charting future directions for research in jazz pedagogy: implications of the literature

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This article was downloaded by: [UQ Library] On: 22 November 2014, At: 19:20 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Music Education Research Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/cmue20 Charting future directions for research in jazz pedagogy: implications of the literature Kevin E. Watson a a Jacobs School of Music , Indiana University , 1201 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA Published online: 17 Dec 2010. To cite this article: Kevin E. Watson (2010) Charting future directions for research in jazz pedagogy: implications of the literature, Music Education Research, 12:4, 383-393, DOI: 10.1080/14613808.2010.519382 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14613808.2010.519382 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms- and-conditions

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This article was downloaded by: [UQ Library]On: 22 November 2014, At: 19:20Publisher: RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registeredoffice: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK

Music Education ResearchPublication details, including instructions for authors andsubscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/cmue20

Charting future directions for researchin jazz pedagogy: implications of theliteratureKevin E. Watson aa Jacobs School of Music , Indiana University , 1201 East ThirdStreet, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USAPublished online: 17 Dec 2010.

To cite this article: Kevin E. Watson (2010) Charting future directions for research in jazzpedagogy: implications of the literature, Music Education Research, 12:4, 383-393, DOI:10.1080/14613808.2010.519382

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14613808.2010.519382

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the“Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis,our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as tothe accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinionsand views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors,and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Contentshould not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sourcesof information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims,proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoeveror howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to orarising out of the use of the Content.

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Anysubstantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing,systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms &Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions

Charting future directions for research in jazz pedagogy: implicationsof the literature

Kevin E. Watson*

Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University 1201 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405,USA

(Received 6 July 2009; final version received 21 February 2010)

This paper surveys and evaluates extant empirical research in jazz pedagogy.Investigations in the following areas are addressed: (a) variables that predictachievement in jazz improvisation; (b) content analyses of published instructionalmaterials; (c) effectiveness of pedagogical methods; (d) construction andevaluation of jazz improvisation achievement measurement instruments; and(e) relationships between the construct of creativity and jazz improvisationachievement. A number of possible directions for future research are suggested,including possible extensions of research on instructional methodologies, assess-ment of achievement that considers group dynamics and the application ofconfluence models of creativity to jazz improvisation research.

Keywords: jazz; improvisation; creativity; measurement

In an article published over 20 years ago, former NAJE Research Chairman Charles

Brown (1988) noted that while jazz research was expanding in a number of areas,

there was little organisational logic about the overall direction of this research. The

development of such an organisational structure in the field of jazz pedagogy

research is especially important because it is only through the collected findings of

multiple studies that explanations of educational phenomena can be understood(Duke 2000). In the past two decades, a number of distinct streams of jazz pedagogy

research have emerged: (a) investigations of variables that predict achievement in

jazz improvisation; (b) content analyses of published instructional materials;

(c) investigations of the effectiveness of pedagogical methods; (d) the construction

and evaluation of jazz improvisation achievement measurement instruments; and

(e) investigations of a possible relationship between jazz improvisation achievement

and the construct of creativity. This paper will survey and evaluate extant empirical

research in each of these categories in order to suggest future directions for suchresearch.

Predictor variables for jazz improvisation achievement

A number of studies have employed multiple regression analyses in order to examinevariables that might serve as predictors of either instrumental (e.g. Bash 1983; Ciorba

2006; May 1998) or vocal (e.g. Greennagel 1994; Heil 2005; Madura 1996) jazz

*Email: [email protected]

Music Education Research

Vol. 12, No. 4, December 2010, 383�393

ISSN 1461-3808 print/ISSN 1469-9893 online

# 2010 Taylor & Francis

DOI: 10.1080/14613808.2010.519382

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improvisation achievement. One of the potential benefits of this line of research lies

in the possibility of identifying factors related to achievement that might be

addressed in teaching methodologies. Variables that have been examined as possible

predictors include sex (Bash 1983; Heil 2005; Hores 1977; Madura 1996), motivation

(Ciorba 2006), academic achievement (Ciorba 2006; Greennagel 1994), jazz ensemble

experience (Greennagel 1994; Heil 2005; Madura 1996), time spent practicing

improvisation (Ciorba 2006; Heil 2005; Madura 1996), aural skills (May 1998) andjazz listening experience (Ciorba 2006; Greennagel 1994; Heil 2005; Hores 1977;

Madura 1996; May 1998). Some conflicting findings have emerged. While May

(1998) found that previous improvisation study was a significant predictor of

instrumental jazz achievement, Heil (2005) found that such study did not predict

achievement in vocal jazz improvisation. Heil found that private instrumental lessons

predicted vocal jazz achievement, while Greennagel (1994) found no predictive role

for this variable.

