The Improvisation Initiative

THE IMPROVISATION INITIATIVE

Creating sound 'in the moment' should be one of the most basic musical skills, and yet improvisation is very rarely taught or encouraged for singers of any kind.


Improvisation has been an important part of Echo's work from the start. We want to involve audiences across the UK in our improvisation work, both exploring its use historically in music by composers like Claudio Monteverdi and Henry Purcell, and showing how we can use those techniques in our music making today.


We aim to show that improvisation within an ensemble singing setting is a joyful and accessible art form. 


A highlights reel of the group improvising across a variety of genres

A highlights reel of the group improvising across a variety of genres


Improvisation workshop with Aminita Francis

Bobby McFerrin's 'Circle Song No.5' in performance in Birmingham

Isn't improvisation only for jazz musicians?

Not at all - Echo is a group rooted in the classical tradition and we've been improvising ever since we met. None of us have a specialist knowledge of jazz and you don't have to, either.

Improvisation sounds quite wacky - I'm not sure it's for me

This series won't be focused on the avant-garde, but will look at traditions like folk and classical, show how this process was used in the 16th and 17th centuries and how we can enjoy it today, mainly focusing on tonal music.

I have no experience of improvisation and it would be completely out of my comfort zone

If you've ever hummed a tune of your own volition, you have already improvised! It's a lot easier than it sounds. This is also an online course, so it means that anything you join in with will be from home - and you can be on mute! It's a great way to dip your toe in the water.



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