Jazz. Music for warm summer nights, late evenings in the neighborhood pub or gigs in a classy establishment. Where jazz really shines is in the live jam session. It becomes a wellspring for new musical ideas that thrills and captivates the audience.
Jam sessions bring together musicians from diverse backgrounds and styles. They become a combo without a manuscript. Everyone jams, resulting in a thrilling experience for both the performers and the audience emerges by chance. But is it really by chance?
Improvising musicians create a unique space that allows for innovative, impactful, and deeply personal expressions. Everyone on stage develops themselves and their musical ideas. Similarly, creating such a space for development is a shared objective of coaches when working with clients. It requires an appropriate setting – the coaching session.
Neither a good jam session, nor a good coaching session happens by chance.
I reached this realization by drawing upon my experiences in both professions. Building upon the foundational framework of Integral Theory developed by Ken Wilber, I've further developed my own concept of integral improvisational coaching concept.
In my TEDx Talk I focus on four concrete observations. These can easily be transferred to other contexts where human development in the form of innovation, interaction, integrity and change is required:
- Explore Your Inner Existence
- Use Improvisation and Intuition
- Go With Your Groove
- Design Process and Polarities
Why is it required? Today’s professional environment, and the society as a whole, is characterized by complex situations, with many unknowns and happening at rapid speeds. Playing by the notes does not cut it nowadays. Instead, people have to be flexible, dynamic and inclusive – all this is reflected in improvised music.
Enjoy the talk!