Interestingly, the variables of music aptitude, as measured by Gordon’s Musical

Aptitude Profile (1965) and Advanced Measures of Music Audiation (1989), and music

performance achievement, as measured by the Watkins�Farnum Performance Scale

(Watkins and Farnum 1954), have been found to play no predictive role in jazz

improvisation achievement (e.g. Bash 1983; Ciorba 2006; Greennagel 1994; Hores

1977). These findings raise questions about whether jazz improvisation achievement

is really unrelated to music aptitude or performance achievement, or whether these

constructs have actually been measured in a valid and reliable manner (Bowman1988).

Three variables have been found to play predictive roles for jazz improvisation

achievement in at least two studies: (a) jazz theory knowledge; (b) aural imitation;

and (c) self-evaluation of improvisation skill. May (1998) investigated collegiate wind

players (N�73) who were either enrolled in a jazz ensemble or had completed one

course in jazz improvisation. Self-evaluation of improvisation emerged as the single

best predictor of achievement, followed by aural imitation and improvisation class

experience. Ciorba (2006) investigated high school students (N�102) who were

members of a school jazz ensemble. Results confirmed May’s (1998) earlier finding

that self-evaluation of performance was a significant (pB0.01) predictor of

instrumental jazz improvisation achievement. In contrast to May’s results, jazz

theory knowledge (pB0.001) also entered Ciorba’s prediction model.

Madura (1996) investigated relationships between various aspects of vocal jazz

improvisation and several predictor variables. Subjects were collegiate students

(N�101) who were enrolled in either a vocal jazz ensemble or solo jazz singing classin which instruction in jazz improvisation was given. Results revealed that the best

predictors of vocal jazz improvisation achievement were jazz theory knowledge,

imitative ability and a composite jazz experience variable. The results of Greennagel’s

(1994) study of vocal jazz majors (N�30) showed that the variables of creativity and

self-rating of improvisation skill accounted for the greatest proportion of variance in

the multiple regression analysis. In Heil’s (2005) investigation of the effects of two

instructional treatments on high school students’ (N�90) vocal jazz improvisation

attitudes and performance achievement, the two variables found to be significant

predictors of achievement were self-perception of improvisation skill and years of

private instrument study. However, these variables accounted for only 15% of the

total variance in performance achievement.

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Content analyses of jazz improvisation pedagogical materials

The very limited work that has been done in the area of content analysis of existing

jazz pedagogical materials (e.g. Herzig 1997; Witmer and Robbins 1988; Zwick 1987)

has shown that the surveyed content tended to emphasise the use of notated exercises

on tonal concepts. Witmer and Robbins (1988) surveyed teaching materials produced

in the field of jazz pedagogy from the 1950s through the 1980s. The authors chose

materials for their review based on ‘what we know to be widely used or widely

discussed’ and included less well-known material ‘in order to illustrate certain trends’

(8). The researchers concluded that most of the surveyed material placed a strong

emphasis on tonal principles, approached by mechanical exercises on chords and

scales, with much less space provided for the concepts of melodic construction/

development, ear training, rhythm and swing. However, the authors presented no

systematic content analysis data as evidence for their conclusions.

Zwick (1987) analysed and compared instructional areas and major teaching

strategies that had been emphasised in selected texts in order to recommend a

sequential format for the teaching of jazz improvisation. The researcher sent

questionnaires to respected jazz educators in order to determine which criteria

were important to jazz improvisation instruction. Texts were chosen for inclusion in

the study based on the criteria established from questionnaire responses. The number

of pages devoted to each topic was used as the recording unit in order to determine

the per cent of emphasis of each instructional area. The researcher-coded

instructional areas were: (a) history of improvisation; (b) prerequisites for study of

improvisation; (c) jazz improvisation fundamentals; (d) ear training; (e) jazz style; (f)

analysis; (g) form and structure of jazz music; (h) melodic improvisation; (i) patterns

for improvisation; (j) chord progressions; (k) rhythm section; (l) substitutions;

(m) transcription of jazz solos; (n) improvising on jazz music; (o) scales for

improvisation; (p) non-harmonic tones; and (q) the blues. Results showed that

materials emphasising aural instruction were not common. For example, 9 of the 13

texts presented no information about transcription of jazz solos, while an additional

three texts devoted less than 6% of their content to discussion of this activity. The

instructional area of ear training received no coverage in six texts and constituted less

than 6% of the content of an additional three books.

