The Improviser's Craft: Methodological Perspectives on Developing High Performance in Improvisation.
Musical improvisation; High performance in improvisation; Performance strategies; Practice; Creativity.
In the world of music research, high performance in improvisation encompasses multiple contexts and definitions, underscoring its polysemic nature and its growing relevance in the field of music. Improvisation, in turn, with its various performance and learning paths, has an “(un)defined definition,” as noted by Bailey, among other authors. In this context, the objective of this work was to reflect on, systematize, and compile psychological, cognitive, and technical strategies, as well as their main definitions and scopes, based on the literature and interviews, organizing them in an integrated manner into a single study on the development of the improviser and the methodological perspectives for achieving high performance in improvisation. The methodology employed was a qualitative approach, aimed at understanding perceptions, meanings, and subjectivities related to the strategies and definitions investigated. The research was conducted at both theoretical and empirical levels, using interviews as a data collection tool and drawing on relevant literature on the subject. As a result, strategies were proposed that can help improvisers achieve high performance in musical improvisation.