Crosscurricularproject.

(PaintingWassilyKandinsky,improvisation28)Affectiveoutcome

Narrative:

Studentscandiscussiftheycanfindconnectionsbetweenjazzimprovisationandthepainting.
Thestudentscanusethepaintingasasourceofideasastheyattempttocreateimprovisatory
ideastoplayintheirsolos.Afocusontheaccentsofcolors,andbrushstrokes,andseemingly
randomnessofideasinthepaintingserveacontinuityinstyle,andanoveralltheme.
Furthermore,manyofthecolorsrepresentedinthepaintingareearthywhichcanrelatetothe
underlyingearthyconceptsofHardBop.Eachideainthepaintingcanrepresentanother
improvisationalideaormusicalcolor.Thecolorsmayrepresenttonequality,velocity,rhythmic
motifs,volume,etc.

Strategies:

Beginwithanopenendeddiscussionofhowthepaintingrelatestostudentsunderstandingof
jazzimprovisation.Drivetheconversationtotheideaoftheworkasametaphorforjazz
improvisation.Theteacherwouldpostablownupversionofthepaintingintheroomanddraw
attentiontolines,patternsandvariations,andthecontinuityinthemutedcolorscheme,this
wouldalsobeusedasareminderforstudentsthroughouttheprocessoftheclass.Allofthese
conceptsaredirectlytransferabletojazzimprovisation.Oncestudentshaveexperienced
developingimprovisatoryideasastheyrelatetothepainting,theywoulddescribesomeofthe
decisionsthattheymadeandexplainwhytheymadethosedecisionsduringinclass
presentations.

BlueSeven:

ThismusicisapartofthedevelopmentfromtheAmericangenreofJazz.Thisstylerelieson
theprimalsoundsandtonalitiesofblues,rhythmandblues,folkandgospelidiomscreatedan
emphasisthatgeneratedthesoulfulandfunkycharacteristicsassociatedwiththeform.(Grove
dictionaryofJazz)TheHardBopstyleisalsocharacterizedbythefreedomofthematic
improvisation.

WassilyKandinskyImprovisation28:
Unityandvariety
..theme/timbrechangevariety

Varietyofbrushstrokes
Varietyofcolor
VarietyofSpace

Unityofcolortimbre(theme)earthy
organic
Unityofstructure

Repetition&Contrast

Linemovementcontourrhythmenergies
Texture

TImbre

Acontinuityinrandomness

Variedrepetitionrelatestodevelopmentof
motifs

Shortbrushstrokesvslongbrushstrokesvs.
blottystokesvslightstrokes(allrepeatedand
developed)