Herzig (1997) set out to identify instructional components of jazz piano

technique by undertaking quantitative and qualitative analyses of 12 jazz piano

method books. For the quantitative analysis, content was assigned to one of the

following categories: (a) theory; (b) technique; (c) melodic improvisation; (d) creating

harmonic accompaniment; (e) rhythm; (f) style characteristics; (g) aural training; and

(h) other. Results showed that the category of creating harmonic accompaniment was

given the most coverage (27.95%) in the surveyed material, followed by theory

(23.70%), while the categories of rhythm (3.34%) and aural training (1.52%) ranked

lowest.

Investigations of the effectiveness of pedagogical methods

While numerous potentially valuable pedagogical methods for jazz improvisation

have been proposed (e.g. Aitken 1975; Allen 1999; Birkett 1994; Heglund 2004;

Paulson 1985; Rinzler 1987; Sarath 1992), the number of jazz researchers who have

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made an attempt to objectively evaluate the effectiveness of instructional methods

(Bash 1983; Burnsed 1978; Coy 1989; Damron 1973; Flack 2004; Heil 2005; Hores

1977; Laughlin 2001) is still relatively small. These studies are important contribu-

tions to the literature because of their attempts to establish systematically

the effectiveness of various instructional approaches. However, previous reviews

(Bowman 1988; Herzig 1995) have noted concerns about the methodologies and

statistical procedures followed in some of these investigations.The most recent studies (Flack 2004; Heil 2005; Laughlin 2001) have each

investigated the effectiveness of aural instructional materials. Flack (2004) examined

whether the use of Aebersold (1979) play-along recording was an effective tool for

becoming a more proficient improviser. Collegiate jazz studies majors (N�35) were

assigned to either an experimental or control group. Participants self-reported a total

of four hours of individual practice over 13 days with the control group practicing

the F blues criterion task without the aid of a play-along, while the experimental

group practiced with a play-along. Three expert judges evaluated participants’

improvisations. Pre- and post-test performances were identified as such to the judges

before ratings took place, potentially compromising results. The researcher reported

that both groups improved significantly from pre- to post-test and that the

experimental group improved by a larger percentage than the control group. An

examination of the results, however, also shows that the control group in fact scored

higher than the experimental group on both the pre-test and post-test. No mention is

made of whether these differences were tested for significance.Two recent studies (Heil 2005; Laughlin 2001) have compared the relative

effectiveness of aural- and notation-based instruction. Laughlin (2001) compared the

effects of aural exercises and notated exercises as pedagogical procedures for teaching

harmonic accuracy to beginning high school jazz improvisation students (N�20).

Subjects were designated to either an aural (n�12) or a notation (n�8) instructional

method. The stimulus task was a 32-bar improvisation over the chord progression of

the tune So What. Instructional materials consisted of exercises employing dorian

and harmonic minor scales and arpeggios, application of scale and arpeggio

materials to the chord changes of So What, single measure melodic patterns, an

exemplary improvised solo and a play-along recording. Six expert judges evaluated

subjects’ performances, with interjudge reliability correlations ranging from 0.47 to

0.88. However, it appeared that some of the judges did not complete all of the items

on the evaluation measure. Laughlin reported that both groups’ scores improved

significantly from pre- to post-test (pB0.001) and that the aural instruction method

produced greater increases in achievement. No reliability evidence was provided for

these difference scores.Heil (2005) examined the relative effectiveness of melodic/imitative and theore-

tical/technical approaches to vocal jazz improvisation instruction with high school

choral students. Pre- and post-test performance data were collected for 90 subjects.

Participants were assigned to a control group or one of two instructional groups that

each received eight 10-minute treatment sessions. The melodic/imitative instructional

treatment included scales, chords, patterns, listening, call and response activities, and

variation of jazz melodies, while the theoretical/technical treatment included notated

musical examples, chords, scales, harmonic progressions and patterns. Three judges

evaluated recordings, with interjudge reliability coefficients ranging from 0.70

to 0.80. However, judges were made aware of which performances were pre- or

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post-treatment, a potential source of contamination. Results showed no effect of

instruction on achievement in rhythmic skill or tonal aspects of blues performance,

however, a significant effect was found for achievement in tonal aspects of

improvising over rhythm changes. No significant difference in achievement was

found for instructional method.

