3 P's of Improvisation: Presence, Present & Play

As a lifelong meditator, one of my core spiritual values is bringing our presence to the present moment. When I became an improviser, I realized it was a form of meditation. Unlike composing, where you edit your musical material, improvisation involves an intense focus on bringing your Presence to the Present Moment, to play. Reflecting on the term “Becoming Enlightened,” I realized that within it lies the word “Light,” which can signify both the light itself, in contrast to darkness, and a state of emotion like "levity," feeling light and joyful.

The process of play, especially through improvisation, is one of the greatest treasures from childhood. If you were lucky enough, like I was, to have hours of unstructured time after school in a safe, friendly neighborhood, you experienced play that unfolded spontaneously with the day. Even as an adult, I find that the moments of unstructured time—whether during a dreamy walk, meditating, or gazing at the sky—are when I draw the greatest inspiration. Improvising at the piano, whether alone or with my students, also creates magical moments where I feel intensely alive and present, often accompanied by bursts of laughter.

I not only aim to restore improvisation to classical music but also to reintroduce the concept of unstructured playtime for everyone, including adults!

Bringing down the volume of music in the US: Natural sound vs. Electric sound

United States is a young country. It's a country of pilgrims, and immigrants.  The first thought that comes to mind for those entering a new country is the basics of survival.  So it's only natural that the lower chakras are the sounding tones of this country.  In addition to tones of survival, there is the adventurous energy of the founding fathers- the pioneers.  Combined, it created the backdrop for the emergence of Rock'n Roll.  Wonderful vibrant music.  The energy of this music charges you with strong earth currents, physicality, and libido.  However, there is balance to be considered.  Too much of this music distorts one's auric field in a way where it desensitizes you to the subtlety of life, of the quiet beauty around us.  On the other hand, acoustic music without the amplification of sound via electronic means calms one's nerves, and brings back the harmony of one's relationship to it's more subtle nature.  Refinement comes with evolution.  This beautiful country, the US is growing, evolving.  Loud music which are unnaturally made so by amplification ( where it is so loud that even the musicians themselves have to wear ear plugs) disrupts our sensitivity.  Let's turn down the volume of our listening and begin listening to naturally produced music ( organic music vs. unnatural music) by acoustic instruments and bring back the balance in our lives.

Evolution of Language to a Higher Octave

There are 7 plus octaves at the piano.  Each octave encases 12 notes, but with the placement of each octave, the shade of pitch varies.  I feel that the English language in our American culture is ascending to a higher octave with words that are kinder, more gentle, and spiritual.   I began noticing infiltration of words used in new contexts.  For example, words such as "transparency" and "authenticity" are both words that are used to connote new levels of honesty: "Transparency" is often used to indicate greater access to information for the general public from a governing body; "authenticity" -a state of coming from a deeper place of honesty for an individual.  Another word I hear often is "inclusiveness".  As a spiritually minded musician, I love "hearing" these words- they are "music" to my ears. . . . !!

Classical Music vs. Rock Music (Acoustic instruments vs. Electric)

Acoustic instrument’s softer volume and the nature of classical music resonate to the higher chakra centers.  On the other hand, louder volume range of electric instruments and nature of rock music, especially with its emphasis and dependency on driving beats stimulate the activity of one’s lower chakra centers. The suggestion for achieving balance is to listen with awareness and intention as you harmonize each type of music with it’s correlating activity.

Music with loud beats

Music with loud driving beats propel one toward action, physical activity as it energizes one toward movement and productivity throughout the day.  It is a counter measure towards the effects of inertia caused by a gravity dense life on this planet.