Research suggests that exploratory experiences in the music classroom are a crucial developmental stage as students begin making the kinds of decisions required of them during composition and improvisation. The aims of this article are to (1) articulate a rationale for exploratory learning experiences in the music classroom and (2) outline practical strategies for using exploration as a foundation for compositional and improvisational development. Drawing on the research of Peter Webster, John Kratus, and Maud Hickey, this article outlines group and individual strategies for setting up a listening walk, introducing students to invented notation, scaffolding exploratory learning experiences in the classroom, and provides resources for extending these lessons into composition and improvisation instruction. Embedding exploration into the music classroom empowers students to develop the mental flexibility, disposition, and skills needed for improvising and composing.

The tensions present in learning jazz improvisation are well recognized given the contextual shift from more informal environments such as jam sessions and apprenticeships towards academic settings such as school bands and college jazz programs. Research suggests that the development of instruction in music education be informed by and modeled after expert practitioners, yet scant evidence exists on the most effective strategies, methods, and/or approaches for teaching jazz improvisation, in particular against the backdrop of this shift in educational paradigms. In response, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate seven jazz educators’ lived experiences teaching jazz improvisation. Seven expert jazz educators situated in a variety of teaching contexts throughout Northern California were recruited using purposeful, snowball sampling strategies. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, observations of the participants in a teaching context, and documents such as syllabi, handouts, and recordings. Five themes in the form of vignettes describe these participants’ common experiences in teaching jazz improvisation: (1) Teacher as Guide; (2) Teacher as Motivator; (3) Psychological Aspects; (4) Navigating the Academic Chasm; and (5) Cultivating Lifelong Learners. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are discussed.