Measurement of jazz improvisation achievement

Investigations of instructional effectiveness depend on reliable measurement of the

dependent variable of achievement. In the relatively young field of jazz research,

there has been a significant interest in the construction of research instruments that

could be used to reliably measure jazz improvisation achievement (e.g. Bash 1983;

Bongiorno 1990; Burnsed and Price 1984; Ciorba 2006; Hores 1977; Laughlin 2001;

Madura 1996; May 1998; Pfenninger 1990; Schilling 1987). Investigations of these

instruments have also raised questions about whether the individual items assessed

within each measure are discrete or are in fact measuring the same construct. For

example, Burnsed and Price (1984) proposed six evaluation criteria for their

instrument: (a) technical facility; (b) melodic and rhythmic development; (c) style;

(d) tonal materials; (e) emotional effect; and (f) overall effect. The results of

correlational analyses indicated that, with the exception of emotional effect, all items

were highly correlated with one another, suggesting that these separate dimensions

may represent the same variable. Pfenninger (1990) constructed rating scales for the

measurement of three dimensions of jazz improvisation achievement: (a) tonal;

(b) rhythm; and (c) expressive. The researcher found high correlations (r�0.71)

between the expression and rhythm dimensions, but lower correlations between the

tonal and rhythm dimensions (r�0.40), and the tonal and expression dimensions

(r�0.18). Madura (1996) developed the measure of vocal jazz improvisation

achievement for the researcher’s study of factors influencing vocal jazz achievement.

This measurement instrument assessed 19 criteria that were grouped into the same

three dimensions employed by Pfenninger. In contrast to Pfenninger’s results,

Madura found high and significant (pB0.001) correlations between the tonal and

rhythmic dimensions (r�0.79), tonal and expressive dimensions (r�0.82), and

rhythmic and expressive dimensions (r�0.76).

More recent investigations on measurement instruments have continued to

produce reliable measurement tools for jazz improvisation evaluation. May (1998)

developed the Instrumental Jazz Improvisation Evaluation Measure (IJIEM), which

incorporated the constructs of jazz improvisation proposed by Burnsed and Price

(1984) and added the categories of rhythm/time feel and creativity. A seven-point

Likert scale (1 � low, 7 �high) was used to measure each of the items. The

researcher reported high interrater reliability for both the total scores (r�0.97) as

well as for each of the individual items (r�0.91�0.96). Strong statistically significant

correlations (pB0.001) were revealed among all subtests of both improvisation tasks,

leading the researcher to suggest that jazz improvisation achievement might not

be multidimensional. A principal components analysis procedure supported the

researcher’s hypothesis. The most widely accepted criterion for deciding on the

number of factors to retain is Kaiser’s rule, which states that only those components

whose eigenvalues are greater than one should be retained (Mertler and Vannatta

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2005). The researcher’s analyses revealed only one factor that met this eigenvalue

criterion.

Ciorba (2006) developed the Jazz Improvisation Performance Assessment (JIPA)

measure for use in a study of variables that might predict jazz improvisationachievement. The researcher adopted the following seven categories as criteria for

assessment: (a) technical facility; (b) rhythm/time feel; (c) melodic/rhythmic

development; (d) style; (e) expression; (f) harmony; and (g) creativity. A rating scale

of 1.0�5.0 was used for each category. Achievement was measured by assessing

participants’ improvisations on Bb blues and Satin Doll chord progressions. The

measure was found to have high internal reliability (a �0.96) and interjudge

reliability coefficients among three judges for individual items ranged from 0.92 to

0.97. No correlations among individual items of the JIPA were reported.

Relationship between creativity and jazz improvisation achievement

While some researchers have included creativity as a dimension for evaluation on

their jazz improvisation achievement measurement instruments (e.g. Ciorba 2006;

May 1998), only a limited number of studies (e.g. Greennagel 1994; Madura 1996;

Madura Ward-Steinman 2008; Wills 2003) have systematically investigated the

relationship between the construct of creativity and achievement in jazz. Historically,creativity has been studied using a number of different approaches, including: (a)

psychometric; (b) social-personality; (c) cognitive; and (d) confluence. The psycho-

metric approach to creativity study was originally proposed by Guilford (1950), who

suggested that creativity could be studied in everyday subjects by measuring

divergent thinking tasks (Sternberg and Lubart 1999). This approach has been

very influential on music creativity research (e.g. Baltzer 1988; Gorder 1980; Webster

