Robin Krieb
Realty Executives Midwest
I’ve been a performing musician for most of my life. I make the distinction of “performing musician” because it’s pertinent to this blog. I’m a formally trained trumpet player who’s played with many different groups spanning many different musical genres.
Recently I decided to delve into improv, taking classes to start. I loved it from the get go. I had a feeling I would either love it or hate it (would it be too much like “Dungeons and Dragons” that I didn’t like as a kid?) I think I have my first improv teacher to thank for introducing me to the world with such magic, knowledge, and happiness.
Anyway, you might think improv and music would be so similar, and henceforth, the reason I fell in love with improv. But I’ve come to realize that they are SO different.
Performing music is such an intensive experience- most notably involving so much preparation ahead of time. Knowing the music, practicing your part by yourself, then combining it with the group which involves even more prep ahead of the performance. If you’re playing legit music (where strictly playing the notes and markings on the page is everything), the magic that happens is predictable (albeit wonderful). With improv, the fact that nothing is planned is what makes it so exciting for me.
Yes, you take classes with others, and if the stars align (as in my case), you gel with others so much so that you form an improv troupe and perform together. This involves rehearsing to make sure that you understand whichever form you are doing. But then, everything else is made up and that’s where the magic happens.
As a musician, I rely on another musician I’m playing with to know and execute their part. But with improv, I have no idea what I and my improv partner(s) on stage will create…but I know they have my back and that I’m not alone. There’s a freedom in not having to come to the stage prepared. Yes I still love music- it’ll always be my first creative love.
Yes both improv and music involve the magic of creativity and the right brain experience. But they are so so different. Maybe that difference is the reason I love it so much.
