This essay examines how jazz educators construct methods for teaching the art of improvisation in institutionalized jazz studies programs. Unlike previous studies of the processes and philosophies of jazz instruction, I examine such processes from a cultural standpoint, to identify why certain methods might be favored over others. Specifically,…

In July and August 2003, five top UK universities offered a range of three-week summer schools to "gifted and talented" 11-16-year-olds. This initiative, heavily subsidized by the UK Government, who wish to push "the cream of the nation's pupils forward", used school holiday time to bring together nominated children from all…

Although an extensive literature exists on creativity and music, there is a lack of published research investigating possible links between musical creativity and Csikszentmihalyi's concept of flow or optimal experience. This article examines a group composition task to study the relationships between creativity, flow and the quality of the…

We focus on the music students at a conservatoire (A) that only trains performers and composers (performers/composers); a conservatoire (B) that also trains classroom teachers (education students); and a university (C) with only education students. We used a questionnaire to compare the experience and beliefs as instrumental teachers of the…

Over the past 25 years there has been an increasing and worldwide research interest in music education, embracing a range of disciplines and perspectives. As well as particular research foci on the nature of curricula, musical behaviour and development, new research literatures have been developed that link music education with ethnomusicology,…

Human geography can be taught by focusing on popular culture contexts with which undergraduate students may already be familiar such as rock music. The Geography of the Beatles introduced undergraduate students to concepts of "new" cultural geography such as space, place, representation, geopolitics, social space, and tourism-pilgrimage…