A First Look at the Role of Domain-General Cognitive and Creative Abilities in Jazz Improvisation
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Roger E. Beaty (Creator)
- Donald A. Hodges, Professor Emeritus (Creator)
- Michael J. Kane, Professor (Creator)
- Paul Silvia, Professor (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Abstract: The present study explored the associations among several cognitive and creative abilities and expert ratings of jazz improvisational quality. Ten male undergraduate jazz students (8 performance majors, 2 education majors; 5 winds, 3 strings, 1 piano, and 1 drum) performed a video-recorded improvisation with a trio and completed measures of divergent thinking, working memory, and fluid intelligence. Performances were rated for creative quality by 3 expert raters. Students also answered questions regarding their musical background and subjective experience of improvisation. As expected, cumulative practice hours substantially predicted improvisational creativity. Results for the cognitive variables showed mostly negative correlations with improvisation; however, divergent thinking strongly predicted performance quality. We consider these results in the context of the literature on expertise and creativity.
A First Look at the Role of Domain-General Cognitive and Creative Abilities in Jazz Improvisation
PDF (Portable Document Format)
136 KB
Created on 12/3/2013
Views: 4230
Additional Information
- Publication
- Language: English
- Date: 2013
- Keywords
- improvisation, intelligence, divergent thinking, expertise, working memory capacity