Improvisation

Great interview on improvisation with John McLaughlin.  Check it out

http://www.johnmclaughlin.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/McLaughlin_Interview.pdf

"John McLaughlin: Improvisation is, simply put, being and living this very moment. No one can hide in music, and
improvising in music is to be truly in this very moment and being completely yourself, with all your qualities and faults.
It is probably the most honest state for a human being to be in, whether in music or life. The great thing about
improvisation in general is that the listener is taken by the very spontaneity. This is our most natural state.
I don’t feel qualified to speak about holistic awareness and other states of mind. To me, when we are completely
spontaneous, we stop thinking and only act. This is the ideal state for any kind of creative work, whether musical or
other. I don’t really know about bringing relationships into being either, sorry . . . what I do know is that people who
are in an environment of spontaneity express deeper aspects of their own being. For the most part we function on a
discursive level of awareness. To act spontaneously leaves this state behind and allows the deeper aspects of our
nature to flow naturally."

"John McLaughlin: I am convinced that to be honest with myself in music as in life will never lead me astray. Being
honest with yourself in art can lead you to some strange places and discover surprises about yourself, even strange
things. We are very mysterious beings in a constant state of discovery. I do feel that we must pursue these aspects of
our being, since they are there for some reason or other, or perhaps for no reason at all. The only “trap” I see in
improvisation in music is when restraints are abandoned. Without these restraints, which can be in the form of
complex harmony or sophisticated rhythmic cycles, we can easily drift into self-indulgence.
I actually feel very strongly that perfect discipline equals perfect freedom. Of course, it is essential to forget everything
you’ve learned once you start playing. This is no easy task and requires dedication and humility. In any event, the first
lesson one learns when trying to improvise is that one is unbelievably inarticulate and incapable of saying anything of
merit. This feeling can and does continue throughout life, incidentally. So humility is really the first lesson.
Basically: if you’re playing, you’re not thinking and if you’re thinking, you’re not playing."