for the first time it’s

when you do that for the first time it’s nice to be together with your some

nice to be together with your some

nice to be together with your some friends and maybe your teacher or

friends and maybe your teacher or

friends and maybe your teacher or something like that because you it’s

something like that because you it’s

something like that because you it’s like you entered the bubble of music and

like you entered the bubble of music and

like you entered the bubble of music and you see the colors for the first time

you see the colors for the first time

you see the colors for the first time and you feel the smell of music and you

and you feel the smell of music and you

and you feel the smell of music and you try to gain the courage to to jump to

try to gain the courage to to jump to

try to gain the courage to to jump to create to do something so I have this

create to do something so I have this

create to do something so I have this maybe it’s a strange idea but I have

maybe it’s a strange idea but I have

maybe it’s a strange idea but I have this idea that we shall do a small

this idea that we shall do a small

this idea that we shall do a small improvisation together we will make some

improvisation together we will make some

improvisation together we will make some music together

music together

music together do you want to try to do something okay

do you want to try to do something okay

do you want to try to do something okay good good

okay we will work with three boxes and

okay we will work with three boxes and in box number one I I will give you very

in box number one I I will give you very

in box number one I I will give you very simple very basic tools so in box number

simple very basic tools so in box number

simple very basic tools so in box number one we have the glissando tool and a

one we have the glissando tool and a

one we have the glissando tool and a glissando it’s you take your voice and

glissando it’s you take your voice and

glissando it’s you take your voice and you do up and down like that

you do up and down like that

you do up and down like that and you can choose the speed and arrange

and you can choose the speed and arrange

and you can choose the speed and arrange its you can improvise that I don’t mind

its you can improvise that I don’t mind

its you can improvise that I don’t mind let’s listen to that box number one

let’s listen to that box number one

let’s listen to that box number one glissando and you don’t have to do it

glissando and you don’t have to do it

glissando and you don’t have to do it simultaneously you can do it like this

simultaneously you can do it like this

simultaneously you can do it like this yeah that’s better that’s great that’s

yeah that’s better that’s great that’s

yeah that’s better that’s great that’s wonderful

wonderful

wonderful okay and let’s move over to box number

okay and let’s move over to box number

okay and let’s move over to box number two this will be the sound effect nature

two this will be the sound effect nature

two this will be the sound effect nature box we will have wind and we do the wind

box we will have wind and we do the wind

box we will have wind and we do the wind like this that’s great and we do some

like this that’s great and we do some

like this that’s great and we do some water like

wonderful and and you can choose one of

wonderful and and you can choose one of them or you can do them at the same time

them or you can do them at the same time

them or you can do them at the same time that’s cool

that’s cool

that’s cool yeah so that’s box number two and then

yeah so that’s box number two and then

yeah so that’s box number two and then we have box number three in box number

we have box number three in box number

we have box number three in box number three we will be a bunch of barking dogs

three we will be a bunch of barking dogs

three we will be a bunch of barking dogs you you can choose your favorite dog

you you can choose your favorite dog

you you can choose your favorite dog sounds okay okay Ready Steady Go

[Music]

[Music] [Applause]

so did you realize that we were actually

so did you realize that we were actually making music together now and we were

making music together now and we were

making music together now and we were even improvising a little bit it’s not

even improvising a little bit it’s not

even improvising a little bit it’s not not so hard this can be a way in to the

not so hard this can be a way in to the

not so hard this can be a way in to the world of improvising actually

world of improvising actually

world of improvising actually improvising has been around in all kinds

improvising has been around in all kinds

improvising has been around in all kinds of music in all times

of music in all times

of music in all times and sometimes when I think about

and sometimes when I think about

and sometimes when I think about improvisation I I divide it into three

improvisation I I divide it into three

improvisation I I divide it into three parts and part one it’s like

parts and part one it’s like

parts and part one it’s like improvisation exists like a method

improvisation exists like a method

improvisation exists like a method method in different in different kinds

method in different in different kinds

method in different in different kinds of musical dialects you know in jazz we

of musical dialects you know in jazz we

of musical dialects you know in jazz we have one dialect in folk music in

have one dialect in folk music in

have one dialect in folk music in different one in Baroque music in Indian

different one in Baroque music in Indian

different one in Baroque music in Indian music or in Brazilian music it’s all

music or in Brazilian music it’s all

music or in Brazilian music it’s all different and the second part is like

different and the second part is like

different and the second part is like music improvisation can exist like a

music improvisation can exist like a

music improvisation can exist like a genre in music or in the arts and the

genre in music or in the arts and the

genre in music or in the arts and the last part improvisation exists also like

last part improvisation exists also like

last part improvisation exists also like an attitude an attitude towards life an

an attitude an attitude towards life an

an attitude an attitude towards life an attitude in life that makes our life

attitude in life that makes our life

attitude in life that makes our life more fun when we trust our intuition and

more fun when we trust our intuition and

more fun when we trust our intuition and when we jump straight into the creative

when we jump straight into the creative

when we jump straight into the creative act we’re thinking gets too slow thank

act we’re thinking gets too slow thank

act we’re thinking gets too slow thank you