Introduction

This research investigates group improvisation in its relation to, and as a function of, the environment, specifically the natural environment or wilderness. Nature writer Barry Lopez, in the introduction to Arctic Dreams, asks “How does the land shape the imagination of the people who dwell in it?” (2014, p. xxxiii). This research explores the ways in which the land shapes group improvisation—in other words, how the environment is expressed, immediately and after the experience, in group improvisation. The aim is to further investigate potential ways in which wilderness experiences can be valuable in the education of global musicians.

The topic is approached through the construction of a theoretical and philosophical framework of the concepts and practices revolving around

improvisation and the wilderness. These ideas are connected to reflections and insights from an Immersive Listening research project. Immersive Listening is a series of excursions lead and organised by myself, which take place in the

wilderness and in urban environments, the focus of which is on improvisation as it relates to environment. A three-day Immersive Listening project, which took place in late August 2015, is used as a case study. This particular project involved a group of six improvising artists spending three nights in the wilderness and culminated into an improvised performance back in Helsinki. Prior to this larger excursions, there have been shorter Immersive Listening sessions (2014–2015) with different participants.

Though these shorter sessions have helped develop the idea and execution of this larger excursion, they do not constitute case study material for this research directly.

The obvious sources of concepts and ideas for the theoretical framework come from the fields of musical improvisation, nature writing, psychology, ethnomusicology, and ecomusicology. Some less directly evident sources include Zen philosophy, phenomenology, mindfulness and meditation, and ecology. The nature of this research demands an interdisciplinary approach in order to illuminate the various dimensions of the research question, and to arrive at insights which lie beyond each individual discipline’s reach. Recent advancements in some of these fields have made possible the construction of a framework within which the research question can be explored.

As mentioned earlier, the aim of this research is to determine in which ways being in a natural environment affects group improvisation. There already exist

improvisational practices which draw inspiration from the natural world and the processes that govern it (see emergent improvisation in Sgorbati, 2005; 2012). What is specifically of interest to this research, rather than a development of an

improvisational practice model which is inspired by an intellectual understanding of nature, is studying how physically being in the wilderness affects improvising artists, that is, in which ways the wilderness environment is embodied in group

improvisational practice. This is done through looking particularly at the skills, knowledge, and attitudes which are useful in trans-cultural/trans-disciplinary/trans-genre improvisation—which are later grouped under trans-idiomatic improvisation—

and how the development or engagement of these competencies may be positively

affected by spending time in the wilderness. In investigating improvisation through the lens of the natural environment, this research examines the inherent relationship between improvisation and space: the ways we both comprehend intellectually and embody physically our emplaced experiences, and the specific ways the wilderness may affect improvisation, both in interpersonal interactions and artistic content.

The starting point and continued focus for this research has been informed by my own prior personal experiences of being in the wilderness for extended periods of time, being involved in improvisatory music-making, and reflecting on the ways my experiences in the wilderness have influenced and informed my music-making.

Beyond the ways I have been affected as an individual, I became interested in how similar experiences can affect working together within a group, due to its relevance in the context of global music and the interpersonal character of a group interaction.

My interest in exploring the effects of the natural environment in improvisation was greatly enhanced and amplified at the Ecomusicologies Conference 2014 in Asheville, North Carolina, USA, a trip supported financially by the Sibelius Academy.

Together with Alicia Burns, a fellow musician with an interest in music-making and the natural environment, we visited the conference and attended the vast majority of lectures, discussions, and workshops there. We also had the opportunity to lead two Active Rewilding workshops as part of the conference programme (see Appendix B1, p. 171). These were one-and-a-half to two-hour workshops, exploring tuning into our environment and improvising in the natural environment, followed by a discussion on our experiences. We employed exercises and ideas from Keren Rosenbaum’s Active

Listening Playground practice (Rosenbaum, n.d.), and Pauline Oliveros’ Sonic Meditations (1974).

Being surrounded by people from a large range of disciplines, joined together by their passion for researching music in relation to nature, instilled confidence in my ideas. For the first time, I encountered researchers and performers from fields such as acoustic ecology, soundscape ecology, bioacoustics, biomusic, zoomusicology, ecopsychology, and was present in discussions of political, environmental, and social issues in relation to music and nature. The ethics of sourcing wood for violins and marimbas, the environmental impact of touring or people coming from far-away places just for a concert, or how a local band has mobilised a community to act towards preventing an environmental threat to their area through songs, gigs, and protest concerts—these are all subject to the field of ecomusicology, which is interdisciplinary in nature.

Listening, presence, acceptance, assumptions about other group members, non-judgementality and going beyond one’s own comfort zone are all elements of

working together in improvisation that will be looked at in this research. Looking at the function and importance of such skills in trans-cultural and trans-disciplinary work, this research explores how the natural environment can be a conducive environment for developing such skills. The potential applications focus on, though are not limited to, the education of the global musician, as a music practice that responds to contemporary challenges arising from globalisation. Interesting points for future research are touched upon, as well as the implications of embracing the natural environment as a place for facilitating artistic development.