This project investigates the aural and musicianship skills of students enrolled in a Bachelor of... more This project investigates the aural and musicianship skills of students enrolled in a Bachelor of Jazz Studies Course, with the ultimate goal of improving their improvisation skills. At the core of the project is the idea that students consolidate their theoretical knowledge and link it with their aural skills when they use their voices in an ensemble, rather than relying on their instrumental skills. Participating students were surveyed to gain insight into their thoughts about the effect that the musicianship skills gained during class had on their improvisation skills. Data has been gathered regarding methods of ear training in current use in various jazz schools in Australia as well as surveying current theories of the importance of ear training in jazz education and the extant modes of delivery. Throughout the project repertoire was arranged especially for each group in accordance with the desired learning outcomes. The final result of the project is a syllabus for conducting t...
As jazz study has become an established branch of the tertiary music landscape, disquiet has aris... more As jazz study has become an established branch of the tertiary music landscape, disquiet has arisen in some quarters about the 'mechanical' way in which improvisation is taught. This study examined the ways in which singing in an a cappella harmony group affected the improvisational abilities of tertiary level jazz students. Over three semesters, students participated in a method developed by the author known as 'A cappella Ear Training' (AET). AET was used to test the author's assumption that learning to sing in harmony with other voices and without recourse to the mechanics of any instrument would improve the ability of the students to internalize the theoretical information with which they were being presented in all areas of the course. The research used a qualitative approach, and drew on data generated through participant-observation and interview techniques. Students were observed throughout the course, with the author making field notes on the practice of...
This project investigates the aural and musicianship skills of students enrolled in a Bachelor of... more This project investigates the aural and musicianship skills of students enrolled in a Bachelor of Jazz Studies Course, with the ultimate goal of improving their improvisation skills. At the core of the project is the idea that students consolidate their theoretical knowledge and link it with their aural skills when they use their voices in an ensemble, rather than relying on their instrumental skills. Participating students were surveyed to gain insight into their thoughts about the effect that the musicianship skills gained during class had on their improvisation skills. Data has been gathered regarding methods of ear training in current use in various jazz schools in Australia as well as surveying current theories of the importance of ear training in jazz education and the extant modes of delivery. Throughout the project repertoire was arranged especially for each group in accordance with the desired learning outcomes. The final result of the project is a syllabus for conducting t...
This project investigates the aural and musicianship skills of students enrolled in a Bachelor of... more This project investigates the aural and musicianship skills of students enrolled in a Bachelor of Jazz Studies Course, with the ultimate goal of improving their improvisation skills. At the core of the project is the idea that students consolidate their theoretical knowledge and link it with their aural skills when they use their voices in an ensemble, rather than relying on their instrumental skills. Participating students were surveyed to gain insight into their thoughts about the effect that the musicianship skills gained during class had on their improvisation skills. Data has been gathered regarding methods of ear training in current use in various jazz schools in Australia as well as surveying current theories of the importance of ear training in jazz education and the extant modes of delivery. Throughout the project repertoire was arranged especially for each group in accordance with the desired learning outcomes. The final result of the project is a syllabus for conducting t...
As jazz study has become an established branch of the tertiary music landscape, disquiet has aris... more As jazz study has become an established branch of the tertiary music landscape, disquiet has arisen in some quarters about the 'mechanical' way in which improvisation is taught. This study examined the ways in which singing in an a cappella harmony group affected the improvisational abilities of tertiary level jazz students. Over three semesters, students participated in a method developed by the author known as 'A cappella Ear Training' (AET). AET was used to test the author's assumption that learning to sing in harmony with other voices and without recourse to the mechanics of any instrument would improve the ability of the students to internalize the theoretical information with which they were being presented in all areas of the course. The research used a qualitative approach, and drew on data generated through participant-observation and interview techniques. Students were observed throughout the course, with the author making field notes on the practice of...
This project investigates the aural and musicianship skills of students enrolled in a Bachelor of... more This project investigates the aural and musicianship skills of students enrolled in a Bachelor of Jazz Studies Course, with the ultimate goal of improving their improvisation skills. At the core of the project is the idea that students consolidate their theoretical knowledge and link it with their aural skills when they use their voices in an ensemble, rather than relying on their instrumental skills. Participating students were surveyed to gain insight into their thoughts about the effect that the musicianship skills gained during class had on their improvisation skills. Data has been gathered regarding methods of ear training in current use in various jazz schools in Australia as well as surveying current theories of the importance of ear training in jazz education and the extant modes of delivery. Throughout the project repertoire was arranged especially for each group in accordance with the desired learning outcomes. The final result of the project is a syllabus for conducting t...
Uploads
Papers by Helen Russell