Music Improv

My musical life has been, at times, at odds with each other. When I was younger, music was serious training and no improvising allowed. Classical and traditional Lutheran music doesn't allow for it. When I switched to flute in middle school, I did Jazz band for a semester and while I love listening to Jazz music, not a huge fan of playing it. Its hard to play jazz on the flute. Classical music was all I played in my flute lessons and frankly, it's kind of why I didn't seriously peruse it in college (in terms of joining an ensemble). Don't get me wrong, I love classical music (The "Troika" movement from Lieutenant Kijé is one of my favorite classical pieces) but I had enough of playing it, at least for a while. So when I went to college, I did want to sing (I had been singing all my life) but I wanted something nonclassical, or at least less classical.  The group I sang with definitely did some classical stuff, but we also did other stuff too. When I started voice lessons, because I already had the classical background (which, don't let anybody tell you differently, classical music influences EVERYTHING.), my teacher didn't feel the need to sing that stuff, not to mention he was more a non-traditional voice coach. So what did we work on? Pop songs and musical theatre. I fit so much better into the musical theatre realm. While there isn't as much improv in musical theatre (depending on the show), it's a lot more "free" than classical music.

What's funny is that as a swing dancer, everything is improv. Yes the moves are learned, but what order they're done in and how they're done is up the lead. Yet, I don't mind it... Maybe it's because I'm a follow, but I don't have really any issues with it as a dancer (same with Social ballroom). One improve thing that I love watching is Improv on Ice.

Chapters 11, 12, 13 (part III) in the future of music business
11This chapter looks at how to build a website to show off your music and why its important. I think this chapter should be read by everybody, not just musicians. There are sooo many crappy websites sites out there. Gordon gives examples of "doing it yourself' (213) and while he explains HTML, there are huge range of programs that do the HTML for you (I use and love Dreamweaver!).
Another thing Gordon talks about is using the internet to promote live performance (215) and even that today is out of date. A lot of small artists now give concerts live on the internet. Harley Jay is one of these. He regularly gives concerts and chats on a service called Ustream.

12This chapter is a bunch of interviews with artists who use the technology. The first one is with Will Calhoun who according to Gordon, is a Grammy winning artist (231). Yet, I've never heard of this guy.... can't think he's that well known then... The other interview is with a Jazz artist, whom I've heard of but I'm not a huge fan of....

Not sure which part of chapter 13 is part three... interesting...

Website review:
Wikipedia - Improvisation
I don't go to Wikipedia.  I think it's a worthless place. There are better sites, more reliable sites. A little surprised as to why this needs to be reviewed. Here is a better site to learn about Jazz improve: http://hum.lss.wisc.edu/jazz/


Live Plasma 
Can't access the site


Musicovery
I discovered this site about a year ago from a friend, and while I like it, it's not as broad as you think it would be. It's very limiting in my mind and MUCH more prefer Pandora.