Ph.D. project : Interaction Strategies in Improvised Jazz duos.

My Ph.D. project is a study investigating the extent of information that can be identified and captured in a communicative situation between two jazz musicians. The main contribution is to develop jazz improvisation theory towards embracing more artistic expressions and choices made in real life musical situations. In jazz, applied improvisation theory usually consists of scale and harmony studies within quantized rhythmic patterns.

The ensembles in the recent pilot study are duos performed by the author at the piano and horn players (trumpet, alto saxophone, clarinet and trombone) –all advanced jazz students at KMH.

During the recording session, there is no visual contact between the musicians, i.e., all interaction is aural. The recording is transcribed using the software, Logic Pro X, and this score and the audio recording is used when conducting in-depth interviews, identify the student’s underlying musical strategies. The interviews are carried out as immediately as possible after the recording session. The study will also open up to a discussion of the design and methods.

main supervisor: prof. Anders Friberg (KTH)

co-supervisor: assistant prof. André Holzapfel (KTH) and prof. Joakim Milder (KMH)