1979), but has yet to be widely used to investigate creative achievement in jazz. Two

exceptions are Madura’s (1996) and Madura Ward-Steinman’s (2008) investigationsof the relationships between vocal jazz improvisation achievement and creativity in

subjects who were enrolled in collegiate vocal jazz ensembles. In an initial

investigation, Madura measured subjects’ general creativity using the Torrance Tests

of Creative Thinking (TTCT)-Verbal Form (Torrance 1990). The TTCT was used to

measure creative fluency, flexibility and originality, and a creativity variable was

generated from a composite of the z-scores from these three tests. Results showed no

significant relationship between vocal jazz improvisation achievement and the

Torrance measure of creativity. However, the results of a subsequent factor analysisprocedure on achievement data revealed a small creative factor defined by the use of

originality and variety in rhythm, melody, tone colour, range and dynamics. In a

follow-up study, the same researcher investigated the roles of convergent and

divergent thinking in vocal jazz improvisation achievement with a sample that

included both American and Australian college-level jazz singers (N�102). One of

the three factors that emerged from the jazz improvisation achievement data was

labelled a Vocal Creativity factor and was represented by factor simple items

addressing vocal tone colour originality, vocal tone colour variety dynamic variety,and vocal range variety.

The social-personality approach to creativity study has focused on personality,

motivational and sociocultural variables as sources of creativity (Sternberg and

Lubart 1999). In line with this model, Wills (2003) investigated biographical material

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relating to 40 eminent jazz musicians in order to investigate a possible link between

psychopathology and levels of creativity in jazz. Some of the musicians investigated

included Charlie Parker, Chet Baker, Art Pepper, Stan Getz and Miles Davis. The

researcher transformed biographical data into psychiatric diagnoses by using

classifications and criteria from the DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association

1994) in order to ascertain levels of psychopathology. The researcher concluded that

there was evidence that levels of psychopathology in the sample were above average

and were similar to those found in other previously investigated creative samples. The

researcher acknowledged a number of potential shortcomings in the methodology,

including the possibility of biased biographers, the interpretation of biographical

data as fact, and a lack of evidence for validity and reliability of results.

Charting future directions

The five streams of jazz pedagogy research summarised here present jazz researchers

with a number of possible directions for future investigations. Examinations of

predictor variables for jazz improvisation achievement have uncovered significant

relationships between the dependent variable and jazz theory knowledge, aural

imitation ability, self-evaluation of improvisation skill and jazz experience. An

examination of this body of research reveals some conflicting findings, likely due to

varied operational definitions, sample sizes and research methodologies. Further

exploration of these findings with a variety of age and experience levels is needed.

Future research might seek tighter operational definitions and/or more objective

measurement of experience variables such as jazz listening, jazz improvisation class

experience or jazz ensemble experience. The lack of demonstrated relationships

between jazz improvisation achievement and variables such as music performance

achievement or music aptitude is a fascinating area for future inquiry. The finding

that self-perception of improvisation performance has emerged as a significant

predictor of both instrumental and vocal jazz improvisation achievement suggests

that further research is needed to determine what aspects of this variable (e.g. aural

discrimination skills, self-regulation ability) are particularly relevant to predicting

achievement, and how such self-evaluation skill might be developed. There are also a

number of additional potentially relevant variables that have yet to be investigated.

For example, improvisation is often referred to as spontaneous composition. Given

that both improvisation and composition require a synthesis of aural skills,

knowledge of musical structures and styles, and the ability to order and arrange

sounds in some meaningful way (Boyle and Radocy 1987), would composition skill

predict improvisational achievement, or are these variables unrelated?

The few studies that have undertaken content analyses of pedagogical materials

have found that such materials emphasised the use of notated exercises on tonal

concepts with less attention given to the topics of aural and rhythmic development.

The most recent of these studies, however, is now more than 10 years old and it is

possible that more recent materials stress different approaches to improvisation

study. Advances in interactive technology may also have altered the composition of

instructional materials. Content analyses of recently produced pedagogical materials

are needed in order to determine instructional approaches that are currently being

emphasised in jazz pedagogy.

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Jazz improvisation has often been viewed as a talent that does not lend itself to

instruction (May 2003). However, a growing body of literature exists that has

proposed and evaluated instructional methods for jazz improvisation, providing

some evidence for the fact that jazz improvisation is a skill that can be taught and

learned successfully. Unfortunately, many of these investigations have suffered from

flawed research methodology. While such growing pains are to be expected in any

relatively young domain of research, the challenge for future jazz researchers is tolearn from these pioneering studies and continue to improve research procedures.

