Free to Be Musical ─ Group Improvisation in Music

"Free to Be Musical provides an ideal introduction to creativity and music-making in music. This resource should be in the library of every novice through seasoned music teacher, whether they teach public school or a community group. The activities are flexible, fun, nonintimidating, and open-ended. These are springboards to further musical explorations."uJeffrey Bush, associate director, Academic Affairs, Arizona State University

"No other book provides what Lee Higgins and Patricia Shehan Campbell have createdua uniquely practical curriculum for musical improvisation designed around collaborative 'workshops' of imaginative 'events' and 'connectives.' This book is brilliant in its scope, sequence, and flexibility."uDavid J. Elliott, director of music education, New York University

"Free to Be Musical is a beautifully written invitation to improvisation that acknowledges the past but leads us to a musical future that is full of possibilities. An intelligent yet approachable resource for those who want to help guide musicians to celebrate their musical voice, this book provides valuable guidance from experienced practitioner-scholars about how to open our doors to the global concept of music-making."uDebbie Rohwer, chair of music education, University of North Texas

Free to Be Musical: Group Improvisation in Music is for those who lead musical experiences in the lives of children, youth, and adults. Offering a set of experiences to inspire creative musical expression, this book will prove useful for music education majors, practicing music teachers, community musicians, and music therapists alike. The experiences (or "events") are designed to reduce the musical barriers that Western societies pass on to children by the time they reach the "age of reason," when the natural childhood penchant to sing, dance, and play musically gives way to perfect performances of standard repertoire preserved in Western staff notation. The authors present ways to encourage music that is expressive and inventive, spontaneous yet thoughtful, communal and collaborative, and unlimited in its potential to bring fulfillment to those who make it. You'll find opportunities to release the musical imagination in ways that are free and expansive, playful and instructive, personal and interpersonal. Lee Higgins and Patricia Shehan Campbell have created a context that validates the experiments and explorations of all people who are potential makers of all styles of music. Their musical events embrace the belief that music-making is "a trail of no mistakes," a celebration of the many and varied musical pathways that both teacher and student can take.

Lee Higgins is visiting associate professor of music in the School of Music Education at Boston University. He specializes in community music, carnival street drumming, and improvisation.
Patricia Shehan Campbell is the Donald E. Petersen Professor of Music in the School of Music at the University of Washington. She specializes in music for children, world music pedagogy, and Dalcroze eurhythmics.