The Heart of Complexity

Jazz and the Creative Process

• Conference participants were treated to a jazz concert, followed by a discussion with the musicians in which themes of complexity and creativity were explored.
  
  
• In jazz, music flow is systemic. That is, it requires the presence of several elements. The audience is one of the most important components in making "the flow" happen.
  
  
• Spontaneous jazz improvisation is possible when a few conditions are present:
  • Members know each other extremely well.
  • Members are deeply grounded in the theory of jazz music.
  • Members truly and deeply listen to one another
    
    
• Jazz is a delicate balance of both control (some predetermined song structure/ bass lines, etc) and improvisation.
  
  
• "Min specs" may include basic song structure, time, melody... perhaps who will solo first. But the rest is left to the spontaneity of the jazz combo.
  
  
• Members stressed full participation of themselves. Trombonist said "my trom bone is not the instrument. I am the instrument. The trombone is just an extension of me."
  
  
• Members also stressed the critical role of the audience. The music must be embraced by them in order to live. Without that receptive context, they are never able to achieve "the flow

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