Improvisation as a Skill: Training Models and Spaces for Expression in Italian Higher Music Education

Mengying Liu

doi:10.71222/mjder389

Authors

Mengying Liu Conservatory of Music, State Conservatory of Music "Giovanni Paisiello" of Taranto,Via Principe Amedeo 51,Taranto (TA), 74123, Italy Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.71222/mjder389

Keywords:

improvisation, music education, Italian conservatories, pedagogy, creative expression, musical training

Abstract

This study examines the pedagogical approaches to improvisation in Italian higher music education institutions, focusing on how conservatories have developed distinctive training models that balance traditional classical education with contemporary improvisational practices. Through qualitative analysis of curriculum structures, teaching methodologies, and student outcomes across major Italian conservatories, this research reveals a unique educational paradigm that creates dynamic "expressive spaces" for musical creativity. The findings demonstrate how Italian music education has constructed an improvisational teaching framework that maintains institutional rigor while fostering artistic freedom. This model presents a valuable case study for understanding how traditional music education can adapt to contemporary demands for creativity and individual expression while preserving its classical foundations.

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