The purpose of this research was to develop and to examine an improvisation curriculum designed to improve the music achievement of elementary school instrumental music students. The specific problems of this study were (a) to investigate the effect of improvisation study on the music achievement of fifth-grade wind and percussion students, and (b) to investigate the effects of various levels of music aptitude on the music achievement offifthgrade wind and percussion students.Sixty-six fifth-grade students participated in this study. Students who received instruction that included emphasis on improvisation were found to perform at significantly higher achievement levels than students who received instruction without such emphasis. Highaptitude students performed at higher achievement levels than low-aptitude and moderateaptitude students. The data obtained in this research provide preliminary evidence that improvisation contributes to the improvement of instrumental music performance achievement in elementary students.Music and improvisation have been inextricably linked throughout history. Improvisation in music is analogous to the extemporaneous expression of ideas in language. The Grove Dictionary of Music (fifth edition; Blom, 1954) defines improvisation as "the art of thinking and performing music simultaneously." In many music classrooms, however, there are a variety of definitions regarding the readiness, outcomes, and skills associated with improvisation. Improvisation, therefore, receives disparate amounts of emphasis in American music classrooms in spite of its rich historical legacy.Improvisation is defined and incorporated into music education curricula in many ways. Flohr (1979) refers to the Manhattanville Music Curriculum Project (MMCP) definitions for improvisation (Thomas, 1970). Flohr's research incorpo-Downloaded from JRME 329 rated a hierarchy of "exploratory improvisation," "free exploration," and "guided exploration." Montano (1983) defines improvisation as the freedom to perform any pitches (melodic material) within a five-finger span while performing specific rhythms and textures. Wilson (1970) examined the effects of group improvisation on the musical growth of selected high school instrumentalists. The method of improvisation used in Wilson's study was one originated by Lukas Foss and Richard Duffalo and adapted for secondary school use by Marvin Silverman. Students became familiar with a hierarchy of intervals and their relationships to their guide tone, that is, the note selected as the tonal center (Wilson, 1970, p. 62). Particular attention has been given to the improvisational expressions of young children. From 1941 to 1951, Moorhead and Pond (Pillsbury Foundation, 1978) published one of the first series of studies of children's improvisations based on their work in the 1940s at the Pillsbury Foundation School in Santa Barbara, California. Orff and Dalcroze general music curricula emphasize the importance of improvisation. Orff activities incorporate the use of improvised rhythms, ...

Music educators can teach improvisation even if they have not had extensive exposure to it themselves. Here are some basic strategies.

This article provides an overview of research on assessment of improvisation in music and offers suggestions for increasing its centrality in music teaching and learning. With listening, improvising, reading, and composing as context for music teaching and learning, it covers historical and philosophical foundations for, and research on, creativity and improvisation. The article’s synthesis of the literature focuses on assessment of ability to interact, group, compare, and anticipate and predict music while improvising. Six elements (repertoire, vocabulary, intuition, reason, reflection, and exemplars) contribute to a holistic and comprehensive creative process that inspires spontaneous and meaningful music making. The article concludes with recommendations for replication and extension of research to provide insight for improvisation assessment.

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