Jazz Improvisation: Differentiating Vocalists

Abstract

Improvising jazz musicians have long observed that vocalists differ from instrumentalists. A formal acknowledgement of differences has not yet pervaded jazz education. Little, if any, accommodation is made for the unique attributes of voice students. Instead singers are instructed to act more like instrumentalists in order to correct a perceived lag in vocal jazz improvisation achievement. The approach fails to recognise that giving vocalists and instrumentalists the same tuition is unlikely to produce the same results when fundamental differences exist prior to instruction. A thorough exploration of the vocalist’s characteristics must precede any logical attempt to address the imbalance in achievement outcome. Consequently, this thesis addressed the research question, “How do improvising jazz vocalists differ significantly from their instrumental counterparts?” The research began by examining and collating the wealth of existing citations of differences found in literature. Thirty-seven perceived differentiations of vocalists were identified and used to provide a preliminary benchmark for the investigation. A two-phase mixed methods study was then designed to explore the nature of each differentiation. Phase one employed a quantitative, anonymous, online survey of 209 Australian jazz vocalists and instrumentalists, investigating their perceptions and experiences of jazz performance and education. The computer program PASW was used to conduct chi square analysis of the datum to determine statistically significant differences. In phase two, 22 qualitative interviews were conducted with Australian jazz vocal performers and/or jazz educators in Australian tertiary institutions. The computer program NVivo was used to assist the organisation of data for thematic analysis by the researcher. A side-by-side presentation of quantitative and qualitative data facilitated comparison and enabled clarity in identifying congruency in the findings. Discussion integrated results and extrapolated meaning.