There is still much work to be done in the area of investigations of instructional

effectiveness. While aural imitation has been found to be a predictive variable in jazz

improvisation achievement, solid empirical research investigating the effectiveness of

this instructional method relative to other approaches is lacking. A number of other

questions also remain, for example: (a) Which instructional methods are best suited

to beginning improvisers? (b) Are these same methods also effective for more

experienced students? (c) What are the benefits of chord/scale pedagogies relative to

more melodic variation approaches to improvisation? and (d) What behaviours or

characteristics do effective jazz teachers exhibit, either in classroom or private lesson

settings?

Extant research investigating jazz improvisation measurement instruments has

provided evidence that jazz improvisation is a skill that can be reliably measured.

One commonly held perspective is that because jazz improvisation is (or should be) a

creative act of self-expression, such a performance does not lend itself to evaluation(Burnsed and Price 1984). Yet, when educators advocate for the inclusion of jazz

improvisation as a credited curricular offering, such inclusion comes with a

responsibility for valid and reliable assessment and grading (Garcia 1998). It is

only through consistency of measurement that a teacher may be sure of the accuracy

of his/her assessment of a student’s achievement (Schilling 1987). The question of

how parsimoniously such achievement can be measured, however, appears to still be

open for debate. The relatively consistent finding of high correlations among

individual dimensions of jazz improvisation achievement may suggest that the

designation of a single score to assess achievement is as effective as assessing

individual dimensions. Further exploration of this finding using expanded training of

judges or tighter operational definitions of dimensions is needed. Another

consideration of assessment that has yet to be explored is the issue of how an

individual’s achievement might relate to the performances of other group members.

Assessment of more advanced jazz students might wish take into account such group

performance dynamics.

The application of creativity research to eminent creative achievement in jazz is arealm of investigation that is still in its nascent form. While a great deal of music

creativity research has focused on the psychometric model of measurement of

divergent thinking, such models have been criticised as lacking validity because they

fail to predict practical criteria (Sax 1997). Others have questioned the idea that non-

eminent samples can shed light on eminent levels of creativity (Sternberg and Lubart

1999). Future studies might alternatively adopt a confluence approach to investigat-

ing the relationship between creativity and jazz performance achievement. The

confluence approach holds that multiple components, including cognitive, social and

cultural elements, must converge for creativity to occur (Sternberg and Lubart 1999).

For example, Sternberg and Lubart’s investment theory of creativity has proposed

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that intelligence, knowledge, thinking style, motivation, environment and personality

factors are all critical components of creativity (Sternberg and O’Hara 1999).

Confluence theories would appear to be relevant to investigations of eminent creative

achievement in jazz. For example, Owens’ (1995) analyses of the recorded solos of

Charlie Parker showed that a significant proportion of Parker’s greatest solos was

constructed from formulas that he had acquired from various sources, such as

musicians of the previous generation, the common vocabulary among his peers and

those he himself developed. Owens’ analysis provides one example of the way that

creative achievement in jazz improvisation may depend on a confluence of knowl-

edge, skill and culture-specific elements.

The two decades that have passed since Brown’s (1988) call for increased

organisational logic in jazz research have seen a number of defined areas of inquiry

emerge. In addition to the five research streams noted here, there are a number of

other aspects of jazz pedagogy that might be considered for future investigations.

The relationship between gender and participation in jazz is an area that has been

explored from a historical point of view (e.g. Tucker 2000), but is one that would

benefit from empirical investigations of contemporary contexts. Berliner’s (1994)

landmark work on the thinking processes employed by improvising jazz musicians

should be extended in order to develop theoretical models upon which jazz curricula

could be based. In addition, given the results of research (e.g. Byo 1999) showing that

music teachers often lack confidence in their own abilities to improvise, yet are

increasingly being encouraged to incorporate this activity into their teaching,

investigations into the development of self-efficacy for improvisation would be

beneficial to music educators. The pioneering efforts of the researchers noted here

have created a substantial foundation upon which future investigators may build and

chart new directions for jazz pedagogy.

Notes on contributor

Kevin E. Watson is a visiting professor of music (music education) at the Indiana UniversityJacobs School of Music in Bloomington, IN. He teaches graduate and undergraduate coursesin music teaching and learning, music psychology, and measurement and evaluation. Hisresearch focuses on the areas of jazz pedagogy and music teacher preparation.

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