Is there too much improvisation in the Model Music Curriculum?

I recently counted up the references to ‘improvisation’ in the Model Music Curriculum (and no, I didn’t have anything better to do!) I spotted 29; 4 at Key Stage 1 (ages 5-7), 10 at Key Stage 2 (ages 7-11) and 15 at Key Stage 3 (ages 11-14) to be precise. There were several more references to ‘inventing’ and using improvisation as a natural precursor to composition. The MMC was launched in 2021 to complement the National Plan for Music Education and ensure a universal provision of music education for all pupils in all schools. I believe that engaging in improvisation is multifaceted; it involves listening and responding, exploration and risk-taking, recognition, reproduction and creation. To a jazz enthusiast like me, the prominence of improvisation in the MMC is music to my ears (excuse the pun) but it also raises questions in my mind of how a non music specialist primary school teacher or a less confident improvising music tutor would approach leading the suggested activities with their students.

Helena Summerfield presenting a session at the Music Mark NW Conference September 2024 at the RNCM.

In my previous role as the jazz lead in a music service I encountered several tutors who wanted to improvise with their students but didn’t quite know where to start. There seemed to be a lot of amazing educational resources out there for tutors who were already confident improvisers but not so many for the less confident. To many people working in music education jazz is still a bit of a scary word and a young musician’s exposure to the genre often remains a postcode lottery - if your parents or music tutor play jazz and improvise then you are more likely to be encouraged to ‘have a go’.

As the Learning & Participation project manager at Jazz North I strongly believe that it is the right time for changing mindsets in music education - to regard improvisation skills as vital musicianship skills rather than specific to jazz skills. A clapping game where a student responds by clapping their own invented rhythm is improvisation, vocalising or jamming over a simple groove by ear is improvisation. Students do not need to be able to read notation or play to a certain level to start their improvising journey. They should be encouraged to start improvising as soon as possible as an integral and ‘normal’ part of their lesson. For example, after learning a new scale a student could be asked to vary the rhythm as they play it ascending and descending or use it to improvise a melody. In a joint lesson students could be asked to strike up a musical conversation using the scale - creating a happy, sad, angry or comical conversation depending on its quality.

I had the opportunity to share my ideas about creativity and ways into improvisation with delegates at the North West Music Mark conference on 2nd September at the Royal Northern College of Music. We explored the benefits of improvising with our students and the references to improvisation in the MMC. For example, how can we ensure that by the end of Year 9 our students are able to “take the listener on an original musical journey?” I was also able to share the news that Jazz North is about to launch the Learning resources area of our website. Our user-friendly resources have been designed for curriculum music teachers (Key Stages 1-4), instrumental tutors and lifetime learners. Rather than being aimed at experienced jazz educators they are gentle ways to introduce improvisation in different educational settings to encourage teachers and students new to the genre to engage with jazz.

We will be holding an online Educator’s Forum meeting on Thursday 26th September at 4.30pm. You can register your interest in attending the forum on eventbrite or by emailing me directly helena@jazznorth.org

Register via Eventbrite: too-much-improvising.eventbrite.co.uk

It will be an opportunity to explore the new resources area, network with other northern music educators and find out more about Jazz North’s Learning & Participation offer including our award winning ‘Jazz Camp for Girls’ project.

So to conclude, do I think there is too much improvisation in the MMC? No, not at all, I am delighted by every instance, but I do think its inclusion highlights the need for supportive resources to ensure that all children are given the opportunity to improvise and be creative in their music lessons.

Helena Summerfield, Learning & Participation project manager