Music Matters XXVI - RAYMOND MACDONALD (University of Edinburgh): "We are all improvisers: The psychological foundations of musicality"

This is a public lecture in the Music Matters series.

This presentation discusses the importance of improvisation as a defining feature of social and creative interactions. It outlines the relationship of community music, music therapy and music education by focusing upon what it means to be musical and how music plays a crucial role in defining who we are as individuals and socially. The role of music in health and wellbeing will be emphasized as will the topic of how improvisation can be utilized to help explore creativity and collaborations in multiple contexts from virtuoso performances to children’s first experiences of music. A new definition of virtuosity will be proposed which includes a broader range of musical skills than is conventionally accepted. The lecture will include some short practical demonstrations to highlight the key points.