Vocal Improvisation in Music Therapyintrotomusictherapy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Vocal-Improvisation-Multimedia...Vocal Improvisation in Music Therapy 3. LISTEN AND EXPERIMENT

VocalImprovisationinMusicTherapy

Sharon R. Boyle

“Improvisation – the unplanned, spontaneous expression of music –

allowsfortheopportunitytobecreativeandproductiveandtogaina

senseofenhancement,eveninthefaceofphysicaldeterioration”

(Turry&Turry,1999,p.167).

VocalImprovisationinMusicTherapy

1.LISTEN–

•  Listentoallstylesofmusicandtuneintolisteningfortherhythm,phrasing,qualitiesofvoices,andthevariousvocalexpressionsoffeelings.

•  Listentothebassline,alongwithchordprogression,untilyoucanpredictwherethesongisgoingwithitsprogression.Thishelpsguidehowamelodyfitsinandshouldprogress.

VocalImprovisationinMusicTherapy

2.KNOWYOURVOICE–•  Sing.Vocalize.Vocallyplay.Onlybydoingthesethingsoftenwillyou

thenbefreetodosoinamusictherapysession.•  Exploreyourvocalrange,discoverhowmanydifferentsoundsyoucan

produce.Ownthefactthatyourvoiceisasuniqueasyourfingerprint.

VocalImprovisationinMusicTherapy

3.LISTENANDEXPERIMENT

•  Popularsongsareknownsongforms,thatprovideintactchordprogressions,andmanyallowspacetoimprovise,butthenreturntotheexistingmelody/song,creatingsafetyandparametersfortheexperience.

•  Startwithafavoritesongrecording.Afterlistening,allowyourselftotrysingingharmonybyear,particularlywiththemostknownpartsofthesong(suchasachorussection).Movefromharmonyto“fillingin”soundsinthespacesofmusic.

VocalImprovisationinMusicTherapy

LISTENANDEXPERIMENT(continued)-

•  Trycall-and-responsesongsthatarepopularinsocialsettingswheretheentireaudiencerespondsbyfillinginvocals,orfinishingaphrase.

•  Tryloopingthesamechordprogressionrepeatedlyandthenvocalizefreelyoverit,orusespecificphrases.

•  Trynotto‘overthink’oranalyzewhatyouaresinging.Overthinkingcreates“blocks”toimprovising.Listeningisessential.Trustandallowyourvoiceandeartolead.

VocalImprovisationinMusicTherapy

LISTENANDEXPERIMENT(continued)-

•  Exploreascalewithinachordstructure.•  Chooseonesoundandexpressitindifferentwaysusingvariedtones,

rhythms,timbres,accents.•  Movefromhighrhythmactivitytolongphrasingorsustainedtones•  Beplayful(animalsounds,dropoffs,glissandos,etc.).

VocalImprovisationinMusicTherapy

LISTENANDEXPERIMENT(continued)-

•  Ifyoubecomefrustratedorarethinkingtoohard,thengobacktothechorusorsomeknownaspectofsong.

•  Inordertoimprovise,youneedtobelistening.Notonlyduringtheactofimprovisation,butaspartofyourroutine.

•  Listentoavarietyofstylesandgenres,andtrytodevelopyourearforpredictingchordprogressionsandmelodiclines.

VocalImprovisationinMusicTherapy

LISTENANDEXPERIMENT(continued)-

•  Aloopingandrepetitivechordprogression(doesnothavetobeI-IV-V,justsomethingthatcanloop).

•  Typicallyasongwithaveryconcreteandstrongchorus.Thechoruscanbecomethe“homebase”aswellasthestructureforthevocalimprovisation.

•  Slowersongsareeasiesttostartwith,butupbeatsongscanalsobeused.

•  Lookforsimplesongform(e.g.Refrain-Chorus-Refrain).•  Ifasonghasanaturalfade-outending,thiscanbeagreatplaceto

improviseoraddsomenewvocalidea.

VocalImprovisationinMusicTherapy

4.IMPROVISEWITHOTHERS–

•  Takeopportunitiestovocallyimprovisewithothers.Improvisewithothermusictherapystudents,orfriendsandfamily.Usearhythmicphrasesomeonespeaksandstartsingingbasedontherhythmofthewords.Ifsomeoneexpressessomethinglike“Watchout!”,usetheinflectionandphrasetodevelopavocalimprovisation.Addavocalbassline,oramelodicphrase,andencourageotherstojoinin.Notonlywillyourskillsimprove,butyou’lllearntofindenjoymentinthespontaneitywhichwillultimatelytranslatetoyourclients.

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).

VocalImprovisationinMusicTherapy

IMPROVISEWITHOTHERS(continued)–

•  Partnersongs(increasefocusandearbyputtingtogethertwofamiliarsongssimultaneously.“MaryHadaLittleLamb”+“OhDearWhatCantheMatterBe”;“SwingLow”+“AllThroughtheNight”;“I’llFlyAway”+“SweetByandBy.”

•  SaladSongs(e.g.onepersonchoosesafavoritefruit,speak/chant/singwordoffruitusingrhythm,accent,melodicelements,theneachpersonaddsontocombinesounds…).

•  Createasong(spotsong)usingaphrasethatpopsupinconversation.

VocalImprovisationinMusicTherapy

5.ACCEPTWHEREYOUARE–•  Thissimplymeansthatyouwillfeelexposedorvulnerable,especiallyas

youbegin.Rememberthatvocalimprovisationisnotaboutafinishedproductor“perfection”(asitneveris),butratheraboutbecomingfreewithyourvoice–andultimately,aboutbeingokaywithwhatevercomesout.Eventually,enjoymentwillcomealongwithyourabilitytoutilizethisaspectintosessionsasamusictherapist,sosendyourinnerjudgesandnegativeself-talk(Ristad,1981)packingandjustexperienceit.

•  Animportantpartofimprovisingacrosstheboardisjustdeveloping

connectionwithyourbody,breath,andallowingyourselftotakerisks.

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.