In Your Own Sweet Way: A study of tertiary jazz pianists’ individualised approaches to practice and performance

Abstract

Set out in three volumes (Vol. 1 Thesis, Vol. 2 Transcriptions, Vol. 3 Appendices) and engaging the history of jazz transmission, this study investigates the ways aspiring jazz pianists practise in order to develop their own personal voice or musical identity, which is the supreme goal of the jazz musician. To date, this process has not been well served by research. It is commonly held that because it is an improvisational art form, jazz cannot be taught, at least not in a conventional way, and that jazz musicians search out for themselves what they wish to learn and who they wish to learn it from. In order to understand how the emerging professional (as distinct from the seasoned expert) works towards establishing an individual voice, the study observed, analysed and compared the practice and performance of eight pianists enrolled in the well-established jazz performance program at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in Australia. It employed a “fly-on-the-wall” approach whereby over the course of a single week the participants recorded themselves practising the standards, “In Your Own Sweet Way” and “Oleo”. The researcher then recorded each participant performing the pieces and interviewed them about their background, influences, and how they set about achieving their musical goals. The data were transcribed and coded according to what the study terms Modes of Jazz Practice, Jazz Practising Concepts, and Practising Strategies. From analysis it began to emerge that the participants’ approaches to practising ranged from the spontaneous and intuitive to the more structured and systematic. In short, the pianists addressed a set of “Modes” familiar to jazz musicians and dedicated themselves to the exploration of particular “Concepts” while implementing various “Strategies”. Throughout, they engaged with ideas and exercises derived from an eclectic range of sources, such as method books, recordings, smart phone apps, and websites. The study concludes that while approaches to practising have to an extent become standardised, they are at the same time highly individualised. That is, they are developed according to the preferences and vision of each musician, in her or his “own sweet way”.