Is there an art to improvisation?
You know what it's like when you watch someone improvise... it seems that the music comes from nowhere; it's so pure and honest. And while you might want to hear it again, it's gone... a gift of the moment. But what if you could grasp the elements that make up that moment.
The tools
The artist sees the world in tones; the shades between dark and light, in colours; the hues from cool to warm, and in shapes; the space inhabited by objects. The basic artist tools are paints, brushes and a canvas.
The similarities to music improvisation are striking. We have our own way of hearing and interpreting the world. We also hear in tones - the ebb and flow of loud and soft, and the fusion of smooth and detached notes. Colours - high, low and anywhere-in-between notes, either dramatically leaping or intimately passing. And shapes - the combination of notes that phrases melodies, creates harmonies, and drives rhythms. The tools of improvisation are an instrument to play and sensitive fingers that respond to our leading.
Often when you look closely at a painting, it looks like a collection of blobs on the canvas, but as you step back and appreciate the entire piece, it begins to make sense. It begins to create a meaningful impression. Similarly, when you hear a motif played by itself, it's like looking at that painting close up; just a few notes without context. In isolation, it lacks full meaning, but as the motifs are combined and re-applied in different combinations, tones and shapes, the masterpiece takes on a life of its own.
The motivation
Every artist requires something more than the basic tools to bring life to their creation. Something far more personal. It is the element of self-expression. The need to share something about how they feel in that moment, to visualize an idea, to explore a unique take on something… or just to express the pure joy of beauty. This sometimes reckless, often risky, and always vulnerable element of artistic-expression and creative personality surges through the entire process from the beginning to the end.
Artists, musicians, people... we all share that precious motivating element; the desire to find our own personality through self-expression, in whatever form we have available.
Your own masterpiece
Innermusician has created a paint palette of colours; a whole library of musical sounds for you to play with. These are our motifs or musical themes. When these are explored using your own interpretation, all over the piano, the result is a unique masterpiece inspired by you, created by you.
The more colours you add to your palette, the more vibrant your playing becomes. Through our themes such as the forest, the ocean and world-cultures, we aim to give you a kaleidoscope of colours to play with.
Just like the artist's paints, each time you play, the result will be unique, a true reflection of your own transient moment.
Featured Artist: Emily Kennedy
