Reading Response Essay 1
Due Thursday September 12
Drawing upon the assigned reading, listening, and your personal reflections, answer the following questions in at least two typed, double-spaced pages. Strong responses will likely be longer than this.
In the introduction to his influential book Improvisation: Its Nature and Practice in Music, guitarist Derek Bailey introduces the distinction between “idiomatic” and “non-idiomatic” improvisation. Although we’ve skipped much of the book, how does “free improvisation” relate to this dichotomy and what does Bailey mean by the term “non-ideomatic”? Do you agree with his implications? Provide a detailed argument.
What does George E. Lewis mean by the terms “Afrological” and “Eurological” improvisation? How do these relate to race and music? How might this formulation impact our understanding of Bailey’s idiomatic/non-idiomatic dichotomy?