Kansas Music Standard #2: The teacher of music has skills in improvising melodies, variations and accompaniments.

Knowledge

• The teacher understands how to perform written accompaniments on the music keyboard or chord instrument and how to transpose accompaniments to appropriate keys.

Performance

• The teacher improvises accompaniments that are stylistically appropriate.
• The teacher improvises original melodies in a variety of styles, over given harmonic progression each in a consistent style, meter, and tonality.
• The teacher uses resources to illustrate and teach improvisation.
• The teacher performs simple accompaniments appropriate for classroom use.
• The teacher transposes on musical instruments at sight.

      Engaging in improvisation is important because it promotes creativity and spontaneity in both you and your students. Improving melodies and accompaniments is one way to show students your creative side but more importantly it also provides modeling for your students. Because improvisation is one of the student standards for music education, modeling becomes very important. Improvised piano accompaniments can also be very practical in the sense that you can make private lesson time or ensemble rehearsal more interesting by accompanying your students.

      Dominka recording: This is a video clip of a performance I did with the Kansas State University Concert Jazz ensemble. This is an example of an improvised solo over jazz chord changes.

      IAJE Outstanding Soloist award: As a member of the KSU Concert Jazz Ensemble I traveled to Greeley Colorado to participate in their annual jazz festival. I was award an outstanding soloist award from the International Association of Jazz Educators, for my solo work at that festival.