When improvisation is properly applied,

it is compositional thinking sped way up.

~ Kurt Elling

American jazz singer and songwriter

As creativity is a central part of the elementary music program here at Elboya School, I am introducing the students to the idea of improvisation.  While most of the students from Grade 3, 4 and 5 started off with improvising musical questions and answers using various rhythmic patterns, they have extended the practice of improvisation to include melodic elements.  Students were introduced to the concept of pentatonic scale ---- a five-note scale used in many cultures ---- which forms the basis of the melodic language that students have been learning up to this point.  Grade 1 and 2 students used melodic fragments from the pentatonic scale.  By adding or changing the rhythm, students changes the melody.   Through this learning task, students are experiencing the compositional process which is "sped way up."