Neuroscientist John Kounios tells The Conversation Weekly podcast about what his new research with jazz musicians revealed about the brain mechanisms of creative flow.
George Gershwin composed Rhapsody in Blue in three weeks.
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Neuroscientists analyzed the brain waves of 32 jazz guitarists as they improvised to chords and rhythms. Their findings suggest 2 key principles support innovative thinking.
It took George Gershwin just 10 days to pen the American classic.
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The work remains a crowd favorite. But more and more scholars are starting to see ‘Rhapsody’ as a whitewashed version of Harlem’s vibrant Black music scene.
Sylvia Mdunyelwa in Langa township in 2023.
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Machines have been getting better at mimicking improvisation. But can this distinctly human process serve as a bulwark against the mechanization of life and art?
Charlie Watts was the Rolling Stones’ drummer for almost six decades. A scholar of music – and a Stones fan – describes what he brought to the band.
Danish percussionist Marilyn Mazur has worked in many of the world’s best jazz bands and been described as “deserving wider recognition”.
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Improvisation asks us to trust that surprise will teach us something. As we enter a new year and a post-pandemic landscape, musical improvisation offers inspiration.
Charlie Parker at the Three Deuces New York, 1947.
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